tony clark 2

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011© 2010

Swags for Homeless

Tony ClarkChairman & Founder

© 2011

Emergency Relief Backpack Beds

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

What is a guy that helps homeless

doing at a conference like this?

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

What do you get after a disaster?

HOMELESS People

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Case Study -

Street sleeping homeless

Rapid Response

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

TONIGHT in our ‘lucky’ country

845 in Melbourne

2,204 Victorian’s will sleep on the street

16,375 Australian’s will sleep on the street or worse

* ABS 2006 Figures

• TONIGHT up to 80% of families and 60% of individuals will be turned away from emergency shelters. *

• 21% of street sleeping homeless in Sydney & 16% in Melbourne suffered from cold weather injuries - hypothermia, frostbite and trench foot. **

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

TONIGHT in our ‘lucky’ country

* AIHW 2010, ** MS2H Oct 2010

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Old thinking - undignified

Pizza box delivery insulation + gaffer tape

People who hand this out - say they wouldn’t sleep in it.

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Old thinking - undignified

• Blankets - homeless tells us they are lucky to last a week- some get a new one everyday - $$$$

• Fluffy white doonas

• Mattresses

• Cardboard

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Old thinking - undignified

Fact. It rains outsideFact. No washing machinesFact. Homeless use cigarette lighters to see in the dark

NOTHING EVER GIVEN TO HOMELESS WAS WATERPROOF or FIRE RETARDANT?

WHY NOT?

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

NEW minimum level of dignity

patent pending - Backpack Bed™so good - commando’s love it. Everyone who sees it ... wants to buy it.

Treat people the way you want to be treated.Homeless are people - it can happen to anyone.

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Emergency Relief Bedding

• Backpack Beds are proven emergency relief

• Given free to street sleeping homeless without alternative accommodation

• 100+ charities in Australia distribute Backpack Beds

• Each homeless recipient is surveyed

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Emergency Relief Bedding

Backpack Bed™

• Waterproof• Windproof• Fire retardant fabric - International Standard CPAI-84• Mildew resistant fabric• 3 x Mosquito mesh ventilation - head + foot + face• Built-in 190cm insulated comfort mattress (ALSO fire retardant, mildew resistant)• Backpack with built-in storage pockets• Lockable internal pocket (with supplied key lock)• Ultra lightweight street tough materials• Only 2.48kg

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

The Results - Saving Lives3,000 last 12 mths

Michael, Melbourne

• Homeless and charities agree Backpack Beds improve: health, comfort, self-esteem, warmth, safety, sleep

• Saving health costs• Duty of care - SAFE fire retardant• Saving desperation crime costs• Moving towards long term outcomes

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Self-esteem“improve how I see myself” Floyd

Drive Achieving one’s potential

BA

CK

PAC

K B

EDS

Reducing desperation crime - shelter“beats sleeping outside with just what you’re wearing” Paul

Society - belonging & comfort“things like this make life easier” Damien

Saving lives - health, sleep & warmth“protect me from illness” Keiran

BACK ON THEIR FEET

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Backpack Beds in Emergency Relief

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Emergency relief bedding - applications in disasters

• Sometimes the existing solutions are not appropriate for the situation

• Backpack Beds:

✓first on-site response teams

✓rapid deployment - no pre-arrangement

✓relief workers & victims

✓light weight & portable

✓don’t want a tent city

✓Single people

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Backpack Beds in disasters

“Backpack Beds would be very useful for single person in a relief centre type setting (or people wanting to stay on their property after an emergency made their house uninhabitable.”  

Mayor Jeff Amos Wellington Shire Council

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Backpack Beds in disasters

“I wish Sri Lanka had the Backpack Bed during both the Tsunami disaster and after war conflicts.”  

Roshan Edirisinghe, U.N. Award Recipient (Sri Lankan President’s Office)

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

Manufacturing

• Designed in Australia

• Made in China to our specifications

• No child labour

20 ft Container: 950 Backpack Beds (4 / box)

Customise:

• Branding

• Add ration packs

• Add hygiene packs

• Add a blanket or polar fleece sleeping bag

Rapid Response Emergency Relief Bedding© 2011

One Swag for every homeless man, woman and child

© 2010© 2009

Emergency Relief Bedding

www.swags.org.au

www.charity.org.au