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The cold facts of sleeping rough By Kathryn Vukovljak
Autumn’s amber sky This stunning photo of a Canberra autumnal evening sunset was taken by Silas Brown, scrambling to get to a beer launch (it’s tough work, but someone has to do it) on the southside. The snapper – lured irresistibly by the colour amber – careered up the archbishop’s Commonwealth Avenue drive at Acton and caught the moment from His Grace’s front garden. He made the beer launch on time, too.
CEOs will bed down in the street on June 17 to raise funds for and awareness of the many people who sleep rough in Canberra every night. Bob Wilson, CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society, says he’s not particularly looking forward to sleeping out in the cold. “I’ll be using some thick socks, a beanie and gloves and a bit of thermal clothing to make it through,” he says. “At least at the end of the night I can come home, have a hot shower and go to work. “People who do this every night out of necessity don’t have anything to look forward to.” The CEO Sleepout started in Sydney three years ago but this is the first time the fundraising event has gone national. “As it’s 2010, I’m hoping that each person can raise $2010 each,” says Bob. Andrew Fagan, the CEO of the Brumbies, WIN TV’s newsreader Jessica Good, and Pawl Cubbin, CEO of The Zoo Group are ambassadors for the event and will sleep out along with a growing number of senior community leaders including Zed Seselja, Canberra Liberal Leader of the Opposition. Bob says it’s not set to be the most
comfortable of nights for the “sleepouts”, with St Vinnies “dishing out three sheets of cardboard each”. “People can supply their own sleeping bag and pillow, and they’ll get a cup of soup and a bread roll, as well as a cup of tea or coffee. But that’s it,” he says. Lesley Affleck, a team leader who volunteers at the St Vinnies Night Patrol van, a mobile outreach service which provides warm drinks, food, clothing and friendly conversation, says the problem of homelessness in Canberra is endemic. “Before I started doing this, I was a a typical public servant and had no idea how many people slept rough here,” she says. “It’s an underlying problem that’s overlooked by both the local and Federal governments. No one cares.” The ACT and surrounding region has people sleeping outside every night without a roof over their head – including women, young people and families with children, according to Bob. “There are 120 people in Canberra that we know of,” he says. “This is a serious issue that should have no place in a society like ours.” More information or donations to www.ceosleepout.org.au
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