Why I will be sleeping outside in the middle of winter

I’ll be honest, I dislike the cold immensely. I am of pacific descent, and often think my Niuean roots mean that I should probably be living somewhere warm and sunny perpetually. Co workers and housemates will attest to my need to have the heater on, and at least 3 layers when it gets cold so I would normally be less than excited about braving the outdoor cold for an hour let alone for an entire night.

WE’AR HQ is based in Auckland , a vibrant harbor city with beautiful parks, boutique shopping and serene  spaces like Wynyard quarter and Britomart! It’s a growing city, and as the population grows the issue of homelessness will increase too.  It’s not a sexy issue, which is probably why it doesn’t get talked about as often as other city issues…

“Stereotypes would try to restrict the image of a homeless person to a certain sex or age however, homelessness does not discriminate. Men, women and children are all represented by Auckland’s current homeless population. They are an immensely vulnerable segment of society. These individuals deserve a compassionate and committed response.” - lifewise

 

The great thing is that just down the road from WE’AR HQ  in the K road precinct is Lifewise trust; a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing effective, long-term solutions to homelessness. Every year  Lifewise run “the big sleep out”  a night where influential New Zealanders leave the cosy comfort of their homes, forgo their creature comforts for a night of rough sleeping as a way of making a stand against homelessness. Along with awareness, each of the “big sleep out” participants aim to raise money for the work Lifewise do in the community. Thisyear, I will be amongst them!

I’ll be joining other ethically minded creatures like PippaCoom and Jacinda Adern and business leaders like Michael Goss of 2 degrees.  I am excited, and nervous!

WE’AR holds the ideals of sustainable business, ethical production and care for our community highly. These values underpin a lot of what happens here at WE’AR from supporting the guys of Whare Toa to our use of plant dye, and our commitment to organics. So it seems only fair that I put my money where my mouth is so to speak! You can sponsor me by simply clicking a link, so easy! 

Anya @ we-ar