Aussie’s top CEOs sleep rough raising awareness for domestic violence, homelessness
Some of the country’s top thought leaders are sleeping rough on June 23 to highlight homelessness and domestic violence in Australia.
NSW
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The St Vincent de Paul Society’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout is back for the 17th year running with some of the country’s top thought leaders sleeping rough and in the cold to raise awareness for homelessness and domestic violence.
MyBond CEO and former Bulldogs interim CEO Ray Dib and Managing Director of Pfizer Australia and New Zealand, Anne Harris, are among a group of Australian CEOs set to experience a glimpse of homelessness at White Bay Cruise Terminal on June 23.
Mr Dib said he was amazed to discover that over 116,000 people suffer from homelessness in Australia, with 37,000 in NSW alone.
“It made me think wow, I was a little bit ignorant.”
The CEO hopes through the snapshot experience of homelessness he and fellow business leaders involved in the sleep-out event will trigger a larger conversation in the community.
“I think we the CEOs, through our glimpse of the hardships of what these 116,000 Australians experience every night, can use the power and influence we have to make change and increase awareness.
“Homelessness is much bigger than what we really think it is, there’s a shortage of social housing, they (homeless Australians) feel disconnected with society, there’s a lot of homeless people we don’t see,” said Mr Dib.
Mental health awareness and advocacy is something “close to” Mr Dib, who believes homelessness is a bi-product of mental and physical trauma individuals have suffered.
“We can’t do enough in terms of mental health, especially with Covid,” said the CEO.
This is Mr Dib’s first year being involved in the Vinnies Sleepout Event.
“I think this (homelessness) is going to increase unless we make more noise about it,” he said.
Managing Director of Pfizer Australia and New Zealand, Anne Harris, is sleeping out for the second year in a row.
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout “gives you an opportunity to learn, listen to people’s experiences and experience it in a way you wouldn’t if you were just donating money,” said Ms Harris.
“Homelessness is a really concerning issue, with the housing crisis, this is a real issue that needs to be addressed.”
Ms Harris credited the work of Vinnies and the services provided to Australians experiencing homelessness and domestic violence and how their vision aligns with that of Pfizer.
“It fits with what we believe in. I feel like the services that are offered make a practical and real difference.”
“Homelessness and domestic violence can affect anyone, regardless of gender and social status.
“It is not an area that people talk a lot about,” the Pfizer leader said.
“For organisations such as ours, it’s important to shine a light on it and understand it.”
Ms Harris highlighted the “over-representation” of First Nations sleeping rough, with Australia’s Indigenous community making up 20 per cent of the country’s homeless population.
“It’s quite distressing to know.
“It is something we are focused on in terms of closing the gap,” said Ms Harris.
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