Parking lot transformed into a safe haven for the homeless at night

Many unfortunate people become homeless not by choice, but due to disastrous events in their lives.

As we never know the true reasons, it is nobody’s place to judge those people. Instead of criticizing them, we might as well help them live a better life.

Having no place to go, a lot of the homeless are forced to live on the harsh cold streets. They spend the days searching for food to survive, and the nights sleeping when and where they can. Unfortunately, many of those people remain homeless and unwelcome for the rest of their lives.

The founder of the non-profit organization Beddown, Norman McGillivray, had an amazing idea.

While walking through an empty parking lot, he had a light-bulb moment. McGillivray saw the perfect space for people in need.

After loads of planning, generous partners and collaborators, Beddown was ready to give life to the idea.

Beddown shared their idea with one of the largest car park operators, Secure Parking. They loved it and agreed to launch a two-week trial in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Their main goal is to adapt parking places only used during the daytime and turn them into safe and secure shelters for the homeless overnight.

Since they are constantly searching for food and shelters, homeless people often suffer from sleep deprivation. Along with the lack of sleep, some of them also deal with depression, diabetes, hypertension, and memory loss.

In the course of the trial period, the organization provided additional services to the guests, including doctors, nurses, dentists, and hairdressers.

Beddown also helped provide social services and gave the homeless new clothing. They explained their innovative idea in one of their Instagram posts:

“Beddown will provide an immediate response for those who sleep rough to access safe, secure shelter and access to a comfy bed and a great night’s sleep. We will work with our other collaborative partners to provide long term solutions to transition our guests into accommodation, education and employment opportunities and ultimately put ourselves out of business (this is the vision).”

In a more recent post, they show some initial statistics from the trial of the project.

“41 guests used Beddown over the duration of the Pilot.
77% male 23% female guests
Sleep rated on average – 4.5 out of 5
Beds rated on average – 4.5 out of 5
100% of guests said they felt safe during their stay.

View this post on Instagram

Here are some initial Statistics and Outcomes from the Pilot: 41 guests used Beddown over the duration of the Pilot. 77% male 23% female guests Sleep rated on average – 4.5 out of 5 Beds rated on average – 4.5 out of 5 100% of guests said they felt safe during their stay. Multiple services accessed by guests – Dr & Nurse, Dentist, Hairdresser, New clothing and Social Services. The most guests turned away in one night due to capacity was 9. The youngest person who tried to access Beddown was just 15 years old. Positive outcomes: “After spending the week here, having a good sleep at night and a routine, it reminded me of life and I booked myself into Rehab for 6 months”. “Being able to sleep all night and away from drugs I’m clearer in the day and have not used drugs for 8 days”. “It’s the first time I have had a dream in years” “I don’t have to watch my back here” A Female guest found employment due to being able to sleep safely at night and able to work during the day. More data being accessed and will be shared soon. This is just the beginning! We now need support from Corporate, Government and the Public to make Beddown a sustainable operation and allow us to roll out across Australia to really help change and save lives. #homelessness #homeless #streetlife #storyofthestreet #beds #globalshift #queensland #brisbane #nsw #sydney #victoria #melbourne #southaustralia #adelaide #westernaustralia #perth #northernterritory #darwin #tasmania #australia #nonprofit #selfesteem #community #usa #uk #quality #endhomelessness #lifechanger

A post shared by beddown (@beddowntonight) on

What’s even more amazing is that they already have positive feedback from people who used their services. Some of them share their personal stories:

“After spending the week here, having a good sleep at night and a routine, it reminded me of life and I booked myself into Rehab for 6 months.”

“Being able to sleep all night and away from drugs, I’m clearer in the day and have not used drugs for 8 days.”

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