Sleeping rough can open eyes of executives

Jonathan Lord explains why he will bed down outside in cold, Tasmanian winter

ALTHOUGH many may think homelessness is an issue reserved for Australia’s major cities, nearly 1600 Tasmanians experience homelessness every night.

Astonishingly, of those 1600, almost 30 per cent are under 18, and 15 per cent are less than 12 years old.

No one chooses to be homeless, least of all children.

Homelessness has no postcode, age, gender or race and can affect anybody in any community. The truth is, any of us could find ourselves homeless, be it through mental illness, domestic violence, financial crisis or unforeseen events completely out of our control.

This is why I am participating in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout in Launceston on Thursday.

First joining the event in 2016, I found it to be a unique opportunity, experiencing just a degree of the hardship faced by Tasmania’s homeless population every night.

I found the initiative to be an extremely powerful experience, and was lucky enough to raise a significant amount of funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society to continue its great work in providing shelter and support for Tasmanians in need.

Perhaps more importantly, the CEO Sleepout is also directly responsible for raising awareness so that others may open their hearts and minds to support those who, often through no fault of their own, are less fortunate than us.

In sleeping rough for just one night, our managers, leaders, chief executives and business owners can share in a difficult experience and begin to break down the stereotyping and misjudgment surrounding homelessness in our communities.

Although the plight of the homeless is still largely misunderstood in Tasmania, the CEO Sleepout has been successful in raising more than $800,000 since 2011, and the community’s commitment to the event is growing.

Homelessness in Tasmania can no longer be ignored and there is no vehicle more effective in addressing this issue than this event.

All money raised through this event stays in Tasmania, and is explicitly used to help Tasmanians experiencing homelessness.

When it comes to Tasmania’s homeless, the St Vincent de Paul Society steps into the space state institutions do not choose to occupy. With grace they provide support, protection, shelter, encouragement, opportunity, love and care so that those who do find themselves homeless might not just survive, but grow and rebuild their lives.

Through my position with Winemaking Tasmania, I have again worked hard to gather support for this wonderful cause, and as of today sit just below $7000 in funds raised for the 2017 event. Together with my individual campaign, Winemaking Tasmania has generously donated an auction prize that I am sure will be hotly contested.

Any of us could find ourselves homeless, be it through mental illness, domestic violence, financial crisis or unforeseen events ...

The winning bidder will receive a personalised barrel of premium Tasmanian wine, equivalent to 18 dozen individual bottles. This will include the opportunity to spend the day with our winemakers, tweaking the finer details of the wine and designing a unique bottle label.

I do also hope that in some way my relatively insignificant contribution of a night under the stars might help others to realise how fortunate we are and how relatively easy it is to give back to those less fortunate in this world.

More than ever, the St Vincent de Paul Society is relying on the CEO Sleepout to fund services that directly support the hundreds of Tasmanians who continue to experience homelessness.

With your support, together we can make a difference.

The 2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout will be held at UTAS Stadium in Launceston on Thursday, June 22. To make a donation go to www.ceosleepout.org.au. Jonathan Lord is the chief executive of Winemaking Tasmania and a participant in the 2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout.