Your donation transforms Australian lives

The money raised by the Vinnies CEO Sleepout goes towards providing crucial support and services to Australians in need. With your help, we can help break the cycle of homelessness for good.

The Vinnies CEO Sleepout's impact in 2023 - $8.9m


Where we helped in 2023 with a total of $837,435 in ACT & Surrounds:

  • Create additional Street to Home specialist positions to help those sleeping rough transition back into society and well-being
  • Keep the Night Patrol in its new vans on the road connecting more people than ever before every night around Canberra providing immediate support with food, clothing, and other essentials including referral services
  • Expand the work our new specialist services in our neighboring region, to address chronic homelessness in those communities including the Far South Coast of New South Coast for the first time 
  • Support the work of Samaritan House that provides transition accommodation for men who have been sleeping rough in Canberra
  • Provide additional emergency funds to people coming to us for life’s essentials to help prevent them from ending up homeless in the first place through our Assist Line, specialist services and Conference network.


The 2023 Vinnies CEO Sleepout Allocation of funding to homeless services in and around NSW

MTH Clinic:

  • Medical Supplies - $20,000
  • Support 1 Manager and 4 Registered Nurses' wages - $210,000

Total MTH Clinic $230,000

Community Engagement Team (Metro):

  • Support programs that build connection and develop skills (ie cooking, gardening, art classes, wellbeing and other programs) - $100,000
  • Support staff wages including Team Leaders, Centre Coordinator, Activities Coordinators, Engagement workers and Community Development Coordinator - $300,000
  • Albury Inclusion project - $20,000

Total CE Engagement Team (Metro) $500,000

Matthew Talbot Hostel Woolloomooloo:

  • Support food costs to provide 500 hot meals each day - $110,000
  • Contribute to wages for 1 Catering Coordinator, 1 Senior Cook and Kitchen Hands - $220,000

Total Matthew Talbot Hostel Woolloomooloo $330,000

Matthew Talbot Hostel Newcastle:

  • Support wages of 2 onsite client support workers who engage and refer to appropriate supports for residents and non-residents - $100,000

Total Matthew Talbot Hostel Newcastle $100,000


SAHF Cardiff:

  • Support project and other costs of wrap around support for SAHF in Cardiff - $50,000
Total SAHF Cardiff $50,000

Freeman House Armidale:

  • Support wages for a cook and food costs to provide meals each day to residents - $100,000
  • Support wages for 4 Support workers - $150,000

Total Freeman House Armidale $250,000

Vincentian House:

  • Support client support costs of accommodation, transport, food and activities - $8,196
  • Support wages of Team Leader and 5 onsite client support workers who engage and refer to appropriate supports for residents and non-residents – $110,00

Total Vincentian House $118,196

Mary's Place (Harmony House):

  • Support client support costs - $40,000
  • Support wages of an onsite case worker and client support worker who engage and refer to appropriate supports for residents and non-residents - $ 210,000

Total Mary's Place $250,000

John Purcell House Nowra:

  • Support client support costs of catering, laundry and other services - $25,000
  • Support costs of 24/7 service support workers and case management services - $135,000

Total John Purcell House Nowra $160,000


Vinnies Assist

  • Support wages of referral workers who staff a statewide information and referral service to link in people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness to appropriate support and emergency services - $102,558

Total Vinnies Assist - $102,558

Deniliquin Specialist Homelessness Service

  • Support the provision of case workers to cover increasing need in rural areas - $130,000

Total Deniliquin Specialist Homelessness Service - $130,000

Fred's Place:

  • Support wages of an onsite Case Worker and Client Support worker - $200,000
  • Support client support costs - $50,000

Total Fred's Place $250,000

Pete's Place:

  • Support wages of 3 Client Support, participation and Engagement workers - $230,000
  • Support client support costs - $20,000

Total Pete's Place $250,000


Broken Hill Meal Centre

  • Provide funding for food and catering supplies to offer a meal service to the most vulnerable and isolated in Broken Hill and surrounding townships - $110,000
Total Broken Hill Meal Centre - $110,000

