Business and community leaders around Australia braved a cold night out (except in Darwin) in support of Australians experiencing homelessness, with more than $9.2 million raised nationally. Donations to the cause can be made up to 31 July.

In New South Wales, the event held at White Bay Cruise Terminal in Rozelle brought in $2.5 million, with other sleepouts held in Newcastle and Wollongong, which will go directly to support a wide range of homelessness and housing programs run by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

Leading the state’s fundraising was Grant Steward, Managing Director and Founder of Consep, who personally raised $205,000, surely a NSW record.

First launched in 2006, the annual event has grown into a national movement.

‘This is a wonderful result for the 20th anniversary of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout and shows the generosity of support that has been built in the name of addressing homelessness,’ said Yolanda Saiz, CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

In Melbourne, 152 CEOs and senior leaders braved a cold night at the South Melbourne Market rooftop carpark for the 15th annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Participants were taken through an immersive experience where they journeyed through 50 years of Vinnies Soup Vans in 50 minutes. Back to 1975 when a handful of students in a Bedford van delivered soup and sandwiches on the streets of Fitzroy.

Through to the Covid years where the need for food doubled almost overnight, and ‘rough sleeper packs’ were introduced for volunteers to deliver to people where they were when congregating in one place was banned.

Lastly, the leaders learnt about the current service, where 810,000 meals are delivered every year by hundreds of volunteers operating out of 15 vans.

The sleepers heard from two people with lived experience of receiving support from St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria – MC Mary Nguyen, who arrived in Australia as a newborn when her parents fled Vietnam, and Harry Sanders, Founder and Director of StudioHawk who was homeless at 17 and was encouraged by a VincentCare Victoria social worker, Carla, to continue his business.

Chris Christofi became the highest fundraiser nationally for the CEO Sleepout. As of 26 June, Chris has raised an incredible $400,000 for this year’s Sleepout alone.

At the Sleepout, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Group CEO Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald AM, on her second sleepout, launched a bold $5 million campaign to expand the Vinnies Soup Van services across Victoria over the next three years. R