Why We Chose To Give Back, This Holiday Season

At the Centre for Positive Behaviour Support (CPBS), our work is grounded in compassion, inclusion, and action. This holiday season, we chose to honour our team’s impact by making a $5,000 donation to Backpack Beds for the Homeless, a charity that provides life-saving emergency beds to people sleeping rough.

Why This Cause Matters to Us

Homelessness affects thousands of Australians every year, but for people with disability, the risks and barriers are even greater.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW):

• 1 in 10 (9.5%) clients of Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) in 2022–23 had disability
• 3 in 10 (29%) of those had a severe or profound disability
• 1 in 4 (24%) clients with disability identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• Disability rates among SHS clients include:
  • 29% of those aged 65 and over
  • 9.8% of those aged 15–64
  • 4.2% of those aged 10–14

People with disability often face additional risk factors—such as limited access to employment, discrimination, and low income—that increase their likelihood of experiencing homelessness and make it harder to exit it (AIHW, 2024)

Our Values in Action

This donation reflects our belief that caring is a matter of action. It’s a way to extend our mission beyond behaviour support and into broader advocacy for dignity, safety, and inclusion for our community.

We’re proud to support Backpack Beds for the Homeless and the vital work they do. Their emergency beds offer not just shelter, but hope, and that’s something we believe every person deserves.

To our team: thank you for the compassion and commitment you bring to CPBS every day. This gift is in honour of you, and the difference you make in the lives of others.

Wishing everyone a joyful, restful holiday season and a New Year filled with purpose and connection.