Homeless and hosed

By Bree Harding

Apr 18, 2025

The Lighthouse Project's Belinda Senini and Sarah Pain testing out their cardboard beds as the fundraiser for youth homelessness begins on Wednesday night at Deakin Reserve. Photo by Bree Harding

When the sprinklers sprung to life not long before midnight on the oval at Deakin Reserve on Wednesday, many of the 100-plus people who’d planned to sleep there overnight had already bedded down on their cardboard mattresses.

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Under the Same Stars organiser Jim Gow said it gave people at the youth homelessness fundraiser a further unexpected taste of what homelessness looks like, though absolutely not planned.

Despite phone calls, emails and confirmation that the automatic timers on the sprinkler system had been turned off, they still sprung to life on the night, much to the surprise of organisers and participants. Photo by Bree Harding

Sleepers who had just bedded down for the night were displaced when awakened by sprinklers activating on the oval, ironically simulating the elemental factors that affect outdoor sleeping. Photo by Bree Harding

“Unintended consequences of the sprinklers going off gave a greater appreciation of the struggle of the homeless,” he said.

The portion of the 79 people aged between 16 and 25 in Greater Shepparton classed as homeless who sleep rough each night often experience uncomfortable incidents or saturating downpours that cause them to have to break their sleep and relocate in the middle of the night.

The inaugural Under the Same Stars event, hosted by The Salvation Army North East Youth Services, saw more than 100 people spend the night outdoors on a mild, low-of-10ºC and windless autumn night.

After a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony by Neil Morris and Jarvis Atkinson, participants listened to guest speakers, ate soup and sausages served by Azem Elmaz, and joined in a ‘privilege walk’ game.

Guests on the night took part in a ‘privilege walk’ game taking steps forwards and backwards in response to questions asked of the entire group, demonstrating how different everyone's circumstances are. Photo by Bree Harding

At the close of the 12-hour overnight event, around $18,500 had been raised to support homeless youth in our region.

Mr Gow estimates $6000 of the funds already raised were via a spinoff event called 100 Miles From Home, in which local ultra-marathon runners Peter Ralph and Vic Bovalino, ran 161km from Epping to Shepparton, to arrive at Deakin Reserve early on Thursday morning during the sleepout.

Retzos Group Restaurant staffers Scott Quinn, Thomas Stojanovski, Jon Pearce, Paul Manley and David Gorecki. Photo by Bree Harding

There are still pledged donations to land, silent auctions for a framed and signed St Kilda football jersey and a Tank artwork that Tank started painting live at the event to take place, plus a fundraising push at a function following the Shepp Bears vs Shepp United game at Deakin Reserve on Good Friday.

Guest speakers Jarvis Atkinson (left) and Travis Wallace (right) with event organiser Jim Gow (centre). Photo by Bree Harding

Guest speaker Jarvis Atkinson told his compelling story of homelessness and the impact it had on his life.

He said 10 or 15 years ago, there weren’t really events like Under the Same Stars around.

“I take comfort in knowing we have a lot of people in Shepparton who are standing up for a cause,” he said.

“You (the crowd) could be anywhere in Shepparton tonight or anywhere, but you are here, and I think that’s so powerful. Well done.”

Travis Wallace, who lived at the Salvation Army’s youth refuge for almost three months and now resides at the Education First Youth Foyer in Shepparton, also addressed the audience.

“I spent the majority of my late teens so severely unstable, I was homeless on and off four times by the time I was 22 years old,” Mr Wallace said.

“I’ve lived in the back of my car, going to work every day, parking out the back of work, changing out of clothes in my boot, sleeping in my car. At the time, my window didn’t work, it was stuck down.

“I had to sleep with one eye open, just preparing for someone to reach in and rob me.

“I’ve spent nights couch surfing, I’ve spent nights sleeping in crack dens.”

Foott Waste's Caleb Francis, Everyday Supplies' Jac McCarty, Greater Shepparton City Council deputy mayor Anthony Brophy and Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell. Photo by Bree Harding

Mr Wallace told listeners he was one year sober from drugs and alcohol and was now a member of the student representative council at The Foyer, and works for the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

“I would like to really thank The Salvation Army for providing a safe place to land and a safe place to put my head after so many years,” he said.