At Wests Illawarra for the launch of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout are Wests Illawarra CEO Danny Munk, The Personnel Group’s Shamayne Anderson, Shellharbour Marine Real Estate principal Michelle Mannex, Vinnies Regional Director South Solange Frost, Cunningham MP Alison Byrnes and Flagstaff Group CEO Rodney Von Clark. Photo: Supplied.
It was cold and wet and the cardboard box that Michelle Mannex was sleeping in did little to protect her.
Michelle was fortunate that for her, it was just one night of sleeping rough and not how she had to live every day.
The principal of Shellharbour Marine Real Estate is about to take part in her fifth Vinnies CEO Sleepout and is passionate about the cause.
“We talk about the great Aussie dream about owning a home, but we tend to forget that there are people in our community who are just looking for a safe place to sleep,” Michelle said.
Michelle joined fellow CEO sleepers, Flagstaff Group CEO Rodney Von Clark and Wests Illawarra CEO Danny Munk, at the club to help launch the 20th CEO Sleepout, which will be held on Thursday 19 June.
“It’s a really important cause to not only raise funds but also awareness for homelessness in Australia and here in the Illawarra,” she said.
“One of the fastest growing groups of homeless people is actually women over the age of 55.
“These are women who have been part of our community, who have given to the community.
“They’ve raised a family, they’ve worked hard and from a number of different unexpected situations, have found themselves to be homeless.
“It can be any one of us. It could be me, my mother, my daughter, my sister, and we need to have awareness around the reasons why and try and prevent them.
“You won’t necessarily see women sleeping out on the streets, but they lounge surf, they’re sleeping in cars and they’re staying in relationships that are unsafe because they have nowhere else to go.
“Sleeping rough for one night is a small act, but it sends a powerful message of solidarity and helps fund vital, life-changing support services.
In the past nine months, the St Vincent de Paul Society has helped more than 11,300 people in the Wollongong area, supplying food, clothing, accommodation support and financial help to afford essential bills such as electricity and medicines.
The society’s Regional Director South Solange Frost said homelessness and housing stress were now affecting a much broader cross-section of the community.
“I think it’s no longer a housing and homelessness cost of living crisis, it’s actually becoming our new normal, which is the sad reality for a lot of people,” she said.
“We’re seeing this stress now hitting working families. We’re getting people coming to us saying we’ve got nowhere to live who are still employed.
“About one in four people who sought our assistance last year were homeless and 50 per cent were in housing stress, and that number has increased dramatically.
“We are seeing housing-related issues being the biggest driver of the need for assistance from us and that’s people coming to us saying I need help putting food on the table because I’m saving all the money that I’ve got to pay my rent, to pay the mortgage.”
Solange said the CEO Sleepout was the biggest fundraising event of the year for the organisation’s homelessness services.
“A really practical example is the Vinnies Van. Last year in the Illawarra, we delivered over 6500 meals,” she said.
“We have huge support from volunteers, but the vans don’t run themselves, so we have a coordinator, and also all the food and supplies that goes into the van, so the funds make a really big difference to the work that we do.”
Last year, Wests Illawarra raised more than $41,000 during the CEO Sleepout and in conjunction with Flagstaff, is again accepting donations of winter clothing. Donations can be dropped at both organisations.
CEO Danny Munk said homelessness had devastating consequences for individuals and families, including an increasing number of young people and older women.
“At Wests Illawarra, we firmly believe it is our responsibility, as active members of the Illawarra community, to ensure people struggling on life’s journey are given our care and support,” he said.
“Having a safe and secure place to sleep should not be a privilege; it is a basic human need.”
If you’d like to support Michelle in the Sleepout click here; to support Danny click here, or to support Rodney click here.
