August 4-10 marks Homelessness Week in Australia – a time to take a moment to think about those in our community who are facing some of the most challenging circumstances and realise that it may be affecting people that we don’t expect.
The Salvation Army is one of the largest providers of homelessness services in the country, and in our over 140-year history in Australia, we have seen it all.
We support over 8000 people every month across Australia who are experiencing homelessness, but what can sometimes shock me more than these numbers is the individual stories behind each person who reaches out to us for help.
We have seen people reach out to our homelessness services who have been donors to the Salvos in the past.
We have seen people who are perceivably “well off”, but due to one unforeseen personal crisis, like a family member falling ill, they have slipped into homelessness.
Recently, we have started to see increasing numbers of women and children reaching out to us.
In fact, one in seven people who reached out to us for homelessness support this year were children under 14.
This breaks our hearts.
Homelessness isn’t just sleeping rough on the streets.
It manifests in a number of ways, like couch surfing, staying in emergency accommodation, or sleeping in your car.
In a recent survey of people who reached out to the Salvos for financial support, one in five (19 per cent) had couch surfed or lived in their car at some point in the past 12 months.
That is why, this Homelessness Week, we want to shine a light on what homelessness really looks like in Australia.
At the Salvos, we want to encourage people to reach out to their friends and family, notice the signs, and know where to go if you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness.
And where can you go?
The Salvos are a great place to start.
The Salvation Army is here for those experiencing hardship, including those at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness.
We don’t judge and don’t discriminate.
It has been our privilege to come alongside Aussies in their time of need for the past 140 years, and we look forward to doing so in the future.
If you or someone you know needs support from The Salvation Army, please visit salvationarmy.org.au
– Commissioner Mark Campbell
The Salvation Army
