Mission Australia's 25th Winter Sleepout

Can you imagine what it would be like to have no place to call home and no warm bed to crawl into on a cold winter's night?

That's the reality faced by more than 105,000 Australians who are homeless every night. Of this figure, almost half are under the age of 25.

The good news is that you can make a difference and reduce the number of homeless people and help them get them back on their feet by participating in Mission Australia's Winter Sleepout on Saturday 31 August.

Winter Sleepout is an annual event where participants raise money for Mission Australia's homeless services by -sleeping rough' – outdoors, or anywhere which is not their usual sleeping place – and organising sponsorship from family and friends to take part.

And unlike the CEO Sleepout, you don't have to be a corporate high flyer to take part. Winter Sleepout is open to everyone – young or old!

There's no limit to where you and your friends or family can hold your sleepout (eg: backyard, school oval, scout hall, office boardroom, etc) just as long as it's safe.

This year is the 25th anniversary of Mission Australia's Winter Sleepout.

Winter Sleepout was first held in 1988 in Sydney's Martin Place and is about raising both awareness and funds for Mission Australia's close to 100 services for homeless people nationally.

Last year, Mission Australia assisted close to 25,000 people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness, including 675 homeless families.

This year's Winter Sleepout fundraising target is $200,000. With your participation, we can reach this target and help transform the lives of more homeless Australians in 2013.

To find out more about Winter Sleepout or to register, please visit: www.wintersleepout.com.au