CEO Sleepout urges Sunshine Coast leaders to sleep on the sand for a good cause

With nearly half of low-income Sunshine Coast households impacted by housing stress, Sunshine Coast business, community and government leaders are being called to spend a night on the sands for the 2024 Vinnies CEO Sleepout and raise vital funds for homelessness support.

The Sunshine Coast event will be held at Maroochy Surf Club on Thursday, 20 June, with a fundraising goal of more than $200,000 to beat last year's fundraising efforts.

The funds raised at the Sunshine Coast Sleepout will directly support safe and affordable housing solutions for the local community, as requests for assistance continue to skyrocket.  

Northern (Sunshine Coast) Diocesan President Beryl Rowan urged the local community to get involved. 

“Across the Sunshine Coast, we continue to see the terrible impacts of the housing crisis on the community as we speak with families sleeping in their cars or in tents on the street as rent prices increase while affordable and emergency housing options remain at capacity,” she said.

“While we acknowledge this is not an easy problem to solve, we must rally behind the vulnerable members of our community and do our part in ending the homelessness crisis on the Sunshine Coast.”

“I encourage our community to participate or donate to this year’s Sleepout, as the funds raised will go towards providing secure and safe accommodation for those experiencing homelessness.

“When you hear the stories of what many families in our region and across the state have endured, one night on the sand doesn’t sound too bad."

Additional CEO Sleepout events will be held in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, as well as community sleepouts across regional Queensland.

In the last financial year, Vinnies Queensland provided more than 103,000 nights of accommodation to Queenslanders in need.

For more information, or to register for the 2024 Sleepout, visit www.ceosleepout.org.au.