The reality of sleeping rough
On the night of Saturday, July 11, Kogarah Community Services hosted a sleepout to raise funds and awareness of youth homelessness in St George and Sutherland Shire.
About 120 people bunkered down at WIN Jubilee Oval, the home of the NRL St George Illawarra Dragons, to get a small taste of what it's like to be homeless in the middle of winter.
Youth homelessness is a serious problem and the event raised funds and awareness of the reality of sleeping rough.
Recent figures from Homelessness NSW show that 28,190 people are homeless in NSW and 42 per cent of those are under 24. A winter sleepout reminds us of the impact youth homelessness has on so many young and vulnerable people.
It was a pleasure to wake up alongside friends and members of our community and I want to congratulate Kogarah Community Services for organising this event and the volunteers who assisted.
Mark Coure, MP for Oatley
