Janna Voloshin, CEO, Raises Over $6,000 for Homeless Victorians
27 June 2017
Vasey RSL Care’s CEO, Janna Voloshin, took part in the St Vincent De Paul CEO Sleepout on the shortest and one of the coldest nights of the year, and as of today, she has raised $6,117, exceeding her target of $5K, thanks to your very generous support.
“I had just a little taste of what homelessness feels like,” says Janna. “But I knew it was just short and temporary for me. I knew I would be getting up at 5.30 to go back to my life with a great job, my team who I can share my experience with, and my family and friends who I love and who care about me. I would be back to the safety and warmth of my home, looking forward to Friday night dinner with my family, where we all share our stories and news from the week.
“However, homeless people will wake up and have no hope for today or tomorrow – nobody is waiting for them and they don’t know what they will eat or where they will sleep. These people have no family dinner to look forward to each week – and what would they share with others over dinner when there have been no highlights in their week?”
Janna had the opportunity to hear about the work that Vinnies does, every day of the year, and hear from individuals who have first-hand experience of poverty and homelessness, and find out about how the volunteers help.
Janna, ready for her night outdoors, with her sleeping bag and piece of cardboard
“With just a cup of soup from the Vinnies Soup Vans and spending time listening to their stories and not judging them, Vinnies have helped thousands of people find their way back from homelessness.”
Janna was one of around 220 CEOs who took part in Melbourne, raising nearly $750K to support the Vinnies’ soup vans and other support programs, and part of over 1,400 CEOs nationwide, who have raised over $5M to date.
“The soup van came in very handy for us,” says Janna. “We did not go hungry – our evening meal was a cup of soup and bread, just as the homeless receive from the volunteers.”
In 2016, Vinnies spent $687K to help the homeless in Victoria. This went to piloting their ‘HomeDirect’ program in the western and southern suburbs of Melbourne and to extend this to eastern suburbs and Geelong – a program which helps those at risk of homelessness. They secured homes for 93 people in need, including women and children escaping family violence, and they continued to link individuals with support agencies through volunteers and VincentCare services. This is just part of their work right across Australia.
“This experience has made me even more grateful for what I have, proud of what our organisation does – especially for those suffering financial hardship, and glad that I took part in the CEO Sleepout,” says Janna.
“Vinnies gives people hope for the future and practical assistance to get there. Your donations have ensured that this work will continue. So thank you all for your generosity.”
Fundraising continues until 31 July. If you would like to contribute, please follow this link.