Giva Salutes: 2017 CEO Sleepout for Homeless Services
At Giva we search for organisations, large and small, that are doing a great job of changing the world around them for the better; and we are pleased to salute them here!
St Vincent de Paul Society was founded over 170 years ago by a young man named Frederic Ozanam. Today, the St Vincent de Paul Society of Australia continues to fight social injustice in Australia with the help of over 40,000 volunteers and members. The mission of St Vincent de Paul Society is to give a "hand up" to people who are affected by social justice issues such as homelessness, poverty and oppression.
The one campaign that St Vincent de Paul Society runs every year that raises immense attention to the causes for which the Society advocates for is the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. The Sleepout is put together each year to raise awareness about homelessness in Australia and to raise funds for St Vincent de Paul's homeless services. The 2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout took place on 22 June in 10 Australian cities including Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and in Adelaide, the event was 29 June.
The 2017 Sleepout saw over 1400 CEO's participate across the country and the event raised over of $5.5 million. These 1400 CEO's spent one night sleeping rough and experiencing what 105,000 Australians experience every night. The 2016 Vinnies CEO Sleepout raised enough money to provide over 689,000 bed nights, over 1.5 million meals and assistance on over 1.9 million people. The 2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout was not only a huge success, it was also an example of all the good work that can be accomplished when charities, businesses and everyday people join together to help people in difficult situations.
Becoming a volunteer at St Vincent de Paul Society is very easy; simply visit their website and select the link for your state or territory. You will be directed to a site with a list of volunteer opportunities and the time commitment required for each volunteer position.
As for the next CEO Sleepout, you can go straight to the CEO Sleepout online donation page and sponsor a CEO or make a direct donation to the cause, or you can visit their registration page to participate in next year's Sleepout.
Giva congratulates the 2017 CEO Sleepout and all its participants, and hopes for continued success in them helping their fellow people!