Vinnies CEO Sleepout at Far South Coast raises over $30,000

Vinnies CEO Sleepout participants in the Far South Coast raise over $30,000 for people experiencing homelessness in their local community.

Yesterday, three inspiring local leaders on the Far South Coast participated in their first ever Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Together, they raised over $30,000, exceeding their target of $23,000. Senior Constable Jamie Cooper from Eden, Stephen Pope of Pope Logging and Brendon Bobbin, from Bobbin Transport Pty Ltd braved the cold last night at the Merimbula basketball court.

The funds raised by local leaders, thanks to the support of the community, will be used to provide practical support such as emergency accommodation, food, clothing, and essential bills, to people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness in the region.

Vinnies Canberra/Goulburn CEO, Lucy Hohnen said, “There is a real crisis out there and we need each dollar raised to help those experiencing the toughest of times. We deeply appreciate the three participants, Jamie Cooper, Stephen Pope, and Brendon Bobbin for raising awareness and funds for their local community.”

Last night, with just some soup and bread rolls for dinner and just three pieces of cardboards, the local leaders faced the harsh realities of homelessness on the cold concrete of Merimbula Basketball courts.

They tuned into the live stream event happening at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, where participants got a chance to listen to the real-life stories of people who experienced homelessness. Based in the capital, Vinnies Canberra/Goulburn’s network of volunteers and stores provide assistance in the Far South Coast of NSW, the Snowy Mountains, and NSW Western Region.

“We welcome the support of the community for this first Sleepout, this is just the starting step to break the vicious cycle of homelessness and we’ll look to grow the event even bigger for next year based on this year’s success”, said Ms. Hohnen

It’s not too late to donate, fundraising will continue until 31 July 2023, visit: https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/farsouthcoast 

Photos available via Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EeEVvGuvleBv4kszAKAHXszpirMeei_b?usp=sharing 

Media contact: Nikita Nair nikita.nair@vinnies.org.au or 0410 359 420