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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF GOOD WORKS IN SUPPORT OF THE TOOWOOMBA COMMUNITY

SOCIAL JUSTICE FORUM BRINGS LEADERS TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR VOICES

VINNIES QLD REVEAL TOP 10 OP SHOP HOT SPOTS IN LEAD UP TO WORLD OP SHOP DAY SALE

BREAKING GROUND ON 27 NEW SOCIAL HOMES IN TOOWOOMBA

SOCIETY REFLECTS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY 2025

Society message for Social Justice Sunday

RECOGNISING NATIONAL HOMELESSNESS WEEK

SOUTHPORT CONFERENCE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT

After 100 years of supporting the Southport community, each day is still full of surprises for the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland Members of the local Guardian Angels Conference.<o:p></o:p>

REFLECTIONS ON NAIDOC WEEK 2025 - STRENGTH, VISION AND LEGACY

This NAIDOC Week, we reflect on the 2025 theme — The Next Generation: Strength, Vision &amp; Legacy. This theme recognises 50 years of NAIDOC Week and honours the strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the vision of young leaders, and the enduring legacy of Elders and ancestors.
This NAIDOC Week, we proudly stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as we celebrate the theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision &amp; Legacy.”&nbsp;
It is a time to honour the enduring strength of First Nations communities, the visionary leadership of young Indigenous Australians, and the powerful legacy of Elders who have paved the way for justice, resilience, and cultural pride.
At the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland, we recognise that true reconciliation begins with listening. We acknowledge the historical and ongoing injustices faced by First Nations peoples and reaffirm our commitment to walking together in partnership, guided by respect, compassion, and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
We believe that empowering the next generation is key to building a future where Indigenous voices lead the way in shaping policy, community, and national identity. We support the Uluru Statement from the Heart and continue to advocate for truth-telling, treaty, and meaningful co-design of services that reflect the wisdom and aspirations of First Nations communities.
This week, and every week, we celebrate the rich cultures, achievements, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We invite all Australians to join us in learning, listening, and acting—so that together, we can build a legacy of unity, justice, and hope.
To honour and listen, the Society is pleased to participate in a range of activities across the Queensland, including our involvement at the upcoming Musgrave Park Family Fun Day on 11 July, the largest NAIDOC Week event of its kind in Australia.

- CEO Kevin Mercer and State President Patricia McMahon

STATE BUDGET ADDRESSES SOARING DEMAND FOR HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT

A near $600m in funding for homelessness support and $5.6b in social housing funds included in&nbsp; yesterday's State Budget announcement will go some way to relieve pressure from growing demand faced by&nbsp; homelessness support organisations such as Vinnies Queensland.
CEO Kevin Mercer welcomed funding of $209m for homelessness services, $366m for crisis&nbsp; accommodation and head leasing and more flexible access to social and affordable housing&nbsp; funding, saying last year’s record social housing build announcement needed to be partnered with&nbsp; immediate homelessness solutions.
“With the state housing waiting list recently exceeding the 50,000 Queenslanders mark, last year’s&nbsp; announcement of 53,500 social homes by 2044 is even more important to deliver in response to our&nbsp; housing crisis,” Mr Mercer said.
“What we need now is immediate solutions to help those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness&nbsp; while these homes are being built, and the State Budget includes some funding to support this.
“This issue remains critical – one of the missing pieces for Queensland right now is access to&nbsp; medium-term housing, for people moving between short-term crisis and long-term accommodation, and a $5.6b investment into new social and community housing initiatives should help address that.”
Mr Mercer was encouraged by the continuation of cost-of-living support with the back-to-school&nbsp; boost and electricity rebate indexing, but there is still further opportunity to boost homelessness&nbsp; prevention by helping Queenslanders struggling with rising rent costs to maintain tenancies.
“Cost of living support is homelessness support – Queenslanders are feeling a lot of financial&nbsp; pressure in keeping up with rising rent and general costs of living,” he said.
“Sometimes a single rent increase can be enough for people to become at risk of losing their home.
“While we also appreciated numerous measures to support victims of domestic and family violence,&nbsp; the number one cause of homelessness for Australian women and children, there is an opportunity&nbsp; to invest in more preventative measures such as family and financial counselling services.”
Mr Mercer also acknowledged initiatives to invest in education and remove financial barriers of entry&nbsp; for primary school students, as well as reducing costs for Queenslanders to access medical&nbsp; services.
Vinnies Queensland, the state’s largest homelessness support provider, is currently working on&nbsp; building more than 500 social and affordable homes across Queensland for people in need, with the&nbsp; first site in this project – a 60-unit housing facility in Nerang on the Gold Coast – breaking ground&nbsp; earlier this month.
The organisation recently raised $2.5m for this project as part of its recent Vinnies CEO Sleepout&nbsp; event, which saw more than 550 Queensland leaders sleep out in support of homelessness.
In the last financial year, Vinnies Queensland provided more than 128,000 nights of accommodation&nbsp; and supported more than 1,300 Queenslanders experiencing homelessness to secure sustainable housing.&nbsp;

VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT RAISES $2.5M FOR HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT

On Thursday 19 June, hundreds of Queensland’s business and community leaders traded their comfy and warm beds for cardboard on cold concrete or sand for the 2025 Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
2025 was a record year for the Sleepout – the biggest fundraising event in our annual calendar – raising more than $2.5m for homelessness and housing support across Queensland!
All three Sleepout sites, including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, broke their fundraising records.
It was a very special year for all regions – Brisbane saw the event come to the Gabba Stadium for the first time, as the Gold Coast team celebrated their 10th&nbsp;CEO Sleepout and the Sunshine Coast team celebrated a record fundraising total of more than $170,000, more than doubling last year’s event!
“The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is an important event for our Society – not just because of the funds raised that go to homelessness support, but it’s also our chance to engage and educate our community leaders about the issue,” CEO Kevin Mercer said.
“Hundreds of leaders come to the Sleepout, passionate to learn more about the realities of homelessness, what our Society does in support and what they can do themselves to be part of the solution.
“In an absolutely tremendous record year, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout has seen more than $2.5m raised to help build long-term affordable and social housing across Queensland – delivering real, long-term solutions to homelessness for Queenslanders in need.”
The night also included plenty of guest speakers and panellists, activities and events and videos showcasing lived experiences with homelessness.&nbsp;
A big thank you to all organisers, participants, ambassadors, guest speakers and volunteers who helped make this year’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout the biggest one yet.
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<figcaption class="c_c_6c088258" data-automation-id="captionElement-imageRead">The Gold Coast team celebrate their 10th Sleepout anniversary at CBUS Stadium.</figcaption>
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<div class="imagePlugin hasCaption" data-alignment="Center" data-captiontext="Our Sunshine Coast Sleepout, held on the beach at Maroochy Surf Club, broke new records for 2025!" data-imagenaturalheight="450" data-imagenaturalwidth="600" data-imageurl="/sites/news-events/SiteAssets/SitePages/Page(1)(4)/3084408545.png" data-listid="1ba1a54d-3ce7-466a-bcd0-b8dcc8c1f906" data-overlaystylesisbold="false" data-overlaystylesisitalic="false" data-overlaystylesoverlaycolor="light" data-overlaystylesoverlaytransparency="0" data-overlaystylestextboxcolor="dark" data-overlaystylestextboxopacity="0.54" data-overlaystylestextcolor="light" data-overlaytextstyles="{&quot;textColor&quot;:&quot;light&quot;,&quot;isBold&quot;:false,&quot;isItalic&quot;:false,&quot;textBoxColor&quot;:&quot;dark&quot;,&quot;textBoxOpacity&quot;:0.54,&quot;overlayColor&quot;:&quot;light&quot;,&quot;overlayTransparency&quot;:0}" data-siteid="2570d797-c389-44ea-8fd1-a4e9a1a9bbb8" data-uniqueid="9a2b07d5-07b2-44f4-ae73-df8bb4256f92" data-webid="df2f8c57-53ff-4477-aac2-e6943e1af18d" data-height="542.2655639648438" data-width="723.020751953125" data-widthpercentage="61.06513602412341" data-uploading="0">
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<figure class="f_a_6c088258 g_a_6c088258" aria-label="Our Sunshine Coast Sleepout, held on the beach at Maroochy Surf Club, broke new records for 2025!">
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<div class="b_a_7e087bb2 c_a_7e087bb2">The Sunshine Coast team celebrated a record year at Maroochy Surf Club.</div>
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FROM HOME SELLER TO HOMELESS AND BACK - ALEX SIGNS UP FOR CEO SLEEPOUT CHALLENGE

