Raising funds for the homeless
Nicole Brittain, grant manager, Jewish and Israel programs ,Gandel Foundation was one of the 1001 people registered with Melbourne City Mission Sleep at the G event that night.
In Melbourne on May 16 the temperature was just under 10 degrees.
Imagine spending the night outdoors in a sleeping bag laid out on a piece of cardboard.
Nicole Brittain, grant manager, Jewish and Israel programs ,Gandel Foundation was one of the 1001 people registered with Melbourne City Mission Sleep at the G event that night.
“This is a cause close to my heart, not for personal reasons, but because I think it’s a major issue in Australia and I don’t think the government (for whatever reasons) looks after young people as well as they can,” she explained. “It’s my little contribution that I like to make once a year.
“This is the second year I have participated in this event and Steven Gandel, John’s eldest grandson, joined me for the first time.”
Brittain was the top fundraising individual, achieving $20,415. “Thanks to John Gandel AC and Gandel Foundation, who matched my donations, allowing me to achieve this amount,” she said.
Although the night is billed as a sleepover, Brittain said she doesn’t sleep, as it is too uncomfortable but there is a united feeling of compassion from all the people there on the night.
The lights are off at 11pm and back on at 5.15am.
“The event organisers provide a roll for breakfast, but I head home to get ready for work.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 25 per cent of Victorians without a home are young people aged between 12 and 24.
The fundraising and one-night sleepover at the iconic MCG help raise essential funds to build youth housing and support young people experiencing homelessness. This year $749,014 was the total achieved.
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