Pictured: Hinchinbrook Community Support
Dignity, care and comfort for those in crisis
For 100,000 people, including tens of thousands of children, SleepSafe has made the comfort of climbing between clean new sheets and wrapping a fluffy new towel around themselves, possible. It shows someone cares, actually a lot of people care, and want to help heal their trauma. Through our partnership Sheridan and the generosity of staff and customer donations the impact of SleepsSafe continues to grow. It’s been a busy year to date with more than 50 new organisations, resulting in new cohorts of vulnerable people being supported with high quality sleep kits. We’ve also activated 3 rounds of distributions, meaning over 27,000 sheets and towels have been handed over to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Five Sheridan stores were also visited by one of their local SleepSafe recipients, strengthening local connections and increasing community knowledge and awareness of homelessness.
The difference SleepSafe makes for vulnerable people and the grassroots organisations supporting them is powerful, particularly during a year in which we have seen inflation continue to rise, pushing more people into financial stress and hardship. New cohorts including those employed and young families are increasingly experiencing hardship and homelessness as they struggle to cover the increasing cost of rent, food, and electricity.
People fleeing family and domestic violence, couch surfing, or living in unsafe boarding houses face huge challenges in finding an affordable, secure, and safe place to call home. At the same time, homelessness services are seeing increasing demands for their support and are struggling to stretch their uncertain and limited budgets. Only 10% of community services say they can cover the costs of their full service delivery.
Sleep kits are not only a practical support for people as they move on from homelessness, crisis, and hardship, but also are a source of comfort and dignity as people receive new, high quality sheets and towels to keep. And the SleepSafe model of consistent in-bound material aid means that vital grassroots services can save staff time and wages spent sourcing linen, and reallocate their small budgets to other critical needs.
100,000
50
13,000
The difference a sleep kits makes
“Your program gives people dignity, hope and contributes to the health and wellbeing of children, young people and parents. We are working with 460 referrals a year – that’s around 1,000 disadvantaged people, including children, single mothers and parents with complex needs who receive brand new towels and sheets when they need it the most.“
Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service, Bindal Country, QLD (pictured below)
Pictured: Townsville Aboriginal & Islander Health Service
“The women we support are unable to afford to buy themselves sheets, particularly of such a nice quality. The women are so excited to be able to pick out the colour that they want. This makes such a big difference in supporting them to have choice and dignity.”
Lou’s Place, Eora Country (NSW) pictured below
“Thank you to the people who donated these sheets and towels, it has been such a help for me moving into my own place for the first time to have my own brand new sheets and towels.”
16 year old, Letteremairrener Country (TAS)
Pictured: Lou’s Place
Strengthening communities through local led impact
Across Australia, the funds raised by Sheridan staff and donated by customers help provide sleep kits to vulnerable people in their region. SleepSafe partners are grassroots organisations supporting their communities affected by homelessness, poverty, trauma, financial hardship, and natural disasters. The map below shows the incredible regional reach of SleepSafe as funds are kept as local as possible across the 91 Sheridan stores.
“We are only able to offer our clients these items because of the generosity and kindness of the community – so a huge thank you to our local Sheridan store at Parkside and the whole SleepSafe team.”
Catherine House, Kaurna Country (SA)
SleepSafe is truly a community driven, place-based, initiative that helps people recovering from experiences of trauma, homelessness, and crisis feel valued, cared for, and supported. It also strengthens locals communities by saving frontline service costs and increasing their staff efficiencies. You can find out more and get involved in this program below.
