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In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, the increasing impacts of climate change and the rising costs of home ownership and rentals, the cohorts of people who increasingly find themselves in distress, homeless, on the streets and sleeping rough, is nothing less than alarming.
Cities like Launceston are finding it more and more difficult to adequately service and cater for homeless people given that they are all too often hidden away and all too often rendered voiceless as well.
They so very often are inclined to hide themselves away hoping that soon they will find somewhere to call home.
While there is solidarity among the homeless – people who are all too often resourceless as well – it is time to simply stand with them and make them aware that they are not entirely alone and lend them a voice.
With this in mind, it is proposed that Launcestonians gather around their Town Hall:
At say 6pm in the evening;
On Wednesday May 11; and
‘SHINE A LIGHT ON HOMELESSNESS’
in solidarity with the city’s homeless and voiceless people.
The event should be a simple vigil where people come with ‘lights’ – a lantern, a torch, a spotlight, a candle, whatever – and just be there and be seen to be there in solidarity with those people who do not yet have a place to call home, people who have lost one and all those people who need one.
This is not meant to be a time for political speeches – it is not intended as a rally.
It should be a time for quiet reflection and the sharing of few moments and an opportunity to do a rather small thing and perhaps become a part of a bigger idea and lend a voice to the voiceless.
Everyone who attends should be there and do whatever it is they wish to do while shining a light in some way for the voiceless and homeless.
CONCERNED LAUNCESTONIANS NETWORK
For more information go to:
https://homeless7250.blogspot.com/
MONDAY APRIL 4
Frustrated and somewhat despairing CLN, (Concerned Launcestonians Network) an informal network of Launcestonians, have mustered some resources to help provide a voice for the voiceless and homeless in Launceston.
Launceston’s homeless people are in the city because they need to be in the city to access all the things they need in order to deal with the various issues confronting them.
Many need to be near medical services and the hospital, generally all need access to Centrelink and the city provides hope in regard to emergency accommodation and food supplies, not to mention possible employment opportunities.
Typically these people face discrimination and many are exposed to all kinds of danger on the streets despite the best efforts the city’s charitable organisations and police. Governments at all levels are failing them. That is Federal, State and Local governments and all fail to hear their voices leaving them on their own, to sleep rough in parks, congregate under bridges, shelter wherever they can find it and scrounge food wherever it is available. Every last one is doing it tough!
CLN hopes that:
• Organisation offering support to the city’s homeless services will use the HOMELESS7250 site to alert people to what they actually offer;
• People engaging with homeless people will use the CLN HOMELESS7250 QRcode to signify their engagement;
• The HOMELESS7250 site can operate as a reference point for people seeking information relative to homeless in the city; and
• Most of all provide homeless people with a platform that enables them to have their voice heard in ways that is being
otherwise denied them by the press, government and others.
For more information email Trever Alen: launcestonPR@bigpond.com
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