ADELAIDE Hills and Murraylands communities will come together for a meaningful night of family fun around a campfire this winter with a goal of raising $100,000 for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
The inaugural We Care Cally Camp Out, presented by Australian Portable Camps, will feature live performances and guest speakers during a night of family-friendly entertainment and the opportunity to camp out to raise funds to support services for families and individuals struggling with the rising cost of living.
“It will be a wonderful night out to bring the community together for a common cause and enjoy time together under the stars at the Callington oval with attractions ranging from fire performances to live music, a mechanical bull ride and exciting finale, as well as a brekky cook-up for anyone who stays the night,” event organiser Kristy Fitzgerald said.
“The camp-out is inspired by other city-based charity sleep outs, but with a focus on the country lifestyle we enjoy in Callington and supporting our local community.”
Major Monarto South family business Australian Portable Camps is leading planning of the June 21 event with support from other businesses, community groups and associated charities.
The $100,000 target has been set to support a range of charities, including ac.care’s work in the Murraylands, Adelaide-based women’s homelessness service Catherine House and Fred’s Van Meal Service, operated by Vinnies.
“We know the rising cost of living is having an impact on many people and as a major business in the region wanted to make a difference in the community and do our bit to support vital charities, such as ac.care, which is based locally and delivers a broad range of homelessness, emergency relief and family support services across the Murraylands,” APC co-founder Gino Martino said.
“This is our way of giving back to the community that has supported us and providing something for families to enjoy while contributing to the extraordinary work undertaken by local services in often challenging circumstances so they can increase their impact with people in need of support.
“Charities like ac.care and Catherine House are doing remarkable work for people experiencing homelessness. APC is committed to making a difference and has set a goal to raise $100,000. Even a small contribution can have a significant impact, offering substantial hope and showing that large companies care about those in need.”
ac.care chief executive officer Shane Maddocks said the Murraylands Homelessness Service based at ac.care’s Bridge Street office in Murray Bridge was facing a dramatic rise in people seeking support.
“The rising cost of living and lack of affordable housing, along with growing issues around loneliness and isolation, is leading more people to seek support from our organisation to secure the stability they need now and build a more hopeful future,” Mr Maddocks said.
“Support from the community, such as fundraisers, increases our impact to do more and meet the growing demand for services.”
ac.care continues to lead innovative local approaches to provide tailored support for vulnerable people, such as working with Habitat for Humanity and other partners in development of the Studio Purpose project, which has involved conversion of two disused South Australian Housing Authority properties into apartments to accommodate eight youth at risk of homelessness and connect them with intensive personalised support.
“Fundraising enables us go beyond our government-funded services to sustain our own innovative projects like Studio Purpose to ensure people have the local supports they need to build independence, hope and break cycles of disadvantage so they can achieve independence and stability,” Mr Maddocks said.
“We know we can achieve more meaningful change for individuals by working together with and supported by the community.”
The event has already attracted the support of major sponsors including CMV Truck Centre, QCV, Project Communications Australia (PCA), Brice Metals and Qantac.
Although the event is free, bookings are encouraged to assist with planning.
Tickets are available via Humanitix with the option to include a donation.
Donations can also be made direct to ac.care via the appeal page.
An online auction was also launched as part of the We Care campaign to allow people to contribute who are unable to attend the event
