Penny Hood

I am participating in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout because ending youth homelessness is deeply connected to who we are at CareSouth and why our organisation exists. CareSouth began its work rooted in homelessness services, supporting young people who had nowhere safe to sleep, limited support networks and few opportunities to change their circumstances. That commitment to walking alongside vulnerable young people remains central to our purpose today.

While the way we work has evolved, the reality is that youth homelessness has not gone away. Across our services, we continue to support young people who are couch‑surfing, living precariously, or at risk of homelessness due to family breakdown, trauma, disability, mental health challenges or involvement with child protection systems. For many of these young people, homelessness is not a single event but part of a cycle of instability that limits their safety, education, employment and wellbeing.

The CEO Sleepout is a powerful reminder that homelessness is not just about the absence of housing, but about access to care, connection and opportunity. It challenges me, as a leader, to keep homelessness visible, to listen to lived experience, and to advocate for long‑term, systemic change. By participating, I am showing solidarity with the young people we support and reinforcing CareSouth’s commitment to creating pathways to safety, stability and independence for those who need it most.

This is not about one night without comfort—it is about using my position to raise awareness, influence change and honour CareSouth’s history while strengthening our responsibility to support homeless and at‑risk young people now and into the future.