Gabi Camilleri turned her 21st birthday into an opportunity to pay it forward to homeless youth.
When she recently turned 21, Gabriella Camilleri asked for her friends and family to donate to the Property Industry Foundation, in lieu of gifts. As a new member of our Future Leaders Committee in Queensland, Gabi couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate her milestone birthday than by giving back to young people in need. “For my 21st birthday, I decided to ask for charity donations towards the Property Industry Foundation from my friends and family,” says Gabi. “My dad (Brian Camilleri) is Principal Director of TTM Consulting, a partner of the Property Industry Foundation, so it’s become a charity of great importance to my family. Asking for donations towards the Foundation seemed like a no brainer! I also saw this as an opportunity to promote the Property Industry Foundation to my friends and family and discuss my involvement with the charity.”
Gabi admits that prior to joining the Property Industry Foundation, she held a common stereotypical view that homelessness only affected the adult population of Australia. “It’s important to highlight that there is a large homeless youth population in Australia and it is not simply adults that are affected by this problem,” says Gabi. “It is my hope that now that I have introduced the Property Industry Foundation to my personal community, they will be more inclined to support the charity and attend fundraisers such as the Backseat Sleepout, which will be a Brisbane-wide event this year.”
Currently studying a Bachelor of Urban Development Major Urban and Regional Planning at QUT, working as a consultant at TTM Consulting, and as a student planner at Mecone, Gabi remarkably finds time to volunteer with the Future Leaders Committee. “The Future Leaders Committee has allowed me to have direct involvement in fundraisers hosted by the Property Industry Foundation, as well as volunteer at Property Council Australia events,” says Gabi. “Through the committee, I have met many new people within the property industry and am grateful for the networking opportunities I have been provided.”
As for Gabi’s generous friends and family, they chipped in $540 of 21st birthday donations to support young people experiencing homelessness. “I’m very thankful for the willingness of my family and friends to donate to the Property Industry Foundation on my behalf,” says Gabi. “I hope that the money I have raised is able to improve the livelihood of an individual experiencing hardship.”
Keen to make a personal contribution to provide more beds for homeless youth? Go to pif.com.au/donate to turnaround a young person’s life.
