You can help change that by walking 122,000 steps during National Homelessness Week, August 6-13, and collect sponsors to help you raise funds – no matter the size – to help people facing homelessness.
During the ‘Steps For Safe Homes’ initiative, you can walk fast or slow, solo or in a group but however you do it, you will be changing lives.
Taking part in the initiative for the first time last year, Mission Australia – Canterbury Bankstown Youth Service program manager Lucy Klianev raised $300 but hopes, with the help of the rest of her team this year, to hit a goal of $70,000.
She said homelessness was the worst she had ever seen it here and even in the 2021 Census, Canterbury Bankstown had 2,695 people who were homeless, coming a close second to the City of Sydney out of all of NSW, and 27 per cent of these people were aged under 19.
“It’s definitely getting worse and we do all we can to help but can only provide accommodation for 62 people a night; most nights we have almost 200 knocking on our door but we never turn people away,” she said.
“If we can’t help, we refer them to other services but most services are struggling.
“We also provide emergency relief such as food, clothing, blankets and dignity packs and operate an Ozharvest grocery service at Bankstown PCYC which everyone is welcome to access, just let us know you’re coming.”
To make a donation or sign up for the fundraiser: stepsforsafehomes.com.au
Take step to aid homeless invite
EVERYONE deserves a safe place to sleep but every night, 122,000 Australians have nowhere to call home.
