Stripping down the misconceptions and baring the reality of homelessness will be the focus of a film night next week.
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The Launceston Benevolent Society has partnered with The Examiner and HyperLocal Media to bring an event for Homelessness Week to show what it's really like to live on the streets in our city.
A film screening of One Happy Day will be shown on August 3, but will include a homelessness display. An video interview filmed by HyperLocal Media and conducted by The Examiner will be shown prior to the film.
Benevolent Society chief executive Rodney Spinks said the film night was about bringing a different perspective on homelessness and said he was proud to be able to present the unique interview that features two members of the Launceston homeless community.
"They've told their story, which is raw and emotional, and talks about how they've ended up on the street and what it's like to live on the street full time," he said.
"It will be a very revealing video, an eye-opening night to learn about homelessness, but particularly what it's like in our own city."
Mr Spinks said the Benevolent Society wanted to show homeless people for who they really are and to destigmatise them.
He said it was important for people to learn how they can help address the growing problem in the state.
"We want to show people how everyone can help, even in a small way, to make someone else's life just a little bit better," he said.
Mr Spinks said homelessness can affect anyone in the Tasmanian community, and the issue of homelessness in Launceston was becoming far too common.
"We want to give people some perspective and understanding too, that we need to change people's perception around what we think of people on the street," he said.
"It can be people just like you or I and their luck has changed and turned on them. We had one client whose only been on the street for the first time for three months because of a situation with their family, but prior to that they had normal lives. We think homelessness can't happen to us but it can.
"And any one of us can end up in that situation and this lady had no experience obviously of harmlessness but she had to transition her life in that environment. And we just want to show that and provide that awareness that it can happen to any of us."
One Happy Day film screening will be held at the Sir Raymond Ferrall Centre at the University of Tasmania Newnham Campus on August 3. Tickets are available from Launceston Tickets: https://launcestontickets.com.au/event/16238
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