Ray White Southbank team braves the winter cold in support of Vinnies CEO Sleepout

The Ray White Southbank team has made its community proud, raising more than $19k for the St Vincent de Paul Society as part of the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout on June 20.

Among the 253 CEOs, business owners, and community leaders braving the longest and coldest night of the year at the Timber Yard in Port Melbourne were Alex Mees, Andrew Salvo, and Michael Pastrikos from Ray White Southbank | Melbourne City.

During the event, every participant pledges to raise a minimum sum of money to aid Vinnies in delivering vital services to those who require them, with the Ray White Southbank team surpassing their initial target of $15k.

“It’s one night for us, but it really isn’t that much of a sacrifice compared to people that actually have to do this every night without choice,” Alex told Southbank News.

“Working in the housing industry, we see one really different side of the scale compared to some less fortunate people out there who are in positions where they can’t get a home, so we really wanted to get behind it and it was something we were really passionate about.”

The CEO Sleepout not only raises essential funds, but also gives participants an opportunity on the night to hear from people who have utilised Vinnies services.

Participants also engage in meaningful discussions with other business owners and Vinnies volunteers, reflecting on more ways to support people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

“It’s rewarding seeing what the money we raised was going towards,” Alex said.

“There was a lot of really tough conversations that make you really reassess your life, but the atmosphere was good. Everyone just wanted to learn and do better and was already talking about next year.”

For Alex and her team, participating in the event was an important way of “representing the real estate industry” and to help drive change in the community.

“There’s so much more we can be doing, what we raised compared to what’s needed is just a drop in the ocean. We just felt that it was important for us as the leaders of our business to just step up and try and get as many people involved and let people know that change needs to happen,” she said.

The Southbank community also rallied behind the Ray White team, with clients, tenants, and local contractors generously contributing to their cause.

“We are in a housing crisis and the cost-of-living has gone up, but it was really warming to see how many of our community members and clients stepped up and helped us out.” •