tony clark 2
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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