UPDATE: I have changed the title of this post to stop any confusion with the other effort called Swags for Homeless. I have been getting a huge amount of search engine traffic for both and felt, as this post was about Street Swags to change the title to reflect that and do away with any confusion. I will be posting about Swags for Homeless soon and my experience with them and their swags.
If there is any confusion or anyone wishes to discuss this with me, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I want to share with you about a fantastic effort by one person to make a difference to the homeless in Australia and beyond. Jean Madden, a former teacher from Brisbane, saw an opportunity for her to make a difference. While not a social worker, or pastor, Jean knew that what she could do, would make a difference for those on the streets.
Jean Madden designed the Street Swag in 2005, because she felt it wasn’t good enough that people in our community were sleeping on concrete and in the dirt.
A bag with room for extra belongings, the Street Swag is made of super lightweight waterproofed canvas with a high-density foam mattress. It offers its users a degree of comfort, warmth and protection from the weather. Designed for those living on the streets, its discrete appearance and camouflage colours, offer some safety for those who need to be invisible.
Street Swags has empowered and brought together all levels of community. Corporate and private entities donate funds. Prisoners sew, gaining work readiness skills and qualifications. Aboriginal Communities gain government employment, home industry skills and their finished product for their families. School children roll and package street swags with blankets, pillows, hygiene packs and knitted winter essentials. Numerous aid organisations, hospitals, community groups and volunteers distribute them across Australia.
This is how Street Swags Ltd have given away over 10, 000 Street Swags to those ‘sleeping rough’. This network of community allowed them to have hundreds of Street Swags there for the recent Victorian bush fire victims, within hours of them becoming homeless.
The world economic crisis means a world homelessness crisis and like the local food van, Street Swags are about keeping people alive.
Street Swags began on August 15, 2005 as a project under the auspice of another local charity. In 2007 Street Swags Ltd was established as a Not for Profit, Public Corporation with full charitable status. Due to the increase in demand, in 2009 Street Swags Ltd created it’s wholly owned subsidiary Walkabout Beds Pty Ltd, to take over its current manufacturing activities. This second entity will also sell a commercial version of the Street Swag to the public, returning all profits to the charity. Through Walkabout Beds Pty Ltd we are working to set up industry in Kolkata and East Timor as a means to supplying aid and emergency relief organisations in other countries.
On the 20th of May Copenhagen announce that Jean Madden and the Street Swag are a finalist for the World’s largest design awards INDEX. This is an award given every second year, with Prince Frederick of Denmark as patron.
Some more videos with interviews with Jean can be found here and here.
I pray that I can give street swags to men and women in similar positions, while also praying that I don’t need to give them to anyone who needs them at all.
