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REINSW and Vinnies working together
In 2008, REINSW formed a community partnership with the St Vincent de Paul Society.
The partnership is a natural fit.
Vinnies do a great job working with some of the most disadvantaged members of our community - homeless men, women, children and families. They offer these people a helping hand when they are most in need, respecting their dignity, sharing hope and encouraging them to take control of their own destiny.
With 5,000 member agents across NSW working with buyers and renters to help secure their future, REINSW has an incisive understanding of the issues being faced by these disadvantaged people in our community, so it makes sense that REINSW and Vinnies work together to bring about a positive and lasting change.
The REINSW Board, management and staff have embraced the partnership and are contributing in a variety of ways - volunteering on the Vinnies Night Patrol and at the Matthew Talbot Hostel, and making regular donations via the payroll system.
REINSW's President Steve Martin and CEO Tim McKibbin joined almost 220 CEOs and business leaders on 18 June at Luna Park for the 2009 Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
Sleeping out in the cold and wet, they experienced what it would be like to have nothing – bedding down on sheets of cardboard on the ground, with only a small bowl of soup for dinner.
“There’s no getting around it, it was a cold and miserable night,” said Steve Martin. “However we woke the next morning reluctant to complain about the experience. It gave us a real insight into the issue of homelessness.”
More than $530,000 was raised for the St Vincent de Paul Society’s homeless services.
“To say the night was overwhelming and humbling is almost an understatement,” said John Picot, the CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society. “We want to thank everyone for their generosity of spirit. The money raised means we can continue to shelter, feed, clothe, educate and support those people for whom life is very hard.”
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Top left: Tim McKibbin with CEO Sleepout Ambassador Dick Smith and regular Journal contributor Jodie Masson, Partner at Middletons Lawyers.
Top right: REINSW Board member John Cunningham settles in for the night.
Bottom left: Steve Martin kicks off the evening.
Bottom right: Steve Martin with CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society, John Picot.
Steve Martin (right) at the 2008 CEO Winter Sleep Out with John Picot, CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society. |
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In 2008, REINSW President Steve Martin accepted the challenge to sleep out at Luna Park on 19 June - one of the longest nights of the year!
Braving the cold, the event raised much-needed funds for the continuation of the good works provided by Vinnies to people in need, and made everyone more understanding of what it is like for people sleeping on the streets. |
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