SW’s 7th CEO Sleepout in 2023 | Record fundraising

Together as a team, SW has raised over $100,000 nationally for Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout this year, bringing our seven year tally to over $400,000. All of these funds will have a positive impact on helping end the cycle of homelessness in Australia.

We are incredibly proud of our 15 participants this year, not only for the amount they raised but also for their compassion towards Australians who are struggling to find shelter and enduring the cold while living on the streets this winter.

CEO Duane Rogers said, “Of course, it can’t be done without all our team members, staff and the generous donors, and we are humbled by their contributions. Also, a very big congratulations to Partner, Matt Oakey for taking the lead with this firm community initiative for its 7th year, and to Amanda Lee and the Co2 Committee for their organisation and promotion to build awareness of our efforts.”

Matt Oakey says: ” This is the 7th year I have participated in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, and there were two key words from last night: respect and hope. I know that through our participation and fundraising, SW has created hope for the hard working team at Vinnies and the people that need their support. With the increased cost of living, Vinnies have had a 30% increase in requests for assistance. For a wealthy country like Australia, I question why do we have people who are sleeping rough and making choices about paying the rent or food? We need to respect those in our communities who are disadvantaged and help lift them up.”

Here’s what some of our other team members had to say about their experience:

“We heard heart-wrenching stories, that moved me deeply, from some of the people that have been helped by Vinnies’ holistic approach.”

Stephen O’Flynn

“Doing the Sleepout is always a great reminder of both how hard it must be to sleep rough night after night and the great work that Vinnies do to assist those in need.”

Chris Dexter

“Certainly extremely grateful to have a home. The stories of other experiences were heart wrenching.”

Tony Principe

“After one night sleep rough with snoring, having a safe and comfortable place/bed to sleep, it is such a treasure gift.”

Vicki Lam

“The food was good, and it wasn’t too cold so I can’t complain at all. The hard floor did made sleeping difficult. And the snoring. ‘Twas a symphony of snoring during the night!”

Tom Mullarkey

“It’s hard to imagine anyone sleeping well when sleeping rough – the 11pm and 4am street noise soundscapes gave us a small glimpse of what it can be like.”

Luke Fernandes

“In my third year of the CEO Sleepout, the sobering reality of homelessness continues to strike a chord. This event continually reinforces my commitment to channel our collective resources towards addressing and alleviating this issue.”

Neville Lin

“So glad to be able to do a small part in tackling a big issue. Being able to hopefully have some families and especially some children get a warm and safe place to sleep is the main reason I help out. Every child has the right to a safe environment to sleep or call home so its important to help. I am proud of the effort by my fellow SW partners to contributing in a small but vital way to addressing the major issue that WA is facing. I urge more people to get involved next year.”

John Dorazio

You can still make a donation and it is not too late! Tax deductible donation until 31 July 2023.

This activity supports two of our key SDGs