Brittney Lorck (left), 16, Napier City Council member Maxine Boag, Kevin Swannell and Labour Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck prepare to sleep the night in their cars at Marine Parade northern carpark for the Sleepover Challenge. Photo / Warren Buckland
Brittney Lorck (left), 16, Napier City Council member Maxine Boag, Kevin Swannell and Labour Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck prepare to sleep the night in their cars at Marine Parade northern carpark for the Sleepover Challenge. Photo / Warren Buckland
Updating your lounge suite comes without the guilt this weekend, with a percentage of the proceeds going to a good cause.
PK Furniture in Hastings is holding a three-day furniture sale this weekend with up to 7 per cent of every sale donated to help Kiri and Kevin Swannell build Hawke's Bay's first emergency shelter.
Funds will be given an extra boost with the sale of 100 hangi meal packages, at $10 each available on pre-order through the Limitless Hope Facebook page or instore, with pick up outside PK from 4pm today.
The company also came on board by donating everything needed to hold a sausage sizzle outside its Hastings store tomorrow from 9.30am.
As well, local businesses have put together raffle packages, with tickets to be sold throughout the weekend.
"We are trying to drum up as much support as possible," PK Furniture Hastings store manager David Filipo said.
"I first noticed the cause when a friend tagged me on Facebook. I used to do a lot of community-based stuff at The Warehouse, where I used to work."
Hawke's Bay Today launched the Limitless Hope Emergency Shelter Appeal to gather all the goods and services needed to make the Swannells' dream a reality.
David Filipo, manager of PK Furniture in Hastings, with one of the store gifts to be raffled to raise money for the Limitless Hope Appeal. Photo / Warren Buckland
Meanwhile, in Napier Mr Swannell spent the night sleeping in a van in a waterfront carpark as part of a wider 40-hour fundraiser called the Sleepover Challenge.
He had in the past discovered three other homeless people in the carpark, and was last night a little disappointed that few community leaders had taken the chance to walk in the shoes of the more disadvantaged.
Conceding there were a variety of reasons people might be homeless and sleep in vehicles, he said he would be staying out in the family Toyota till 8am today.
Also along last night were the Hyundai brigade of Napier City Council member Maxine Boag, and Hastings businesswoman and Labour Party member Anna Lorck, along with her daughter Brittney.
Both said, however, they could never hope in their brief experience to learn what it is like to be homeless.
An uplifting moment for Mr Swannell was news of a private individual's $5000 cash donation to the cause.
A soup truck that usually provides for the homeless in Napier every Monday will be out tonight delivering hot soup to anyone who wants it - a donation box will be available.
A Givealittle fund goal has been dropped to $65,000, meaning $12,000 is needed in the next six days to make it happen or pledges will be lost.
