Street Swags

On any given night, 6314 Australians are without shelter - under bridges, on benches, in cars, parks or doorways. In August 2005 Jean Madden decided that she had to keep the maximum number of homeless people alive until they could get the support that they need. Soon realising nothing existed that suited their needs, she designed a world-first basic bed and shelter, lightweight and portable - and Street Swags was born. Swags are about the community helping their own when they are at their most vulnerable, giving them a leg-up to help them get back on their feet. Street Swags are made by Australian prisoners who gain qualifications and skills, improving their chances of employment after incarceration and helping to break the cycle of poverty, crime and homelessness. The swags are then rolled and packed by school children who learn about giving back to the community. More than 10 years and over 40 delivered swags later, Jean Madden continues to provide practical support such Community Healing programs for people experiencing homelessness, hoping to put herself out of a job. “It is my vision that during the life cycle of the company we end systematically entrenched poverty in Australia.” Jean’s work with Street Swags is only made possible through the continued and generous support of people who believe in the importance of making life a little easier for those in need. Over the last 10 years public support through donations has meant Street Swags has partnered with hundreds of homeless services across Australia who rely on us to deliver when their clients need it most. Demand is unfortunately increasing and, still without government funding, we now give over Street Swags a year to our homeless community, giving them a fighting chance until they can get the longer term help they need.