‘When you get an opportunity to help others, I believe you should take it’
How Vicky’s passion for helping others inspired her to join the Vinnies SA CEO Sleepout.
When Vicky Welgraven AM saw a message from the Vinnies team inviting her to take part in the Vinnies SA CEO Sleepout, she didn’t hesitate. For years, she had watched the event from a distance, unsure if she was the right fit.
“I’ve seen it promoted and often wondered if I could get involved,” Vicky says. “I thought it was only for CEOs so I didn’t apply. When I heard directly from the Sleepout team, I jumped at the opportunity.”
A life of service and advocacy
Currently serving as the general manager for the First Nations Unit at PIRSA, Vicky has spent more than three decades working across the public sector in both federal and state government.
While her professional career is extensive, it is her volunteer work and advocacy that reveal the depth of her determination to make a difference for people doing it tough.
As an ambassador for the Hutt Street Centre and a leader in the prevention of violence against women and children, she is acutely aware of how personal crisis can lead directly to the risk of homelessness.
“My view is if you can get prevention right, such as education, campaigns and messaging of violence against women and children, this is a step towards saving their lives,” she says.
“It’s also clear that sometimes when people do leave a domestic violence relationship, homelessness can play a part in that. The financial impacts of leaving a relationship can leave people feeling vulnerable to homelessness.”
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Finding strength in community
The importance of giving back was a lesson Vicky learnt early, growing up in Davenport Aboriginal community, Port Augusta.
Despite facing significant personal loss, including the passing of her mother when she was 11 and her father at 22, Vicky remained grounded and sure of who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do.
And, while she first learnt the importance of giving back to community from her parents, she says her siblings continued to influence and support her in many ways.
“Sometimes an individual can spark big things from one small conversation,” Vicky says. “I’ve always known what I’ve wanted to do. I’ve always, even since high school, loved helping other people.”
Her connection to country as an Adnyamathanha woman from the Northern Flinders Ranges remains a guiding force, whether she is serving meals or sitting on boards for organisations like Port Adelaide Football Club and Our Watch.
One of her most powerful motivators is that Vicky views the entire community as family.
This was on display last year when she fulfilled a dream of serving others on Christmas Day at Adelaide’s Hutt Street Centre.
“I got up that morning and left my family to spend time with the most vulnerable people in our community at Hutt Street, and you just can’t put a value on that,” she says.
“They were so grateful, and someone asked me why I wasn’t with my family.”
Her answer provides a powerful and emotional insight into her character.
“I just told them, ‘You’re my family too’,” she says.
Walking in others’ shoes
At the Vinnies SA Sleepout on June 18 at the Adelaide Zoo, Vicky will have a chance to deepen that connection. While she understands that one night in the cold cannot replicate the true hardship of long-term homelessness, she says it offers a perspective that helps drive change.
“I believe the CEO Sleepout will give me an opportunity to experience some of what our most vulnerable people are going through, and this will give me a chance to have some understanding of what it’s like to do it tough,” she says.
Her recent recognition as the 2026 Aboriginal Woman of Achievement, and her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia, are honours she carries with humility. She credits her husband and daughter as her backbone, supporting her as she strives to be a role model for the next generation.
The power of a diverse community
One of the aspects of the event that resonates most with Vicky is the diversity of the people involved. She loves seeing participants from all walks of life and different backgrounds coming together for a common goal.
“What I’ve noticed from the social platforms is that the CEO Sleepout is from diverse people across the community, and that’s what I love about this event,” she explains. “It gives you the sense that it truly is the whole community coming together.”
An invitation to join the cause
Vicky is keen to encourage other leaders and community members to join her at Adelaide Zoo, and has a powerful rallying call for them.
“When an opportunity to help others is presented, I believe you should take it,” she says. “To end homelessness, we need to come together as a whole society and each of us needs to do our part.
“To other leaders I say, please join us, because every dollar matters and will support Vinnies SA to help vulnerable people in our community.”
To join Vicky and the more than 100 leaders already registered for the CEO Sleepout, go to ceosleepout.org.au
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