On 18 June, business and community leaders across the Canberra region will brave the cold in support of people experiencing homelessness. The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is about more than just one night outside, it’s about standing with those doing it tough and raising funds to support Vinnies’ vital services.

Business and community leaders give up the comfort of their beds for one night to help drive awareness and raise vital funds. Participants step outside their comfort zone, sleeping outdoors to highlight the lived experience of homelessness and raise critical funds for frontline services supporting vulnerable people across our community.

The experience is commonly described as challenging, humbling and confronting. For many, the night serves as a powerful reminder that homelessness is not abstract or distant and, as one participant reflected, “This shouldn’t be anyone’s reality.”

“The CEO Sleepout sends a powerful message,” says St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn CEO Lucy Hohnen.

“Leaders aren’t looking away. They’re stepping up. Homelessness is not just about housing. It’s about dignity, stability and opportunity.”

Funds raised through the initiative directly support Vinnies frontline services delivering crisis accommodation, safe housing pathways, outreach, meals, health services and long-term support. While the Vinnies CEO Sleepout is symbolic, its impact is tangible.

Each participant commits to fundraising within their networks, using their influence to raise awareness, mobilise support and drive change well beyond the event itself.

“It’s confronting and uncomfortable, but that’s exactly the point,” says a past participant.

“It changes how you think about the realities people face every night.”

Importantly, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout is also about leadership.

Participants use their platforms to challenge stigma, influence policy conversations and encourage long-term solutions that address the systemic causes of homelessness, not just the symptoms.

As demand for services continues to grow, the need for visible leadership and community support has never been greater.

“One night can start a conversation, but sustained action is what changes outcomes,” says a past participant.

Homelessness is not a choice. It can be the result of housing insecurity, financial stress, domestic violence, mental health challenges and systemic disadvantage.

In just 12 months, from April 2025 to April 2026, the Vinnies Emergency Relief Helpline received more than 19,000 calls for help — approximately 70 every day.

In Canberra and surrounds, one in three people seeking assistance from Vinnies are reaching out for help for the very first time. Vinnies is seeing more people each day experiencing homelessness or at risk of falling into it as cost-of-living and housing pressures continue to grow.

People of all ages are sleeping rough, couch surfing or living in insecurity, often while working, raising children or managing complex health issues.

Every night on Night Patrol, Vinnies volunteers see just how much a simple meal and a warm conversation can mean to someone doing it tough. Thanks to the CEO Sleepout, Vinnies is able to keep this vital service on the road, serving more than 18,000 meals a year and making thousands of meaningful connections across Canberra.

The funds raised also help provide practical support, including mobile phones for rough sleepers so they can stay connected to housing and health services, as well as emergency financial assistance, food relief and material aid for families at risk of eviction.

Behind every number is a real person, someone rebuilding their life with the right support at the right time.

Now is your chance to step up and make a real difference. Use your influence, your experience and your voice to lead the way against homelessness in Canberra and the surrounding region.

Those who can’t sleep out can still make a difference by donating, sponsoring a participant or supporting local homelessness services.

With the end of financial year approaching, now is the time to act. Donations of $2 or more made before 30 June are tax-deductible, meaning you can support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness while also receiving a benefit at tax time.

To register or donate, visit ceosleepout.org.au/event/act