Sleeping rough to raise money for homelessness does not faze CEO Karl Brown from Instyle Solar. With only a sleeping bag and cardboard sheet for a bed, Karl will brave the cold for the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout and the one in eight Queenslanders that live below the poverty line.

Brown will join more than 400 Brisbane CEO’s on Thursday 20 June at the Brisbane Powerhouse to shine a light and raise funds for the homeless. The donations will provide people at risk of and experiencing homelessness much-needed food, accommodation and essential services. Brown said the event brings issues like homelessness to the front of people’s minds. “We are supposed to be a lucky country, and for many of us, Australia is, however, unless you live in a major city centre you don’t see homelessness daily. Freezing for a night is just a small sacrifice I can make to help the local community in need,” Brown said. He says the biggest challenge in participating is going without your creature comforts – however he acknowledges “it is only one night”.

Currently, 22,000 Queenslanders are homeless. St Vincent de Paul says $205 can relocate a person sleeping rough to emergency accommodation. As of today, Karl has raised $10,083 – the seventh highest of any CEO in Queensland – with plans to reach $15,000 before the event.

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