Tonight... tonight

[Contrarian]

Tonight is the longest night of the year so from now on in Perth, the nights will get shorter and the days longer. Not necessarily warmer but shorter nights.

And tonight, the CEOs are sleeping out in the open to empathize with the homeless, can't remember the location but still in a certain level of "comfort". Depending on which website you go to, it's 11 degrees tonight.

But tonight, ah tonight. Tonight in Canberra where they're doing the homeless CEO thing; it's -5 degrees! Yesirree folks, temperatures to freeze your balls off or make your nipples drop off! And they're predicting the possibility of snow!!!

 

[Benny]

how ceo sue intends sleeping rough for night with her trusty broom stick....

 

[Tania Admin]

I love camping in this weather. Warm fire, few drinks, drunk singing lol

I admit in my long ago past to spending a little time living out on the streets,,not for long though, I got a job and a flat after a short time. Sometimes my pay only covered the rent and we used to eat at the Jesus People building in East Perth and do dishes in exchange. Feels surreal thinking about it now...1 night won't really touch the sides of what it's really like,,the cold, the nastiness but also the camaraderie of the whole lot of us who found ourselves in that position. Lots of us, from all different back grounds, some bad kids, some had really bad parents, some just lost. Good the CEO's trying to do their bit though.

 

[svengali]

I often wonder who those C.E.O's think they are kidding with this exercise.

They at least have sleeping bags, warm clothes and, probably, security guys to keep an eye on them. If they want the real experience they should try sleeping in the clothes they have worn all day or all week, washing (if at all) in cold water at any tap they can find, scavenging through bins for a discarded lunch (or part thereof) and curling up in or under whatever shelter they can find. Then they can experience the never ending thrill of sleeping with one eye open for predators who would rob them of what little they have or heave them out of their sleeping place.

Just sling some cash to the Salvos, Vinnie de Pauls or other charitable groups regularly and it will do a lot more good.

 

[Langtrres VIP Perth 4]

Bahahah Cayla the Awesome Receptionist is on the Phones tonight lol

 

[pause78]

Hard to say how I feel about this one. 4 years ago I was homeless for a few months, luckily over summer so the nights werent as chilly but still sleeping in a park is no fun. Today I'm the general manager of a growing business, and one of the best in the nation at my chosen profession.

It shits me greatly when I see yuppie hipsters pat themselves on the back for buying coffee at an establishment that supports homeless persons on the day.

At the same time, I got a leg up from friends and family, what do you do if you're not as lucky as I was? I don't know. I don't know if high profile persons sleeping outdoors will help in that case, but I hope it will help inspire (and perhaps fund) others to help - It all boils down to one human being helping another human being.

 

[Contrarian]

To be fair - don't you think that because they're involved, a lot more publicity and awareness is raised about homelessness. Children, adults, tourists who don't give it a second thought are now moved to reconsider when they walk by a charity tin next time. In their professions they may consider helping out.

The Fremantle Hospital runs a bus clinic called "The Freo Doctor" and they go to parks and help out itinerants. My godson as an infant would play on my lap. Years later, he won a scholarship to study law at Cambridge and has opted to study Human Rights law as one of his units. Why? Because he told me remembered I wore an Amnesty International t-shirt with that unusual logo. And he thought about human rights years later.

From little things, big things grow. Even our discussing it here is a good thing.

 

[xZaidax]

There's a mob that run a mobile soup kitchen and end up stopping at most of the parks surrounding the city, there are a few charity organisations that deal specifically with homeless children and teenagers (Anglicare)

Sure what the CEOs are doing may raise awareness but if you look at the long term effect it's nothing stable. Instead of camping why not start a charity like Mary Anne, show their compassion and make a long term plan to ensure that the cause they're "fighting for" is benefiting instead of the CEOs getting the good rep for a singular deed

 

[Contrarian]

But they don't do just a singular deed - Andrew Forrest insisted on setting up an Aboriginal Welfare training fund up north in the area where he grew up.

He has also donated HEAPS to the WA Ballet Company and recently delivered a broadside to Rinehart for squabbling over the family billions.

It was only 3 weeks ago that he and his wife announced that they were leaving EVERYTHING to charity after their deaths and nothing to their daughters and the daughters said they were comfortable with that. These guys do donate, they just don't make a song and dance about it. And by running succesful corporations they're able to donate money to the professionals who know how to help out - whether it's Anglicare, the Salvos etc.

 

[xZaidax]

But they don't do just a singular deed - Andrew Forrest insisted on setting up an Aboriginal Welfare training fund up north in the area where he grew up.

