Yahoo Lifestyle Sweater Exchange Campaign
You may not see them, but tonight almost 46,000 Australian women will find themselves without a safe place to spend the night. While homelessness among men has decreased in the past five years, the shocking truth is that homelessness is on the rise among women. The biggest cause? Domestic violence.
RELATED: The Plight Of Australia's Homless
“If you’re a single mum with two or three kids and no support network who’s fleeing family violence, your options are severely limited,” says Paul Andrews of Mission Australia. “You might couch-surf for a few nights or if you have a car, sleep in there with your kids. This sort of thing is happening every single night of the week, all across Australia.” A lack of affordable housing and financial hardship also contribute to the growing problem.
This winter, help give a little warmth to a woman who needs it by joining marie claire and Banjo & Matilda as part of the Sweater Exchange. Established by Banjo & Matilda designer Belynda Macpherson, the initiative collects preloved jumpers for distribution by Mission Australia.
“Donating a sweater is something that’s so easy to do and there’s an emotional element to putting on a warm, cosy sweater as well. When I put on a sweater it makes me feel secure and safe,” explains Macpherson.
Joining us in this campaign to help women in need are Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Richie, Miranda Kerr, Elle Macpherson, Delta Goodrem, Ruby Rose, Lara Bingle and Livia Firth, who have all donated one of their beloved jumpers – and they want you to do the same thing.
RELATED: Why My Dad Chose To Be Homeless
“When you’re homeless, your self-confidence takes an absolute thrashing,” says Andrews. “A small gift like this, a small ges- ture, is hugely welcome and it can make a real difference to somebody’s outlook, their self-confidence and their
sense of self-worth.”
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
■ To find out how to donate your preloved sweater to Mission Australia, visit www.banjoandmatilda.com.
■ Show us your sweater! take a photo of yourself wearing the jumper you’re donating to the Sweater Exchange and upload it to Instagram and twitter with the handle @marie_claire_au and hashtag #sweaterexchange.
■ Sweaters will be accepted between July 3 and August 12, 2013.
