Sleeping out for a cause: Vinnies CEO Sleepout
There are some causes that sit quietly in the background of our lives… until something shifts, and suddenly they feel deeply personal.
For Catherine, this year’s decision to take part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout is one of those moments.
It’s not just about one night sleeping outside. It’s about shining a light on a reality that is far closer to home than many of us realise.
A reality we don’t always see
Every night, thousands of Australians experience homelessness. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
This year, Catherine is stepping outside her comfort zone to take part in the CEO Sleepout, raising vital funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society. For one night, she will sleep outdoors, not to replicate homelessness, but to better understand it, to raise awareness, and to help drive meaningful change.
Because homelessness isn’t just a statistic. It’s people. It’s families. It’s stories.
The statistics behind the story
What is perhaps most confronting is that homelessness doesn’t always begin where we expect it to. It doesn’t always come from a lifetime of disadvantage. For many women, it begins quietly, in the years where life looks “established.” A home, a family, a shared financial life. And then something shifts. A separation. A loss of financial security. Years spent raising children instead of building superannuation or independent income. What follows can be a slow and often invisible unravelling, one that places women, particularly in their mid-life years, at real risk of homelessness. It’s not loud. It’s not always visible. But it is happening, more than we realise.
The data reflects this growing and deeply concerning trend.
Women aged 35–44 have seen significant increases in homelessness in recent years, with frontline services reporting that a large proportion of women seeking support are aged between 35–54, many following separation or family breakdown.
Beyond this, women over 55 are now the fastest growing group experiencing homelessness in Australia, with thousands already without stable housing and hundreds of thousands more considered at risk due to financial insecurity.
These are women who have raised families, supported partners, contributed to their communities, and are now facing housing instability at a stage of life where security should be a given, not a question.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, on Census night in 2021:
- Over 122,000 Australians were experiencing homelessness
- Around 1 in 7 of those were children
- The fastest growing group? Women over 55
Closer to home, in the ACT, rates of homelessness remain significant, with housing stress, rising costs, and limited affordable housing continuing to place pressure on individuals and families.
But statistics only tell part of the story.
A moment that stayed with her
For Catherine, this issue became even more real in a quiet, unexpected moment. Walking home from the grocery store with her son, they passed a man sitting on the street.
Her son stopped. He looked at the man, then back at the groceries they had just bought.
“Can we give him the grapes?” he asked.
“He looks hungry.”
With consent, he walked over, gently, kindly and offered them.
Catherine stood back, watching this small, beautiful interaction unfold.
The way her son spoke. The way he saw him, not as “a homeless person,” but simply as someone who needed help.
In that moment, she felt it deeply. How something so small… could mean everything.
How kindness, when it’s instinctive and genuine, has the power to cut through all the noise and remind us what really matters.
And how often, perhaps, we walk past what we see every day.
Seeing the world through an innocent child’s eyes is so powerful.
The hidden face of homelessness: women after separation
One of the most confronting realities Catherine sees through her work is the domino effect that can follow separation.
For many women, particularly those in mid-life, homelessness doesn’t come from long-term disadvantage. It can happen suddenly.
A relationship ends which is followed by
- access to finances is cut off or limited
- assets may be tied up.
- there may have been years out of the workforce raising children.
And suddenly, everything changes.
These women are often:
- highly capable
- devoted mothers
- previously financially stable
Yet they find themselves navigating housing insecurity, sometimes for the very first time in their lives, while also trying to support their children through the emotional impact of separation.
The ripple effect is profound.
Children feel it.
Families feel it.
Communities feel it.
Why this matters more than ever
Homelessness is not just about a lack of housing.
It’s about safety. Stability. Dignity.
For women leaving relationships, particularly where there may be elements of financial control or family violence, the risk of homelessness is very real.
And for their children, the consequences can be long-lasting.
This is why support services are so critical.
Organisations like the St Vincent de Paul Society provide emergency accommodation, financial assistance, and ongoing support to help people get back on their feet.
Services like Lifeline Australia are also there, offering 24/7 crisis support to those who are struggling, overwhelmed, or feeling alone.
Because often, homelessness is not just a housing crisis, it’s a mental health crisis too.
One night that represents so much more
Catherine knows that one night sleeping outside won’t replicate the true experience of homelessness.
But that’s not the point. The point is:
- awareness
- empathy
- action
By taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, she is using her platform to:
- start conversations
- raise funds
- highlight the hidden realities many face, particularly women and children after separation
And most importantly, to remind us all that change starts with awareness… but it grows through action.
Why it matters...
Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like these problems are too big. Too complex. Too far beyond us.
But then there are moments, like a child offering grapes to a stranger, that remind us that it doesn’t take much to make a difference...
A conversation.
A donation.
A moment of kindness.
This is why Catherine is sleeping out.
Not just for one night. But for every person who doesn’t have the choice to come home.
How you can help
Your support, no matter how big or small, can help provide safe accommodation, essential resources, and hope to those who need it most.
Catherine is choosing stepping outside for one freezing Canberra winter night, but for so many Australians, this is not a choice.
By donating to Catherine’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout campaign supporting the St Vincent de Paul Society, you are helping to change the story for women, children, and families facing homelessness.
Sometimes, the smallest act of support can make the biggest difference.