Tony Completes the CEOSleep out.

Well, that's a wrap - not really but.

What was supposed to be a bit of fun and raise a bit of money for a great cause has turned into something much greater. Thanks to all the people who donated to my efforts, I know who you are and I appreciate you very much. To the organisers thanks for a great night and conversation.

But what actually happened in small hours of the morning as the cold of the Queensland winter solstice fell on the Brisbane River stage was a greater understanding and appreciation of the endemic that is upon us 'homelessness'.

As a person who comes from a place of privilege (came from a loving family with a good education, no family or domestic violence, travelled extensively and have enjoyed excellent physical and mental health with limited dependency and great fulfilling career) and will have the ability to return to that life as it was once the sun rises, it saddens me to think we as a society have got ourselves into this pickle.

How have we left so many of our own behind and how do we continue to allow this number to increase daily?

Untangling this mess that we have all had part in creating will take a huge effort, not only by the individuals some of whom I had the privilege to spent the night with or by the great organisation that I have the privilege to work for or the other great organisations like Vinnies that work in this space, or the governments local state or federal - but every single one of us.

This is something we all must take part in and work collectively together to fix.

This is not only about building bricks and mortar - it's about rebuilding our communities.

It's about giving people a place to call home about allowing people to fail many times and wrapping ourselves around them when they fall and lifting them back up.

Offer greater real services that support people who have had or still have struggles with addiction and/or embedded trauma.

The little things like making eye contact and conversation with people you would usually bypass and avoid.

My personal pledge is to continue to strive for a better social environment that will allow by my 3 beautiful grandchildren and their mates to live their best lives without the curse of homelessness.

I'll be back next year with some more willing participants and you already know who you are.

You can still help by donating to my cause at - https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/tonysharp/queensland-24