Darran’s turn to help out

AS a homeless alcohol and drug-dependent teenager, Tasmanian filmmaker Darran Petty knows more than most about the mental and physical burden homelessness can have.

Now one of Tasmania’s rising media stars, Petty has swapped couch-hopping for film-cropping and wants to use his voice to help homeless Tasmanians get back on their feet.

“I was a 14-year-old kid looking for rental places on very little welfare payments which I had to spend on food, transport and clothing but pretty much most of it went to alcohol,” he said.

“It went on for years and I covered it up — I didn’t want my school friends to know.

“Bodybuilding saved my life which I took up in 2000. It gave me a focus and stopped me drinking, taking drugs and through that I found work.”

Today marks the start of National Homelessness Week — an annual awarenessraising period to highlight the 116,000 Australians who are homeless on any given night.

Spurred by his teenage years sleeping on friends’ floors, couches and in garages, Petty said he jumped at the chance to create a fundraising campaign to support two Tasmanian charities.

Petty, the face of advertising agency Radar Promotions, has developed a series of T-shirts to sell, with all profits going to social support organisation Kingborough Helping Hands and A Paw Up, which provides essential pet items to animal owners who are struggling with homelessness.

“You never know who’s experiencing homelessness, it could be anyone. That’s why for me it was about reaching out and speaking up,” Petty said.

“It’s not a very good life to live and sometimes there’s no end in sight.

“But I have a firm belief that if you put all your energy into something, it’ll come to fruition and that’s what I’ve done.”

To purchase a T-shirt visit darranpetty.com