By Mikayla van Loon
For just one night throughout Homelessness Week, Yarra Ranges are being asked to swap their comforts for the cold and sleep out for Holy Fools.
The not-for-profit’s fundraising event, called FreezeOut!, launched last week with it to take place from 7 to 13 August.
Having traditionally hosted a week-long vigil for Homelessness Week, to coincide with Councillor Tim Heenan’s sleep out, Holy Fools founder Neal Taylor said post-pandemic, there had to be some changes.
“We were just trying to work out ways of connecting with the community, maybe raising some funds and I’d always try to get people to sleep out and identify with what we’re doing during that week, maybe as their own thing,” he said.
“We just thought it was still worth people doing at home, in their own system, their own homes, or in their own places to have the same experience.”
Whether it’s setting up a tent in the backyard, sleeping in your car in the garage or even sleeping on the couch, the idea is to have that experience of discomfort particularly during winter to better understand homelessness.
“Or even if you want to, if you’ve got small kids, primary school aged kids, and you say, Okay, well, for the three hours this evening before bed, we’re not going to do TV, or we’re going to sit out on the back deck,” board chair Matt Maudlin said.
“Just do something that gives people that experience of what it’s like to be without, to maybe be cold, maybe be hungry.”
Whatever the challenge, the key is to do it safely, with somewhat of a slogan being “we don’t want one extra person having to sleep on the streets”.
The aim is to raise $75,000 to support Holy Fools in its day to day functioning and to provide the necessary care for people experiencing or on the verge of homelessness.
Fundraising will not only ensure the Wednesday Street Angel lunches continue but also allows Neal to do his advocacy work by networking with other organisations to help change the face of homelessness by 2030.
“We need to make sure Holy Fools is sustainable into the future which means safeguarding the staff and the team,” community team volunteer Lisa Glassborrow said.
“The fundraising is really important but money comes and goes, we spend it and we do great work with it and it has a long term impact
“But the education and awareness and the understanding that people will get, that insight is what will continue the story of Holy Fools because this isn’t a one off event, we want to do this every year.”
Matt said over the next few years, he hopes FreezeOut! becomes synonymous with Holy Fools and every August more and more people will join the cause.
Whether the sleep out triggers a conversation or a donation of clothing to a Holy Fools drive, Matt, Lisa and Neal said whatever the outcome, it will start building community action on homelessness.
“An issue like homelessness can only be fully addressed when, in part, the community comes together to join with the three levels of government, then something can happen,” Matt said.
Signing up to do FreezeOut! encourages people to sponsor you to take part in the event, but businesses, sports clubs and other groups are also being asked to either sponsor or take part as a collective not just individually.
As the situation with homelessness worsens, Neal said everything Holy Fools can do locally will make a difference in someone’s life.
“The statistics don’t really represent the reality of the situation. It’s a lot worse than that. I would estimate probably 500 people plus, and that’s not only rough sleepers but that’s also couchsurfing, boarding houses and things like that [in the Yarra Ranges],” Neal said.
“I wrote a submission for the Victorian government Inquiry into Housing, saying that this isn’t just a crisis, this is a disaster. It’s a humanitarian disaster in our own country, and people are ignoring it.”
Every little bit of action, monetary donation or conversation will help Holy Fools reach out to the homeless community in the region and beyond.
If you’re interested in finding out more, please visit www.freezeout.org.au. Sign up, sponsor someone, and if you’re a business keen to get involved, please get in touch with Neal Taylor at Holy Fools, 1300 133 889 or 0417579944.
