Yesterday we came across the very friendly Jodie who gave up her time to have a quick chat with us. Jodie Swanston Street Jodie says she’s been sleeping every night on the streets of Melbourne for the last “couple of years.” “Money is not the reality...it’s about freedom, it’s about being what you want to be.” i dont go round asking people for money at all.. they give it to me, i think thats ok... theyre looking after me ya know She said when someone has a chat with her “that’s better than any money in the world...if someone can just stop and say hello.” At least an extra 1266 Victorians called the streets home in the 2013/2014 financial year according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Melbournes street count also found a 40 per cent increase in the citys homeless population since the last survey in 2012. This years count of 142 people was the highest in the counts six-year history. Jodie confirmed this for us, mentioning the services in Melbourne were bogged down with people trying to access them. We started chatting about music, more specifically, Nirvana, when Jodie asked to listen to “Come As You Are” off one of our phones. In reference to Kurt Cobain, Jodie said “he’s dead now but his music still lives, and we’ll have to be happy with that.” We said “that’s a nice way of looking at it” to which she replied “that’s the only way of looking at it.” “Music is a good thing.” “I’d like to go to America somewhere.” P.s. Jodie is also a big fan English punk rock (The Clash is one of her faves) and INXS. #SCLS
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 08:41:31 +0000
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