Vinnies Night Patrol:

  • Support food costs to provide nourishing food and hot drinks to clients - $10,000
  • Support wages for 2 part time Van Assistants - $90,000

Total Vinnies Night Patrol $100,000


Vinnies Van Woy Woy

  • Support food costs to proide nourhsing food and hot drinks to clients - $5,000
  • Support wages for 1 part time Van Assistant - $25,000

Total Vinnies Van Woy Woy - $30,000

Vinnies Van Wollongong:

  • Support food costs to provide nourishing food and hot drinks to clients - $5000
  • Support wages for 2 part time Van Assistant - $80,000

Total Vinnies Van Wollongong $85,000


Vinnies Van Bayside

  • Support food costs to proide nourhsing food and hot drinks to clients - $5,000
  • Support wages for 1 part time Van Assistant - $25,000

Total Vinnies Van Bayside - $30,000

Vinnies Van Liverpool

  • Support food costs to proide nourhsing food and hot drinks to clients - $3,000
  • Support wages for 1 part time Van Assistant - $15,000

Total Vinnies Van Liverpool - $18,000

Vinnies Van Parramatta:

  • Support food costs to provide nourishing food and hot drinks to clients - $3,000
  • Support wages for 1 part time Van Assistant - $15,000

Total Vinnies Van Parramatta $18,000



TOTAL: $3,031,754


Queensland - 500 Homes Project Kickstarted

At the Brisbane Riverstage, the Hon. Minister Scanlon shared some welcomed news – a partnership between Vinnies Queensland and the State Government to build 147 social and affordable homes in sites across the Gold Coast, Bundaberg and Toowoomba.

Vinnies Queensland CEO Kevin Mercer said this year’s Sleepout was a special one, as it officially kicks off the 500 Homes in 5 Years project – the Society’s biggest single housing project in Queensland.

“What a special way to announce the start of this project – to have the Housing Minister personally announce it at our biggest event of the year,” Mr Mercer said.

“Each year, we are truly thankful for the hundreds of Queenslanders who spend the night, not just for the funds they raise for homelessness support, but to go out of their way to really learn more about our homelessness crisis and what they can do to help.

“Thanks to our participants in 2023, we now have $2.12m we can use to provide housing for Queenslanders in need, as well as supplying emergency accommodation, food and other essentials for the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Sunshine Coast

This year the Vinnies CEO Sleepout on the Sunshine Coast raised $189,757.21 to help people in crisis be supported with emergency accommodation.

With the on-going housing crisis more and more Sunshine Coast families are sleeping in cars or couch surfing while looking for accommodation. These funds will allow The Society to support those at greatest need to have a roof over their head.

Gold Coast

Over eight years, we have raised over $3.5million through our Gold Coast CEO sleepout event and funds raised have supported three projects for the benefit of vulnerable members of our community here on the Gold Coast, including:

  • Cornerstone Homelessness Support Services Program
  • Rendu House – accommodation for vulnerable, at risk women over 60
  • The HUB – a central location to provide direct assistance to those in need facilitated through both, internal and external services available

The CEO Sleepout event on the Gold Coast, supports Gold Coasters with affordable accommodation options.

A place for people: integrated communities

Through the financial contributions of supporters like you, Vinnies will create vibrant and inclusive communities for people from all walks of life.

The approach is a person-centred and place-based one, proven in a number of Scandinavian countries.

It’s known as “housing first” and the model focusses on helping vulnerable people transition through the process of crisis accommodation to achieving secure, stable tenancies and even home ownership.

“Housing first” is known to improve outcomes by ensuring people are connected to their community, social support networks and empowered to achieve a brighter future to live, work and thrive.

Thank you for helping provide more Queenslanders with a safe place to call home.



Where we helped in 2023 with a total of $696,495.70 in South Australia:

  • Funds help make a real impact to the lives of people experiencing homelessness and living below the poverty line here in Adelaide.

