Tamblyn Thomason | Sleep at the G

Last Thursday (16 May), I participated in Sleep at the ‘G to raise money for youth homelessness. Sleep at the ‘G is hosted by Melbourne City Mission to raise vital funds for those experiencing homelessness. Last year over $1 million was raised to help build a 24/7 crisis accommodation centre that integrates support services, education and accommodation in Melbourne’s CBD. Melbourne City Mission supports over 5,000 people a week. But with over 6,000 young people homeless in our city, too many are falling through the gaps, and the consequences are devastating. This year’s goal was to raise over $1.2 million to be able to continue providing support and be able to expand this service to provide to an increased number of young people.

This was my second time participating in this event and it was great to see so many other people taking the time out of their day to raise awareness for this issue. While participating in the sleep out can give you a little insight into experiencing homelessness, it is important to mention that my experience nothing compared to those experiencing homelessness. I had access to nutritious food, was prepared with weather appropriate clothing and warm sleeping bag (it was a very cold night), I was in a safe place (24/7 security), access to bathrooms, and a shower the following day. However, this one night for me was so hard, the next day I felt so exhausted, my back ached and going to work the next day was tough. I felt worse than any sleep deprived jetlag I’ve ever experienced. It took me 3 days to recover.  I cannot imagine dealing with this every day, on top of the trauma and mental health issues young homeless people face.

This year was the first-year families could attend, which I think is a great way to teach young children about their privileges. I would really encourage everyone interested to take part next year, it’s one night of your time that can make such a difference to thousands of people sleeping rough. If you can’t attend and you are not in the position to donate you can still make a difference in raising awareness about this issue by talking to your friends and family.

One important take home message that really resonated with me was the panel discussion of young people who had experienced homelessness. They commented that just a smile in the street, acknowledging them as you walk past or taking the time to have a conversation can really make their day. Often people look the other way, one panel member mentioned. This can really hurt and make me feel dehumanised. People, in particular young people experiencing homelessness often have no support network and taking the time to acknowledge them as another person as you go about your day is such a small thing that costs you nothing to give, but can make a big difference to them.

Thanks for everyone you have supported this issue by buying my baked goods over the last few months. Additionally, if you’d like to support this issue further please follow the following link, all donations over $2 are tax deductable.