Insignia Financial communications manager Tahlia Reid recently participated Hobart City Mission’s Sleep Rough event for the second year in a row, raising awareness and funds for homelessness.

Sleep Rough is a fundraiser where people spend a night sleeping outside to raise awareness and money for homelessness. It is organised by Hobart City Mission, a charitable organisation in Tasmania dedicated to supporting individuals and families in need through various services.

Reid tells Tasmanian Times that she was eager to join Sleep Rough again in 2024 after participating in last year’s event and witnessing the positive impact of the funds raised.

“What originally had me sign up was the fact I was seeing a significant increase of people experiencing homelessness around Hobart and it was confronting,” she says.

“It made me want to do something to help, and Sleep Rough is a way to help.”

Reid’s main source of fundraising was via Facebook and Instagram. She would share her personal fundraising link on her page and in stories for her friends and family to see.

“I [also] used Hobart City Mission’s examples to show what different amounts of money could achieve, which helped drum up donations,” she says.

“[Insignia] also used email/Viva Engage to advertise our team fundraising link. We also held a pizza lunch in the office and asked staff to make a donation in return.”

Insignia went on to become the third-highest fundraising team, garnering $10,340.60 for Hobart City Mission programs as of Wednesday, 3 June 2024.

“I am extremely proud [of this],” Reid says.

“I love knowing that our fundraising efforts will help make a difference to the lives of others. Improving the quality of life of many people is a good feeling. [Insignia] matches employee donations, with one match amount already been made for Sleep Rough, and another amount to be donated any day, so this figure is expected to go up.”

Reid plans on participating in future Sleep Rough fundraisers.

“It is a confronting experience and certainly puts things into perspective for you,” she says.

“I felt vulnerable while sleeping outside, even though I had the support of my team around me, along with security and being fenced off from the surrounding area. Physically putting yourself in the position someone else faces really opens your eyes as to what they are experiencing and gives you a newfound appreciation for all the things in life you have, things that you would usually take for granted.”

This year’s Sleep Rough event has made Reid more passionate about educating others on community issues and “how we can all do our part to help”.

“I have always been someone who likes to help where I can and appreciate that I work for a company who supports events like this through its community program.”

Call to action

Reid strongly encourages other people to participate in Sleep Rough.

“You will never regret doing something to help someone else,” she says.

A 2020 study by the Australian Council of Social Service found that 3.3 million people in Australia, including 761,000 children, live below the poverty line. Hobart City Mission supports just a handful of these people by offering services such as emergency accommodation.

“My personal and team contribution will most importantly provide dignity and options to someone within [these services],” Reid says.

“For example, our team fundraising effort will give a dad and his children a safe and supportive home for approximately 24 weeks. That’s almost half a year!”

Reid’s personal fundraising effort is around the equivalent of 20 nights of supported accommodation for someone who has been experiencing homelessness.

Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He has written fiction and non-fiction for Tasmanian Times since 2018. He can be traced by the smell of fresh coffee.

Follow him on Twitter (@Callum_Jones_10) and Facebook (@callum.j.jones.creative).