He has also donated HEAPS to the WA Ballet Company and recently delivered a broadside to Rinehart for squabbling over the family billions.

It was only 3 weeks ago that he and his wife announced that they were leaving EVERYTHING to charity after their deaths and nothing to their daughters and the daughters said they were comfortable with that. These guys do donate, they just don't make a song and dance about it. And by running succesful corporations they're able to donate money to the professionals who know how to help out - whether it's Anglicare, the Salvos etc.

It's good to know that there are some, i'm talking about the CEOs that really don't give a damn and just want to attend events to save face and evade severe tax penalties

 

[Contrarian]

From the Vinnies website:

WA Sleepout

The 2013 Vinnies CEO Sleepout was held on 20 June at the WACA with 108 participants. Over $1.1 million dollars was raised to support Vinnies homeless services in WA.

The first national Vinnies CEO Sleepout was held on Thursday 17 June 2010, with 99 West Australian business and community leaders braving the cold and sleeping rough for a night in winter. Their efforts raised a total of $474,185. On Thursday 16 June 2011, 107 WA participants took part in the event by registering to sleep out on a cold winter night. The 2011 Vinnies CEO Sleepout raised $615,644. On Thursday 21 June 2012, 106 participants helped to raise $822,704 in Western Australia.

These guys also raise funds by people sponsoring them. The amount raised has gone up triplefold since the first sleepout 3 years ago.

 

[svengali]

O.K, I take it back.

Where is the emoticon for "eating your words"?

 

[Happy2]

I guess too the CEO's are not really in a position to just give away the money from companies they are employed by
So awareness is there best option Who knows it may just tweak the I will give 0.0001% of my wealth to a philanthropic cause
nerve in the biggest shareholders of the CEO's company

But philanthropy does seem to be a more American thing That may stem from a lack of assistance coming from the state in that country

 

[colzilla]

Life is hard for everyone not just the homeless.

 

[Happy2]

Just that some of us can bitch about how hard our life is while having a hot 3 course meal sitting in front of our woodfire in our own house
And contemplating where to go for our next holiday or next punt

 

[colzilla]

Thermal sleeping bags are quite good $65 is for a Kmart cheapie. The homeless could use their dole money to buy one.

 

[Happy2]

Showing my ignorance here But do you get the dole if homeless? I mean no address etc and for some I guess not even a bank account

 

[colzilla]

Just because you're "Down and out" doesn't mean you're stupid.

 

[Happy2]

Well my income this past 3 mnths would be about $2000 Wonder if I could get a benefit I mean the house is on a biggish block So the assets may be a problem

 

[colzilla]

If you are prepared to bend the truth a little bit and rearrange your finances Mr2.

 

[Contrarian]

In 2013, Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola, were the first Australians to pledge half their wealth to charity whilst living.

The Giving Pledge is a campaign to encourage the wealthiest people in the world to make a commitment to give most of their wealth to philanthropic causes. The campaign specifically focuses on billionaires and was made public in 2010 by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. The Huffington Post reported in April 2012 that "81 billionaires committed to giving at least half of their fortunes to charity". As of April 2013, 105 billionaires have signed the pledge.

The official website states that it "is an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in the world to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy." As of April 28, 2011, 69 billionaires had joined the campaign and pledged to give 50% or more of their wealth to charity. An estimate of the contribution promised by the first 40 donors, based on their aggregate wealth as at August 2010, was at least $125 billion.

According to the pledge the donation can happen either during the lifetime or after the death of the donor. The pledge is a moral commitment to give, not a legal contract.

In 2006, before the campaign began, Buffett had committed much of his wealth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The fact of the meeting was leaked to the media, creating curiosity about the nature of the meeting. Gates and Buffett organized two related subsequent dinners for which the complete attendee lists have not been made public. The second dinner was at the New York Public Library in November 2009 and was attended by Kenneth and Elaine Langone and Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest among others. It was at this meeting that Marguerite proposed that "the rich should sit down, decide how much money they and their progeny need, and figure out what to do with the rest of it". A third dinner in December 2009 at the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel in Menlo Park, California was attended by John and Ann Doerr and John and Tashia Morgridge among others.

In June 2010 the campaign for the Giving Pledge was formally announced, and Gates and Buffett gave notice that eligible pledgees were being contacted to join.

In 2009, Bill Gates gave $20 million more to charity than the US Government. Thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, polio has been totally wiped out in India - last year there was only ONE, yes ONE reported case.

 

[Dood Deleted 66783]

As winter approacheth, spare a thought, donate a sleeping bag to the Salvos?