Source : Perth Now news
New research commissioned for national homelessness week has revealed genuine social connection can be just as important as food and shelter for people sleeping rough.
According to a survey organised by homelessness charity Orange Sky, most Australians want to help people in need, but often look away because they don’t know where to begin.
Almost one third of Australians admitted to walking past someone sleeping rough without acknowledging them, and 79 per cent worried about saying the wrong thing.
However, 78 per cent of Australians also believed one week without meaningful conversation could harm people’s health, and 72 per cent said chronic loneliness should be treated as a major public health priority.
This suggests people want to offer support, but aren’t sure how to respond when confronted with homelessness.
Orange Sky has provided free mobile laundry and shower services to people experiencing homelessness across Australia since 2014.
WA regional lead Lisa Sprlyan said while washing and showers were important, a simple five minute chat or smile could make all the difference.
“The people and conversation and connection is a huge piece of what we do. People are trying to get through the day, so coming to our shift is nice for them to sit without judgement, and we listen while they’re doing their washing or using the shower,” she said.
“It’s a platform to bring people to come along and be part of a community when they don’t have that around them, they don’t have family support, they may not have friends. An Orange Sky volunteer once a week might be the only people they get to speak to.”
Ms Sprlyan said the conversations are no different to someone going to a party and meeting new people, and can range from the weather to a recent football game.
“The conversations can be wide and varied – we educate our volunteers as if they’re going to a dinner party,” she said.
“It’s funny because some people will say, ‘so what do you talk to people about?’ It’s just everyday things because they’re human beings, just like us. Some of them have fallen on hard times, some of them choose to live this way, they’re really no different to us.”
Ms Sprlyan started volunteering with Orange Sky more than 10 years ago, and is now in charge of WA’s volunteer hubs in the CBD and Subiaco, and organising mobile van services across Gosnells, Armadale, Fremantle, Rockingham, Kwinana and Mandurah.
As cost of living pressures continue increasing across the country, so does the demand for the services.
Orange Sky WA has increased its washing service by 14 per cent since this time last year, providing about 5500 loads of washing since January and engaging in almost 7000 hours of conversation.
“Over the years, we’re seeing a lot more different faces coming into the shift. We’ve got a lot more older women, I’m seeing families who can’t afford to pay their rent living in a car. It’s not so much the typical homeless cohort, it’s people that are in that hardship space,” she said.
She said everyone deserved basic kindness and empathy, because falling onto hard times could happen to anyone.
“If you’re walking around and see someone who might appear to be homeless, to say hello as you pass by would go a long way for someone in that situation,” she said.
Orange Sky chief executive officer and co-founder Lucas Patchett said the charity had evolved from a simple hygiene service as the team realised the importance of conversation.
“In the beginning, we set out to improve access to hygiene services for those doing it tough, but from the very first load of laundry, we quickly realised that the real power of the service was the space we created for connection and conversation, whilst the washers were on,” he said.
He said the recent survey was commissioned to coincide with last week’s national homelessness awareness campaign, and to better understand the importance of connection.
“The findings tell us something really powerful. Australians care deeply, but a lot of us are just afraid of getting it wrong,” he said.
“On one hand, almost three-quarters of people view chronic loneliness and isolation as a major public health priority. But on the flip side, nearly one in three adults admit to walking past someone sleeping rough without acknowledging them, and 79 per cent say they hold back from reaching out because they’re worried about saying the wrong thing or making the person uncomfortable.
“It’s definitely not a lack of compassion, it’s a gap between wanting to support someone and knowing how to start that initial conversation.”
Mr Patchett said everyday Australians can make a meaningful difference by understanding how important connection is, and remembering that meaningful change doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. “A simple hello or an acknowledgement can go a long way for someone who’s doing it tough. For people who are worried about saying the wrong thing to someone who might be doing it tough, just that first step can start the journey to connection and then, and to conversation,” he said.
He also encouraged anyone interested to volunteer at Orange Sky or make a donation to support the charity.
