Sleeping rough to battle homelessness
WHEN Bryce Smit joins 50 other people to sleep rough on Toowoomba streets next month, it won’t be just a fundraiser – it will be a mirror to the past four years of his life.
The 17-year-old, who is on the path to a better life after spending years battling homelessness, will take part in the Homeless for a Night event run by the BASE Services on August 6.
Bryce, who couch-surfed and lived on the streets since he was 13, said he was now in a shelter and was doing a traineeship with Second Shot.
He said his situation was caused by and created a mix of family breakdowns, mental health problems and drug abuse.
“A lot (happened) – it is hard to find what didn’t go wrong,” he said. “There was a big family breakdown. “For the first two years, it was couch-surfing, but as soon as I turned 15 it was fully on the streets.”
On top of being the organisation’s major fundraiser, BASE Services coordinator Nat Spary said the sleepout was a reminder to participants that anyone could become homeless.
“We’ve already got 50 people signed on to sleep rough,” he said. “We’re asking people to meet at a location unknown, and from there we’ll be giving them a backpack.
“Homelessness can happen to anybody. Participants find out the truth about homelessness – it doesn’t discriminate.
New participant Jackson Adams, representing Richard Adams Homes, said he was looking forward to the experience.
“We felt it was long overdue that we got out and did the sleep-out,” he said. To sign up for Homeless For A Night or to donate to a participant, head to www.homelessforaweek.com.au.