  • Money raised from the Vinnies CEO Sleepout helps us to continue supporting local programs which don’t receive any ongoing government funding such as our Fred’s Van Meal Service, our Refugee and Asylum Seeker Service and Youth programs.

  • Funds also go to supporting people who can’t afford the basics by providing emergency financial aid, food, petrol, utilities support and other material aid. This assistance is provided to people seeking help via our assistance program, guests who are exiting our Crisis Accommodation and other referring services.


Total funds raised
: $1,338,381

How we will allocate the funds: 

The funds raised will be used to support our services in: 

Participants in the 2023 Vinnies CEO Sleepout in Victoria will be helping raise $1.2m to support St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria’s (Vinnies Victoria) crucial programs and services. Our volunteer groups know all too well the stresses and pressures on people in private rentals and/or social housing or without a home. Not only do they help take the pressure off with food, bills, other support (e.g. financial counselling) and a listening ear, but they actively work with other parts of the business to look for solutions, both immediate (Vinnies Shops) and long-term (Ozanam House).

Where the money goes:

Vinnies provides an extensive range of services to support people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, so each region and service tailors its support to best suit the needs of the location and the individuals assisted. Each year, the millions of dollars raised through Vinnies CEO Sleepout help Vinnies to provide crisis accommodation, food, healthcare, counselling, education and employment.

 


Where we helped in 2023 with a total of $69,065 in the Northern Territory:

  • Ozanam House Day Centre for the Homeless in Stuart Park is the largest homelessness support centre in the NT.  

  • We were able to provide 11,850 showers, 4,765 loads of washing, 68,075 meals to Territorians in need between July 2022 & June 2023. 

  • Our Centre Coordinator was able to train 10 new volunteers who alternate to support our day-to-day service operations. 

  • We fostered strategic partnerships and collaborations with other Service Providers to support our work with people experiencing homelessness. 

Where we helped in 2023 with a total of $797,013 in Western Australia

  • Vinnies WA operates Tom Fisher House, an intensive intervention service for those experiencing long-term homelessness. The service provides free overnight accommodation for up to 12 adults with few barriers to entry. It is also a place of engagement in which individuals are offered support to deal with the challenges they are experiencing. While partially Government-funded, Tom Fisher House continues to operate thanks to the generous donations from the CEO Sleepout.

  • Vinnies WA operates two Passages Youth Engagement Hubs, one in the Perth CBD and another in Mandurah, which services the Peel region. The hubs were established to address growing youth homelessness by providing a unique specialist engagement service. They offer a safe, friendly and non-judgemental space to access support and referrals for marginalized and at-risk young people aged 12 to 25. Passages is a joint venture between Vinnies WA and the Rotary Club of Perth and Mandurah. The donations from the CEO Sleepout directly support Passages Youth Engagement Hubs.

  • The funds from the CEO Sleepout support West Australians experiencing hardship by providing basic necessities such as food and clothing, as well as household items, utility bills and rental assistance and offer referrals and friendship through home visitations or by attendance at one of our support centres.


Where we helped in 2023 with a total of $154,395 in Tasmania:

Funds help make a real impact to the lives of people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

Money raised has helped ensure our Vinnies and Loui’s Van services remain on the road – providing nourishment, support and companionship to community members living without the surety of enough food or safe shelter.

As more and more Tasmanians enter personal crisis caused by an unprecedented increase in the daily cost of living, Vinnies is experiencing a record number of pleas for Emergency Relief. Funds raised by the 2023 CEO Sleepout are crucial in continuing our ability to offer vital support – including crisis accommodation, rental relief, fuel, transport and utilities costs, medical and wellbeing needs, and providing a basic supply of food.

Who we help

Homelessness can affect anyone at any time. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that over 122,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness. Of these, 55.9% are male, 44.1% are women and 14.4% are children aged under 12 years.

 Let us do without hesitation
whatever good lies at our hands 


– Frederic Ozanam (Founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society)