Tasmanians are being invited to spend a night sleeping rough to raise awareness and funds for those doing it tough in the community.
Hobart City Mission’s Sleep Rough fundraiser returns for its fourth year on Friday May 23, with a goal to raise $300,000 to support people facing homelessness.
The event encourages participants to spend one night outdoors at Princes Wharf No. 1 to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by those without a roof over their heads.
This year also introduces a new initiative, the Sleep Rough Sleep Out, bringing schools on board to host their own overnight ‘sleepover’ fundraisers during May.
Kath Windfeld-Petersen, a Year 5–6 teacher at The Cottage School in Bellerive, says it has been an eye-opening experience for students.
“We started focusing on homelessness after watching the I Am Eleven documentary, which asks 11-year-olds about their concerns,” she said.
“Many students were worried about the number of families around Hobart without safe, secure homes.”
Hobart City Mission CEO Harvey Lennon said events like Sleep Rough are a chance to better understand the pressures many in the community are quietly facing.
“There are almost 5,000 families in Tasmania on the housing register, while they experience some form of homelessness,” he said.
“Our community is struggling with a critical shortage of affordable housing.”
Reaching this year’s goal could help provide shelter for around 80 adults and 30 children each night and keep programs like the daily food pack service, which supplies around 40 meals a day, going strong.
“We’ve already had 70 previous attendees register in the past few days,” Lennon said. “[This] shows you just how much people get out of coming to Sleep Rough and how much difference you’ll make.”
