Mission Australia has launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness of the need to support homeless families into safe homes.

Created with King Content, the campaign depicts the true story of Mark* and his two sons Noah* aged 15 and 11 year old Will* who are forced to live in Mark’s van after he is diagnosed with cancer. Mission Australia supported the family into accommodation when they were at their most vulnerable.

The advertisements offer a powerful statistic: ‘Over 17,000 Australian children under 12 are homeless tonight through no fault of their own’ and makes a proposal: ‘Independence is precious. Help us find them a safe home.’

Mission Australia’s general manager marketing, Elvira Lodewick said the campaign illustrates the hardships experienced by homeless adults and children and the importance of the charitable donation in supporting families in need this Christmas.

“Many of us take our independence for granted, but there are thousands of Australian families out there without a safe place to call home. The ads really drive home that homelessness really can happen to anyone. With the support of donors, Mission Australia can support families like Mark’s on their path to independence not just at Christmas, but all year,” said Ms Lodewick.

She continued, “We really do rely on the generous donations to ensure we can continue the work we do with families like Mark’s.”

Launched on 3 October, the campaign includes a direct mail appeal created by Pareto Fundraising and is set to run on television, outdoor, print and digital advertisements as planned by Customedia until the end of 2016.

Mission Australia has more than 155 years of practical and proven experience in working with Australians in need. The organisation invests in housing, services and programs to reduce homelessness and strengthen communities, walking beside people and families until they can stand on their own. In 2014-15 Mission Australia assisted 27,483 people through 128 homelessness services, including Mission Australia Housing.

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