Will you make a donation to the Vinnies CEO Sleepout? Three WYZA® team members are taking part this June and are asking for your help.
With over a million page views a month WYZA® is the fastest-growing digital platform for Australians who are 50+. There are nearly 8 million Australians aged 50+ today – a third of our total population. By 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics projects that this number will have grown to nearly 9 million, or just under half of all adults. This large and growing demographic represents a vibrant, energetic and valuable group of people.
At WYZA®, we believe in supporting those who have been ignored for far too long. So, when we learned the fastest growing cohort experiencing homelessness is women who are 55+ and are from all walks of life, we knew we wanted to be involved in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to offer our support and to help raise awareness.
Three WYZA® team members will be braving the cold to help raise money for the homeless. Can you please help?
Last year's CEO sleepout
Our CEO Michael Farley makes a personal appeal for your generous donations:
On Thursday 23 June I will be spending a night in the cold as part of the 2016 Vinnies CEO Sleepout, I will experience for one night what is a daily reality for over 105,000 Australians. My experience however will come without the despair, sadness, violence and isolation, things that are often tied to the experience of homelessness. I would be grateful for any donation you can make in support of my participation – all donations will support Vinnies homelessness services.
Homelessness is on the rise and I feel compelled to do what I can personally to help Vinnies fight this issue.
These statistics shocked and distressed me and prompted me to sign up for the 2016 Vinnies CEO Sleepout:
- 60% of the homeless population is under the age of 35.
- More than 17,000 Australian children under the age of 12 have no permanent home.
- Women and girls make up about 59% of all clients who access specialist homelessness services.
- Between 2006 and 2011 Australia experienced a 17% increase in people experiencing homelessness.
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout offers a glimpse into the realities of homelessness
Vinnies is actively involved in early intervention and prevention activities with at-risk groups, as well as operating as one of the leading providers of homelessness services in NSW, including crisis accommodation.
This means your donations will not only provide warmth and nourishment through beds and meals, but also support the wrap-around services provided by Vinnies including education and lifeskills programs that help people break the cycle of homelessness.
I would be so grateful if you would support our participation with a donation here.
Each year Vinnies helps over 1.3 million people and they couldn’t provide this assistance without the support of the generous public. Your support means more to someone than you will ever know. I leave you with this quote –
“This is not how I pictured my life. If it weren’t for Vinnies, I would be on the streets. Alone.”
Please help support us, support homeless Australians here.
Michael Farley
CEO, WYZA®
(Featured image: Vinnies CEO Sleepout/Facebook)
Have you or a loved one ever experienced homelessness? Join the conversation below.