The Property Council Annual Footy Lunch saw the industry come out in droves last week to not only support their favourite AFL team but also to raise $34,000 to contribute towards the Property Industry Foundation (PIF) – an organisation whose mission is to make a tangible difference to the serious and persistent problem of youth homelessness.
In Australia, on any given night, there are 44,000 young people that are homeless. Sadly, this includes almost 18,000 boys and girls who are under the age of 12, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2011 Census data.
The funds raised by the Foundation’s raffle sales at the event will support programs such as the PIF House Program, which builds homes for at-risk and homeless young people across Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
Property Council Victorian Executive Director, Cressida Wall, said she is always heartened by the generosity of their members and their passion for combating social issues like youth homelessness.
“Supporting the efforts to end youth homelessness is something the property industry takes very seriously. This is evident in the overwhelming support offered by the 20 volunteers selling tickets today, many of who work in property industry businesses,” she commented.
Volunteer, Trent Bell, Development Manager for Frasers Property Australia said it’s an unfortunate reality that the security provided by a home isn’t available to everyone.
“It is great to be able to be supported by my employer to take time away from the workday to assist PIF with their fundraising efforts. It’s fantastic to see the whole industry joining together in raising money towards such a worthy cause.”
In the last five years, PIF has invested $10 million into charitable programs, helping to rebuild young lives.