New CEO sleeps rough to raise awareness of homelessness

Give a bugger. About the homeless that is. Give a cuppa or a meal but most of all give some acknowledgement asks Chief Executive Officer of Queensland coal flier Bowen Coking Coal. As a starter, give a few bucks to the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) said Mark Ruston who’ll be soon stepping into the shoes of the most obvious of the homeless. Those on the street. Mr Ruston is one of a bunch of bosses throwing out a sleeping bag on top of a couple of slips of cardboard as part of the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout. In an act of practical empathy they’ll bed down on the pavement on 22 June, the longest night of the year. Donate by clicking here He fills in for Bowen Coking Coal Executive Chairman Nick Jorss. Mr Jorss is a long-time supporter of the CEO Sleepout and has experienced firsthand the sleeping rough promotion. Mr Ruston became acquainted with both rural and urban poverty in a former life as a senior member of the Macmahon team operating in Nigeria. Bowen Coking Coal CEO Mark Rushton The Vinnies CEO Sleepout helps raise awareness and shed light on the destitution on our doorstep said Mr Ruston. “Homelessness is not just the people sleeping on the park bench,” he said. “It is people who are couch surfing or sleeping in cars or having to live in caravans or having to crowd into one dwelling.” “On the night itself I look forward to talking to colleagues and peers about their thoughts on how we can continue to help raise awareness about homelessness in society? Because it's a lot broader problem than most people think, affecting men, women and children. “It doesn't discriminate, whether the individual is homeless because of domestic violence, mental illness or changing economic situations, it doesn't discriminate and affects all areas of our society.” Money raised in the CEO Sleepout has helped Vinnies support more than 1,949,000 homeless individuals by providing more than 689,800 bed nights and 1,590,00 meals. Mr Ruston has appealed for public support to help Vinnies’ continue their work to address both the symptoms and causes of homelessness. “For those who don’t know about the St Vinnies Sleepout, please Google it and see what it's all about,” he said. “They do a great job with support programs and trying to provide emergency shelter for those who need it and there're also opportunities to donate your time to help with the homeless people.” “Everyone can make a difference. So if you see a homeless person on the street, don’t just walk by. Stop and have a conversation, perhaps offer to buy them a cup of coffee, maybe a scone, or a meal or something, because they are alone. That show of kindness could really help them, on that day at least.” "My wife reckons that after sleeping on the ground for a night, I'll need the green whistle and an ambulance in the morning to get up. So we'll see how that goes. But you need to remember some people are forced to do this every night, regardless of age."

New CEO sleeps rough to raise awareness of homelessness

Industry Queensland

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