Toowoomba boy Tucker Green and friends raise $2700 for Homeless for a Night, to support Base Services

He’s not even in high school yet, but Tucker Green and his maters will be sleeping rough in the CBD next month to raise funds for homelessness charities. Here’s what inspired him:

Seeing schoolkids climbing out of a car with a mattress in the back seat was the “penny drop” moment for 10-year-old Tucker Green, who is doing his part to help address Toowoomba’s growing homelessness crisis.

The Toowoomba East State School student and four of his friends are taking part in the annual Homeless for a Night sleepout on August 5 — and have already raised $2500 for the Base Services in the process.

Toowoomba 10-year-old Tucker Green and four friends will be participating in the Homeless For A Week sleepout in August to raise funds for the Base Services.

While he has been involved in community service through his parents Alistair and Wendy Green for many years, Tucker decided to recruit his school friends to the cause after developing his humanitarianism.

“Last year, I saw a station wagon at a Toowoomba shopping centre car park full of mattresses and bedding, with two kids in school uniforms and an adult,” he said in a letter to his principal.

“When I asked Mum, she said they were probably living in their car.

“I didn’t know that this could happen in the town I live in, especially to kids.

“I hope that our sleep-out will not only raise money but also help my classmates understand how fortunate we are — it’s important to help those in need.”

His mum Wendy said she had been inspired by her son’s desire to make a difference.

“It was very beautiful and sad for him to realise how lucky he was but also how many kids lived in the same town as him who were not,” she said.

“They’re already more than $2700 at the moment, people are motivated because there’s a 10-year-old who wants to make a difference.

“We couldn’t be prouder, we’re not shy in explaining there are people suffering from cancer, domestic violence and other problems.”

Nat and Tiff Spary at the launch of Homeless for a Week 2020 by Base Services, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Tucker’s group of friends, featuring kids from Toowoomba East and Toowoomba Anglican School, is currently the top-fundraising team for the sleepout.

Base Services co-ordinator Tiff Spary said she had been touched by the 10-year-old’s humanity, while noting it highlighted the extent of the problem as Toowoomba continues to suffer through a cost-of-living crisis.

“You’re talking to children and they say they’re seeing kids in uniforms stepping out of cars with mattresses in the back,” she said.

“It’s so distressing we have kids in our community who don’t have a safe place to sleep.

“The fact that Tucker has seen that and said he wants to do something like that, I’m inspired by that.”

The Base Services has already raised nearly $330,000 out of a goal of $1m, with more than 90 people currently involved in the sleepout.

Ms Spary said people could either donating to her husband Nat’s annual Homeless for a Week effort, a team or individual involved in the sleepout, or buy tickets to the fundraising breakfast on August 6.