In honour of National Homelessness Awareness Month, Bella Vista Farm hosted its 11th annual Hills Winter Sleepout, raising funds and awareness for homeless individuals and victims of domestic violence in the Hills.
In honour of National Homelessness Awareness Month, Bella Vista Farm hosted its 11th annual Hills Winter Sleepout, raising funds and awareness for homeless individuals and victims of domestic violence in the Hills.According to the 2021 census, approximately 122,000 individuals experience homelessness every day across Sydney. This appears in various forms such as couch surfing, living in crisis accommodation and sleeping rough.
With the sharp increase of cost of living, and rising unemployment rates, the rate of homelessness is not just ben affecting Sydney’s residents; it’s a growing concern within the Hills Shire Council. Vulnerable members of our community are living in improvised dwellings and squatted accommodation, often fleeing domestic violence situations.
Mici Beer, Executive Officer and Program Director of the Hills Community Aid, has over 25 years experience in the community sector. Whilst the Hills Shire Council does not have a large population of people sleeping rough, Mici spoke of the emerging category, ‘The Working Poor’ and the hidden couch-surfers within our own community:
“In the past year, Hills Community Aid has had a 47% increase in the number of people who have presented as homeless. We can see it’s a growing issue. Homeless Australia reported that in 2023, 76,000 children under the age of 18 sought help from homeless support services nationally. However, 19,800 of those children were turned away from these resources due to a lack of support – this needs to change”.
However, the Hills Winter Sleepout is here to support our most vulnerable and improve their living conditions. On the 17th of August, the Sleeopout held its 11th annual event, bringing the community together to experience one night of sleeping rough.
The Hills Winter Sleepout raises funds for Hills Community Aid (HCA), specifically for their Homeless Prevention Initiative, which provides services such as crisis accommodation and rental/bond support for those experiencing financial hardship.
Through the generous donations from the Hills Winter Sleepout, over $350,000 has been raised in previous years, helping hundreds of vulnerable locals who were facing the terrifying reality of being homeless.
Michelle Byrne, former Mayor and founder of the event, started the mission in 2014 to address misconceptions of homelessness in the Hills. During her speech, she noted the rise of domestic violence in the Hills and encouraged families to access the wonderful services offered by the Hills Community Aid:
“We started this Sleepout because we wanted to raise awareness of homelessness and its causes in the Hills. In 2014, people didn’t believe that homelessness existed in the Hills and that’s simply not true. We know that tonight, there are women and children who are sleeping in their cars.
We know that there are people who are employed but cannot afford rent. Occasionally we do have rough sleepers in the Hills, but they are very well hidden. Over the last 11 years, we have raised $350,000 and what is special about the sleepout is that it’s a very different event, we get to meet our community and the people around us on a greater level”.
Reverend Bill Crews is also passionate about homelessness prevention through The Rev. Bill Crews Foundation. His advocacy spans over 50 years and includes his ‘Loaves and Fishes’ restaurant, which distributes half a million meals a year.
At the event, Reverend Bill spoke of the importance in recognising the homeless community as part of our humanity: “We see a lot of people at our meal services who say to our volunteers, ‘I never thought I’d be here’. But I don’t think there is as much hope as there is right now. Homeless people here are just the same as homeless people in Sydney – there’s a family of homelessness, just like there’s a community of us. We are all interconnected – all those people that are on the streets now are in lots of ways, our brothers and sisters”.
At the event, Norwest Sunrise Rotary Club provided much-needed respite throughout the night with a BBQ dinner and hot bacon and egg rolls the next morning – a much kinder reality for us than those experiencing homelessness. Hills Daily Grind, an initiative and fundraiser for Hills Community Aid, generously provided participants with bakery goods and coffees late into the night and early the next morning. This year, Vidzero also joined the Hills Winter Sleepout to film a pro-bono advertisement as part of their initiative of: ‘100 videos for 100 charities’.
Any one of us is only a few paychecks away from being Homeless. If this story speaks to you, The Hills Winter Sleepout is still accepting donations. You can choose the amount you wish to donate, with donations over $2 tax deductible. Our team raised almost $400 for the event and you can donate to our page by searching for the ‘The Hills Winter Sleepout August 2024’ online.
If you find yourself experiencing financial hardship, the incredibly kind HCA staff at 390 Windsor Road, Baulkham Hills, are available to offer support including rent or bond assistance and emergency relief such as food stamps and petrol vouchers. They are open Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 2 pm. If this story has raised any concerns, you can contact the 24/7 National Domestic Violence hotline at 1800 737 732.
