CEOs brace themselves for cold and controversy at homeless sleepout

by Brielle Burns and Rayane Tamer |

CEOs will swap bed sheets for cardboard sheets at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise awareness and funds for homeless services.

Over 300 CEOs will sleep out in Sydney on June 21, however, some CEOs are refusing to take part this year.

“People say ‘it’s a joke, it’s a PR exercise. If CEOs really want to do something about it they would sleep out for more than one night’. So it’s easy to throw dirt at it,” said Mr Fehon, Founder of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Mr Fehon created the CEO Sleepout in 2006 to raise funds for homeless services, rather than hosting a corporate dinner.

“I would always say ‘isn’t it a little odd to have a banquet to raise money for people who can’t afford their next meal?’”

"The more successful and well-known the event has come, the more criticism that’s been levelled at it."

Sydney CEOs have raised over $810,000 so far, with Vinnies expecting to raise over $4.2 million nationwide.

However, “the more successful and well-known the event has come, the more criticism that’s been levelled at it,” said Mr Fehon.

After attending the sleepout in 2014, Darren Park, CEO of United Convenience Buyers, has not participated since.

“I was disappointed from the word go. The person doing the welcome speech told us how tough it is…but she was dressed amazingly in designer clothes with diamond rings on every finger. It was a real division of the classes,” said Mr Park.

He said the intention of the sleepout comes from a good place but was disappointed in the way it was organised.

“Many of the CEOs didn’t last the whole night. It got a bit dark and a bit cold and some of them packed up and left for warmer beds… [sleeping out] for 15mins for promotional photographs before leaving.”

Vinnies also received social media backlash last year, after an image of CEOs wearing virtual reality headsets went viral.

In a since-deleted tweet, CEO Sleepout showed off their use of VR sets.

However, Mr Fehon defended the exercise.  “The VR headsets were basically showing different situations that can lead to homelessness. It was a really powerful tool.”

CEOs like Monkia Tu, who has participated in the sleepout for three years, stands by the importance of the event.

“I think that people first of all do it because they think it will be good for their branding, however, after the event CEOs leave very educated … and they become advocates for the cause," said Ms Tu, Director at Black Diamondz Property Concierge.

Andrew Everingham, co-founder of Sydney Homeless Connect, said: “Any organisation or activity that is able to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness is a positive endeavor. CEOs and the private sector have reach…to help in a very large way to solve the issue of homelessness in Sydney.”

Australia’s homeless population has increased by fourteen percent in the past five years, with 43,000 homeless people under the age of 25, according to 2018 ABS data. However, this year’s budget failed to address rising homelessness or the shortage of affordable housing.

“There is currently an absence of political will to make the necessary changes. Homelessness is an issue that can be solved when everyone works together,” said Mr Everingham.