Forest Glen business donates $5000 to help homeless sleep safe

David Krauter, third from left, and his staff from WebsitesThatSell.com.au, hand over $5000 to Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre CEO Michael Henning, fourth from left. 

A Forest Glen business has donated $5000 to the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, to help its continued provision of vital support services for the needy.

David Krauter, of WebsitesThatSell.com.au, was joined by his staff to hand the funds to the centre’s One Roof Project, whose services will include two innovative new Sleepbuses to provide safe and comfortable sleeping pods for the homeless.

The centre’s CEO Michael Henning said the community’s campaign for the local Sleepbuses was triggered by the killing of two homeless residents as they tried to live their lives on Sunshine Coast streets.

Mr Krauter said he had personally witnessed the homeless living on the streets around his office premises.

“There’s just not enough funding to support the homeless and the testimony to that is just seeing them in the park near our previous office … and we had people with stashes of their belongings all around our premises at the time,” he said.

“Just imagine not being able to sleep because you’re worrying that your life and safety is at stake, but also that your belongings are going to be gone the next morning when you wake up. So the safe sleeps in the Sleepbus will give people that peace of mind, will help them have clarity and then hopefully that’s the first step to them looking at their future in a positive way.

“While we can’t give out meals and things like that, our agency has been very blessed this past year, so this is our way of giving back in a practical way and supporting  those that are less fortunate.”

The Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre facilitated the community’s fundraising initiative for the Sleepbus, with the necessary funds for the first bus for homeless men raised in just 15 months. And when the call went out for a second bus, to support homeless women and their children, the needed funds were raised within weeks.

The first Sleepbus is nearing completion in Melbourne, and is expected to arrive on the Sunshine Coast in mid-January. It will include 20 secure, climate-controlled, individual sleep pods in twin cabins that each have a lockable door and toilet.

The second Pink Sleepbus for women and children is scheduled for delivery around Easter.