Fusion Australia with the support of Shelter WA, will be hosting ‘Sleep in Your Car 2017’ on August 11 to raise awareness and funds for homelessness in Australia.

Held during Homelessness Week, the event hopes to create an understanding of the plight of those living without a home by having participants experience homelessness first hand.

In Geraldton on August 11 from 6pm participants will spend the night sleeping in their cars at 193 Marine Terrace (behind Headspace).

There are over a hundred thousand people who are homeless every night in Australia - 48% of these are under 25 years old. ‘Sleep in Your Car’ aims to raise funds and increase awareness about the homeless.

Once again, Fusion, in partnership with GRC (now RAW) and Ngala Midwest, will run the event in Geraldton “We are so excited about the opportunity for people to sleep out and make a real difference for the thousands of people that don’t have a home or a bed tonight,” said event organiser Alison Hilton.

So far 26 individuals including politician Ian Blayney MLA have volunteered to give up their beds and sleep rough on August 11. The Geraldton team hopes to have 30 participants sleeping out and have raised $1500 already and hope to meet our target of $16000 from this local event. Money raised supports Fusion’s homelessness programs, GRC (now RAW Regional Alliance West) and Ngala Midwest.

For the first time Sleep in your Car – Geraldton will be holding an interactive experience developed by Fusion Housing and Support Team “The Walk without Home”

The Walk without Home has a number of aims:

To help participants develop empathy and compassion for others.
To advocate for young people within this system and the obvious gaps in the housing sector that need addressing to best support those most vulnerable.

For those who don’t want to sleep out why not bring a cash donation and participate to discover what it might be like to be young and at risk of homelessness.

Other activities on the night will include games, an adult ball pit/discussion pit, a sausage sizzle and the sharing of information about homelessness in the Midwest and beyond.

Participants over 18 are asked to raise a minimum of $100 (under 18 raise a minimum of $50). The reason for this minimum is that we want people to do this that are committed to raising funds and creating awareness for homelessness. Fusion is running the event nationwide, with people participating in at least ten different locations. Here in Geraldton the event is being assisted through a $500 grant from Shelter WA to help cover the administration costs.

For further information or to register, visit www.sleepinyourcar.com.au or call 0423 895 978.