Noosa real estate agent Alex Harris is dedicated to helping people find their dream home; but just 13 years ago she had none to call her own.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“In 2012 I got really sick – if I kept working, I was going to die. It was that bad,” she said.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“I had to close my business, I had no funds and slept on a bench in my mother’s garage for seven months.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“I had always worked so hard in my life – within one year I found myself with no income, no support, no place to live. It was a very dark time.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“Homelessness is more common than people think and it can happen at any time – something like illness, divorce, loss of a job can be enough to change your life forever.”&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Wanting to help lift others out of the cycle of homelessness, the Noosa4Sale Managing Director has signed up for her fourth Vinnies CEO Sleepout.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Returning to Brisbane, Maroochydore, and the Gold Coast on 19 June, the CEO Sleepout brings together local community and business leaders to raise vital funds for homelessness support, including building affordable homes to help Queenslanders out of homelessness for the long-term.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
In the last financial year, Vinnies Queensland provided more than 128,000 nights of accommodation to people in need and supported more than 1,300 Queenslanders experiencing homelessness to secure long-term housing.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“When I was at my lowest, I was too embarrassed to reach out for support. I was from a successful business background so it was shocking to find myself in that situation,” Alex said.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t be afraid to speak up and ask for help.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
“I know Vinnies does an incredible job helping, not just those who are homeless but those struggling with poverty or cost of living, so I had no hesitation getting involved.”&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
To sign up, learn more or donate to the CEO Sleepout, visit <a href="https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ceosleepout.org.au</a><o:p></o:p>

NERANG PROJECT BREAKS GROUND ON FIRST OF 500 HOMES

June marked a historic moment in Vinnies Queensland’s 130-year legacy – we’ve officially broken ground on the first of 500 new homes for Queenslanders in need. 
On Thursday 5 June 2025, we hosted a sod-turning ceremony at the Nerang site on the Gold Coast, where 60 social and affordable housing units will soon take shape.&nbsp;
More than 60 Staff, supporters, and special guests attended the event, joined by our construction partners GFG Projects and Plus Architecture, who led the site’s design.  
Vinnies Housing Chair, Dennis Innes, opened the proceedings, followed by speeches from:   &nbsp;
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<li>The Hon. Samuel O’Connor, Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth </li>
<li>Colin Wheeler, representing the Vinnies CEO Sleepout Ambassadors </li>
<li>Kevin Mercer, CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland.  </li>
</ul>
“Starting with 60 units in Nerang, this initiative is about more than providing a roof – it’s about creating safe, affordable homes and offering wrap-around support to help residents build a better future”, Mr Mercer said of the 500 Homes program. 
The Queensland Government is co-funding the 500 Homes project at Nerang, along with developments in Newtown (Toowoomba – 27 units) and Bundaberg (60 units), which will also break ground later this year. Funds raised through the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout have been vital in securing land and capital for these projects. 
Once construction is complete, Vinnies Housing will manage the Nerang complex and provide wrap-around support to residents, helping them transition out of homelessness and reconnect with the community.  
Congratulations to everyone involved. Breaking ground on the first of 500 Homes for Queenslanders is a significant step forward, and one we can all be proud of.  
We look forward to welcoming the first residents in mid-2026.

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