The feeling from the night and the people I met are imprinted in my brain and soul.

If you are one of those fortunate people who watch a confronting documentary or film, or after reading a great book, the emotions stay with you; it impacts you; this is the same feeling, only magnified by 100.

Many people shared their stories; however, there were two ladies who stood out, and I was lucky enough to talk with them afterwards. One of these lovely ladies, in her 40s, spoke about cardboard being a luxury and not always having access to it. She told of feeling self-conscious of her appearance, the dirt and the shame, making it even harder to approach shops, asking for the cardboard to sleep on. When she spoke about this, there was no blame or anger; it was just a fact and the reality of the situation.

The manner in which she delivered her story was inspiring–she separated the person she was then from the person she is now. There didn’t appear to be anger, just acceptance and no shame or embarrassment. While listening to her story, I felt for her situation, but I didn’t have pity or feel sorry for her.

Instead, we were on the same level discussing a serious topic, exploring the real issue, not a surface conversation. This skill of hers is a rare acquired one, I am sure very few of the CEOs at the Sleepout would have. The profound personal transformation she must have gone through as a result of her experience is inspiring and grounding at the same time.

For all of the stories I heard from the speakers, what occurred to me is they are just like you and I. If it weren’t for their stories, it would be hard to tell they were ever homeless. They were well presented, articulate, intelligent, informed etc. What may set them apart from you and me, though, is their level of gratitude and appreciation. How they spoke about Vinnies, their family, their employers, their life and what they have now was–humbling.

Not to sound like a hippy, but they had a lovely ‘energy’, and I wanted to be around them. I found them funny; we had things in common, and I even felt a little sad when they left.

Is this what it feels like to be around people who are not judging and don’t expect something from you? Or is it about the necessity to strip away the illusions of what we think are our needs and desires? I like to think I am someone who is grateful and grounded, but I now believe there is so much more I can appreciate.

On a lighter note, I’d like to introduce you to the other Roxanne. No word of a lie, Roxanne is a red Staffy, who belongs to Stuart. Stuart is a homeless gentleman who resides on George St, near Dymocks. Her name is Roxanne, not Roxy or Rox–because according to Stuart, everyone’s dog ‘around here’ is called Roxy or Rox. Fair enough!

In our social posts leading up to the Sleepout, I mention that awareness may be as important as the actual fundraising. For this reason, I’m introducing you to Stuart and Roxanne. Whenever I see Stuart, I say hello to both of them, see if they need anything, have a chat and leave some money. So, if you happen to see them, I would so love it if you might like to do the same.

They are warm and friendly, and the simple acknowledgement to be seen and listened to may make a difference to their day. I saw him the day after the Sleepout, and they seemed to be ok. Roxanne (all 30 plus kilos–it is winter after all!) was snuggled up on his lap, with a coat on, sleeping. Bless!

However, on a sombre note, last week, Peter, another gentleman who sleeps rough, passed away in North Sydney. Although I didn’t know him, quite a few of you did.
I have received sad and caring messages from you about Peter. He must have had quite an impact. It’s reassuring to know he touched people’s hearts and consciousness. He seemed respected and cared for, and loved by those working in the area.

We might see the likes of Stuart and Peter… if we cared to look. But, did you know, we are ‘programmed’ to not always ‘see’ the homeless or other negatively perceived groups? Our brain doesn’t register them, and therefore, it stops us from doing something about it. There is some amazing research that explores this further!

Stuart and Peter are the ‘visible homeless’. But, what of the countless others who are hidden? The stories of how people ended up in these situations are extraordinary. For some, they have been hardworking all their lives and then misfortunate hits. But, it can literally happen to any of us.

I am not trying to push an agenda but to bring some awareness and perhaps understanding. I am also all about people helping themselves, but as humans, should we also have some compassion to help others less fortunate or who fall on troubled times? I always thought that this is how we define humanity.

• According to Jack de Groot, the CEO of Vinnies NSW, “there are issues of disability and poverty that are inextricably linked and that leads to homelessness.”
• Intergenerational poverty, children who experience poverty are more than three times as likely than those who do not, to experience poverty in adulthood.
• 1 in 5 Australians experience mental illness, 1.2 million have a moderate mental illness, and 2.6 million have a mild mental illness. Mental health issues are the second largest contributor to the non-fatal burden of disease, which is a measure of healthy years of life lost after musculoskeletal diseases.
• A quarter of the people Vinnies support are already on JobSeeker, and almost 1/3 are already on the Disability Support Pension (DSP). The rate paid by JobSeeker is below poverty levels. Common definitions of poverty level can be found here.
• Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children in Australia, with 1 in 6 women in Australia having experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.
• There is a strong link between trauma and homelessness. ‘Over 97 per cent having experienced more than four traumatic events in their lifetime. This compares with a 4 per cent rate in the general community. 70 per cent of participants experienced at least one traumatic event before experiencing homelessness. The majority were exposed to trauma during their childhood.’

On census night in 2016, more than 116,000 people were estimated to be homeless in Australia—58% were male, 21% were aged 25–34 and 20% identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (ABS 2018). Around 51,000 (44%) were living in severely crowded dwellings. Over 21,000 (18%) were living in supported accommodation for the homeless, and 8,200 (7%) were rough sleepers.

The Australian government recognised homelessness as a human right issue, and in its paper from 2008, noted, ‘people experiencing homelessness face violations of a wide range of human rights‘.

Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights. However, homelessness is not just about housing. Fundamentally, homelessness is about a lack of connectedness with family, friends and the community and a lack of control over one’s environment.
Thank you for listening to me on this week’s blog and important issue. And no more haranguing…until this time next year!

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” – Mother Teresa