On Thursday, June 18, Vinnies Canberra/Goulbourn held its annual (COVID-19-modified) CEO Sleepout. Several members of the Preventive Dentistry team participated in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout this year. We’ve captured their experiences in this article.
- Dr Ann slept in her car
- Dr Deanne and her children slept in their backyard
- Dr Steve and 11-year-old Oliver slept in their car
- Dr Scott slept in his backyard
- Rachael slept in her backyard
Dr Ann Slept In Her Car
This year was my first-ever CEO Sleepout! Due to coronavirus restrictions, the Sleepout was not held at a set location like in previous years. Instead, participants could choose to sleep on their couch, in their car or in their backyard. I chose to sleep in my car at the carpark at work. My 11-year-old son, Oliver, also participated and chose to sleep in the car with Steve in our home garage. So proud of Oliver for taking part!
I approached the evening with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness. I was happy to be part of the cause in raising awareness and money to tackle the problem of homelessness. Nervous about the night that lay ahead – for me and for my family.
The night was very cold as I left home and drove into the carpark, and the lights were bright! No creature comforts of a nice warm cosy bed. It was also lonely being isolated with no one to talk to, so without anything else to do I decided to get to sleep.
Although the carpark was not the best bedroom, my car and quilt gave me protection against the cold and my thoughts went to those who were sleeping outside totally exposed…it would be so much harder, and they were doing it night after night. The next day was a struggle, having to work after a night of uncomfortable broken sleep. I was exhausted and it has taken a few days to recover. But I feel very lucky I was able to go back home afterwards to a warm safe environment, and I realise there are those who don’t get to do that. They also may have to work or look for work and it is a constant struggle.
This was a great experience to be a part of. I have been very touched by the generosity shown by our family, friends and patients. Thanks to all who have supported us, your help has made a difference. Let’s keep this going and help when we can, not just during an event like this, but all throughout the year.
Dr Deanne and Her Children Slept In Their Backyard
Earlier that evening, the children and I saw some sleeping bags and boxes piled on the footpath on Northbourne Avenue. It was a poignant reminder about why we were sleeping out that night. We thought we were prepared. We had been collecting boxes during the previous few weeks. We also had our tent (we have way too many critters in our backyard to sleep unprotected) and our sleeping bags.
We were all smiles until it was time to actually sleep. The temperature dropped to about -1 in our yard overnight, with an apparent temperature of about -3. We were cold. The boxes provided some insulation from the freezing ground but they were hard. We were in pain. We all struggled throughout the night and didn’t really sleep….. we now call it CEO Out as there was no sleep. During that evening we talked together about how people become homeless and listened to some stories on the live stream. The stories certainly brought to light some of the reasons for homelessness and the vicious cycle that keeps people homeless.
My son has decided that in his adulthood he wants to build accommodation for those who find themselves without a roof over their head. Sleeping rough is just that…. incredibly rough. We realise how lucky we are with our soft, warm beds and supportive extended families that would be there for us if we ever needed them.
We have decided that we want to continue in years to come to do our small part to help break the cycle of homelessness.