Big Sleepout raising awareness of homelessness
Vanya Vitasovich, left, of the Christchurch Methodist Mission sits with Jeanine Sadd from Crossroads and Dr Sara Simmons of Manu Ora in Seymour Square, where Big Sleepout South participants will spend the night on 13 August. Photo: Alex Roberton
Who would want to sleep outside in the cold of winter? Contrary to a prevailing myth surrounding homelessness, hardly anyone does so by choice. Next month, though, hardy and heartful Marlburians will spend a night in Seymour Square to raise awareness of the plight of unhoused people among us.
The Big Sleepout South will take place simultaneously in Blenheim and Christchurch on 13 August. An offshoot of an annual North Island event, held in Auckland on 25 June this year, the local sleepout so far has 40 participants from 20 organisations involved.
All money raised in Marlborough will stay in Marlborough to support services provided in CMM’s Blenheim office as well as Crossroads, which feeds the hungry, and Manu Ora, which treats people in dire need of health care.
“There’s a lack of housing and a lack of funding for further housing here,” explained CMM regional housing manager Vanya Vitasovich, who oversees the group’s Housing First Blenheim team and is organising the Big Sleepout.
“We have nine services that we provide in Marlborough, and one of those is an advocacy role which we self-fund just so we can pick up those people who fall through the gaps, who may not meet the criteria [for specific services].”
Reality check
Unlike in bigger cities such as Auckland, unhoused people are not as conspicuous a presence locally. They are “hidden,” Vanya said, sleeping under bridges or in parks in the dark, “but our Blenheim office sees them on a daily basis.”
Many battle mental health and substance abuse issues – often both, via self-medication – hand in hand with trauma exacerbated by living on the streets.
Big Sleepout South participants will not glean “a complete and utter experience of someone who’s sleeping rough,” Vanya noted, “but they’re going to get an understanding of what people are actually going through when they don’t have access to shelter or a warm space.
“I think we’re going to freeze,” she continued. “It’s one night for us, but this is someone’s reality in their everyday life.”