2019 Do Good Community Award Winner
- 21 February 2019
Steve Neville for The Portable Bed Project
Steven Neville has an extraordinary story to tell. He is inspiring, compassionate and strong. Once homeless himself, he is the founder of the Portable Bed Project, a not-for-profit that provides portable beds, warm clothing and importantly, companionship and understanding to his community’s homeless.
Steven is well placed to be an advocate. He knows first hand what it’s like to be cold and wet, tired, lonely and hungry. He spends his time walking the streets and alleyways at night to talk and listen to the people he finds there and, if they were sleeping on the ground, offers them a portable bed. What he’s found is that by providing off the ground bedding the incidence of pneumonia and skeletal issues is reduced, as is the demand for dry clothing and bedding from other charities.
Last Christmas Steven took his sons to meet some of the people and his 10-year old son made quite an impression.
‘He sat on their level and asked them why they are homeless and if they have a family they miss…. it turned many to tears, one man who had a son same age and said to my boy… Thankyou for your words little man you have touched my heart and given me more strength… and I thankyou for that.’