CEOs across South Australia are rallying together to support a new wave of homelessness by participating in the Vinnies CEO Winter Sleepout this year.
Andrew Kay, CEO of the South Australian Business Chamber, will be joining the cause, marking his first time participating and expressing his disbelief that homelessness remains such a prevalent issue in our state in 2024.
“It’s hard to comprehend that in South Australia in 2024, homelessness continues to surge,” said Mr Kay.
“To think that an estimated 7500 people are homeless on any given night in our state, for a multitude of reasons, should be of concern to all South Australians.
“Unfortunately, members of the business community are not immune from this plight, with those who have lost everything finding themselves among these statistics.”
Mr Kay emphasised his commitment to participating and leading by example to shed light on this issue within the business community.
“I want to see my colleagues step up, raise funds, and help put an end to homelessness,” he said.
For many business owners, the idea of networking while preparing to sleep rough for a night might seem unconventional. However, the initiative aims to foster empathy for the thousands of people who face this reality every night.
Now in its 15th year, the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout has received support from numerous corporate, government, and NGO leaders who have paved the way for change in the state.
Premier Peter Malinauskas is the only South Australian Premier to have participated in the event thus far and has joined in six times, alongside other notable participants including Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier, SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, Property Council of SA Executive Director Bruce Djite, and South Australian Film Corporation CEO Kate Croser.
Vinnie’s SA Chief Executive Officer Evelyn O’Loughlin said, “Now more than ever, leaders from across our community, business and government sectors — and at every stage of their careers — can join together on the longest night of the year to better understand the impact of poverty and homelessness while raising much-needed dollars.
“Charities like Vinnies are struggling to support new demand and we need more SA leaders to help us address this growing crisis of poverty and homelessness.”
Vinnies is a primary supporter of homelessness in SA, providing thousands of men, women, children and their pets with emergency accommodation 24/7, 365 days a year.
In addition to these services, Vinnies also provides 36,662 meals for South Australians doing it tough through Fred’s Van each year and through 2,750 instances of assistance, including food hampers, clothing, and fuel vouchers to vulnerable refugees and migrants.
If you would like to support Andrew Kay’s participation this year, click here.
