Armidale Ex Services Club boosts St Vincent de Paul sleepout fund

The Armidale Servies pledged $3000 to match all donations made on Wednesday, August 25 dollar for dollar to support the Armidale event, and more than $6500 was raised.

The NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout will see participants in Armidale and 10 other locations throughout the state spend a night in their cars, couches, and backyards, and join online to learn more about homelessness and hardship occurring in NSW.

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All funds raised from the event will go towards local Vinnies services and conference work to assist people experiencing hardship with food, clothing, financial aid, educational programs, and other vital support.

In Armidale, all money raised will go to Freeman House, a service providing residential and community-based programs for adults experiencing homelessness or addiction.

"In particular, we provide a residential rehabilitation service, services in the community, and intensive support for people without homes (both before and after a crisis)," said Armidale-based Phil Donnan, who is the St Vincent de Paul regional director for North West NSW.

"Usually, homelessness in this part of the world is hidden.

"Not many people sleep rough because of the climate, but in Armidale, for every one person you see sleeping rough, there are at least 11 others who are couch surfing or at risk.

"It's a bit like an iceberg."

To demonstrate some of the issues facing homeless people and raise awareness of the fundraiser, Mr Donnan and the local Armidale St Vincent de Paul team made a light-hearted video to shed light on this serious local issue.

Mr Donnan said COVID-19 had impacted the work St Vincent de Paul does and not just because it turned the annual sleepout fundraiser into a virtual event. About 18 people each week contact Freeman House in Armidale.

"Homelessness is a real problem for us, and it's growing," he said.

"What's really an issue for us is people at the risk of homelessness, those who are just on the edge of it through loss of income.

"With the current pressure on the rental market, we are getting more and more people seeking assistance to pay rent and buy food. We are probably interviewing about 62 people a week across the Northern Tablelands."

Jack de Groot, Vinnies NSW CEO, acknowledged the impact of the latest COVID-19 outbreak on people impacted and the event itself.

"We had hoped to be able to host the NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout in-person this year, however with the current state-wide lockdown and a growing number of cases in various parts of the state, a decision was made to transition to a virtual event in accordance with the advice provided by NSW Health and the NSW Government," Mr de Groot said.

"It is an incredibly difficult time right now with many people facing severe financial and emotional strain due to job losses brought on by the lockdown."

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In the last financial year, the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW supported close to 35,000 people with $7.4 million in monetary and material assistance; 49 percent of people sought help due to a shortage of food, while 54 percent experienced stress due to the cost of housing.

More than 51,000 applicants are currently on the waiting list for social housing in NSW, including 5,300 listed as a priority according to the latest figures released by the State Government.

NSW Vinnies Community Sleepouts will be held virtually in Armidale, Albury, Central Coast, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Maitland, Murrumbidgee, Southern Highlands, Tweed Heads, Wagga Wagga, and Western Sydney on Friday, August 27.

To donate, go to vinnies.org.au/communitysleepout and press on the Armidale link.

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