Youth+Couch=Awareness for Australia's young people
When the Oasis Youth Support Network had raised $7000 through early registrations after the launch of ‘The Couch Project’ they were over the moon. Being on such a roll, they bravely suggested they hoped to reach a target of $20 000 by the end of the campaign.
On Friday night, 8th June, the main campaign event took place on couches all over the city. Individuals and groups, schools, clubs and churches were sleeping on couches in an attempt to raise awareness, and funds, for the plight of the 32 000 young Australians who are living homeless.
Due to some late endorsements and registrations to participate in The Couch Project, by the time the event took place Oasis Youth Support Network was thrilled to announce they had already exceeded their target by a whopping $9000. A few days later Rachel Banks, Communications and Fundraising Manager for Oasis Youth Support Network, couldn’t hold back her excitement saying “we cracked the $30 000 mark today and there’s still more to come in.”
The staff of Oasis Youth Support Network has exceeded their greatest expectations in raising the awareness of youth homelessness. The campaign has registered 115 individuals and groups to couch surf for a night or host a fundraising event. The funds raised will go a long way to providing programs at Oasis for homeless young people every day. “It is our hope to build The Couch Project into an annual event” says Rachel following the positive feedback from this year’s event.
The creativity was flowing as people set about finding unique ways to fundraise other than just sleeping on a couch for the night. One lady asked her colleagues for sponsors to wear her pyjamas to work before going home to sleep on her couch for the night. A Girl Guide group got involved by holding a Disney themed sleep out as their way of raising funds. Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney will hold a sleep out at their school and have made a short film about youth homelessness. As a personal touch from the students and staff of the College, Rachel says “They have also placed a couch in their school grounds for everyone to sign before donating it to Oasis Youth Support Network.”
On all accounts ‘The Couch Project’ has been a huge success. The thousands of homeless youth in our country couch surfing each night can only benefit from the generosity of community minded people who have raised and donated funds for this worthy cause. If you are keen to help next year just check out the website thecouchproject.com.au and see what you can do to get on the couch.
Report by Major Carolyn Harmer
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