Mission Australia’s Tasmanian boss spent Saturday night sleeping in his car in Rosny Park to raise money for the charity’s homelessness services.
State Director Bart Kastrop and senior leaders took part in the national Sleep in Your Car fundraiser, braving cold overnight temperatures to highlight the reality faced by many Tasmanians.
The Tasmanian team has raised more than $1,400 so far.
Kastrop said that as temperatures dipped, he “reflected on the sobering fact that spending the night in a car is the reality for many people in Tasmania and across the country”.
Mission Australia CEO Sharon Callister said the experience is an ongoing reality for too many Australians.
“With rents continuing to rise and social housing waitlists growing, our frontline staff often struggle to find safe and secure housing for the people we support, leaving families and individuals trapped in homelessness,” she said.
“Every hour, around 3,200 people turn to homelessness services like ours for support and the demand continues to grow.”
Callister said people are being forced into impossible decisions.
“Too many people are being forced to make tough choices between paying for rent, food, fuel or other essentials,” she said.
“These are the decisions that no one should have to make.”
Sleep in Your Car is a community fundraising campaign that began in 2025.
In its first year, more than 4,000 participants raised over $160,000 for Mission Australia’s homelessness services.
While one night in a car cannot capture the full reality of homelessness, organisers say it can offer a new perspective and a practical way to support people doing it tough.
Funds raised go directly to Mission Australia’s homelessness services, which helped more than 20,122 people last year.
Those services include crisis and transitional accommodation, outreach, case management and tailored support for young people, families and adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
