Hunt & Hunt were pleased to have a team of 4 lawyers from our Sydney and North Ryde office participate in this year’s Vinnies Community Sleepout in support of the Western Sydney community and our longstanding client, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.
On Friday 27 August 2021, Daniel Murray, Jessica Baldwin, Allegra Parker and Shannon Walsh spent a night sleeping rough in their backyards and cars to raise funds and awareness of the various issues surrounding homelessness and disadvantage in our community.
This year Hunt & Hunt raised funds to support Vinnie’s works in greater Western Sydney. The funds raised from this event have gone towards supporting three Vinnies Support Centres in Harris Park, Blacktown and Penrith which provide vital assistance and support to those who experience, or are at risk of, homelessness – especially in circumstances related to domestic or family violence or loss of employment.
For Daniel Murray, the Sleepout really highlights the importance of the vital work that Vinnies does throughout the community at a grassroots level. “Although I work closely with Vinnies throughout the year, participating again in the Vinnies Community Sleepout this year provided a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by many in our community, particularly in the Greater Western Sydney and Central Coast regions. The live stream of our event drew out harrowing statistics of those experiencing homelessness (whether that be sleeping rough, in temporary or crisis support accommodation, or even couch surfing) and those at risk of homelessness, particularly due to unemployment or domestic or family violence. The work that Vinnies does in support of communities and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness is pivotal. I hope that participating in the Sleepout this year will help raise awareness of these issues and that the funds raised this year with the generosity of our donors and supporters will go some way in helping Vinnies to provide much needed support.”
The Sleepout gave Jessica Baldwin the opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by those sleeping rough. “It was a cold night but I felt fairly well prepared – I know everyone wouldn’t have the luxury of being able to pull out layers of ski gear and hiking camp gear when needed though. Once the Zoom was over I was left with hours to fill with no real purpose other than to try and stay warm. I thought about how isolating this must feel for those in the community sleeping rough or with inadequate housing. The boredom and the lack of connectivity would be just as hard as the insecurity and lack of facilities. Thank you to everyone that sponsored us this year. Also a shoutout to Tim, my husband, for also rugging up and sleeping out with me.”
Shannon Walsh found the Sleepout to be an eye-opening experience. “While Covid stopped us from meeting in person, the Hunt & Hunt team was still able to join together virtually for this year’s Vinnies Community Sleepout. The live stream event provided us with a comprehensive overview of the prevalence of homelessness in NSW, and the experience of sleeping out was an invitation to reflect on the real lives and stories which can be too easily overlooked when we are presented with a statistical overview of the issues. I am grateful that we had an opportunity to learn more and support the vital work that Vinnies does in our community.”
The Vinnies Western Sydney Sleepout has raised over $70,500.00 surpassing the target of $60,000 and across the state Vinnies has raised a total of $250,161.74 through its various Community Sleepout events. Our Hunt & Hunt community has raised over $10,000.00 towards the Western Sydney Community Sleepout, exceeding our initial target of $4,000.00, which is an incredible effort for our team. A big thank you Parramatta Leagues, a sponsor of the event who matched a number of our team’s donations dollar-for-dollar.
The Hunt & Hunt team has been overwhelmed with the generosity and support that we have received from our colleagues, family, friends, and broader community, and we are extremely grateful for the funds donated to such an important cause in a year when many have faced homelessness for the first time.
