MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fusion Canberra, along with the other Fusion Centres nationwide, will be hosting “Sleep in Your Car”, a fundraising event on the 8th of August to raise awareness and funds to address youth homelessness.
Held within Homelessness Prevention Week (3-9th August), the event hopes to create understanding on the plight of those living without a home by having participants experience homelessness firsthand, particularly those who are youth.
According to statistics there are 105,237 people homeless in Australia every night! 94% of these are not on the streets… they are in cars, caravans, friends couches, homelessness services etc. This event seeks to shine the light on this often hidden issue.
Local event organizer, Brenton Reimann says, “Our focus is on the 466 youth (12-24 year olds) who are homeless on any given night in Canberra. There are some great sleepout events in Canberra at other times of the year, raising much needed funds for this vital area. We have however chosen to run our event in the coldest part of the year as a challenge really – how much are Canberrans willing to sacrifice to help those doing it tough? This event focuses specifically on youth homelessness and supporting two great local organizations actively working at both a preventative and crisis level. So get your team together, rope your friends and workmates in, and register today!”
On August 8th from 6pm, those involved will either sleep in their car, or the “cardboard city” of ex refrigerator boxes provided by local whitegood stores on site in the gym. Activities on the night will include a movie screening, soup kitchen put on by local churches, and some fun relays and activities with a serious side.
Participants work to get people to sponsor them and must raise a minimum of $100 (if over 18, $50 if under 18). All funds raised will be split evenly between Fusion Canberra’s local preventive youth support programs and MissionWorx local programs for those in crisis. Any individual nation-wide, who raises the most amount of money will win an iPad Mini.
For further information and to register, visit http://www.sleepinyourcar.com.au.
For Media Enquiries please contact: Brenton Reimann, brenton.reimann@fusion.org.au
Or call Fusion Canberra on (02) 6111 2959 or 0424 932 292
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