People need people

Two entrepreneurs with big hearts explain why they’ve decided to sell all their belongings and travel through Australia in a truck this year.

We are selling all of our assets and will travel through all of Australia, even the most remote parts, in our expedition truck “Sam”.

The Sam Project is focused on connecting with all Australians. We want to bring both an awareness and understanding of mental illness, in order to remove the stigma and to empower all Australians to live the most mentally and physically healthy life possible.

One in five Australians are impacted by a form of mental illness. A lack of proper understanding of the issue and negative stigmas can hinder individuals from reaching out for either the understanding or support that they need.

Today it is estimated that up to 70% of people with a mental health problem do not seek help, even more so in rural and indigenous communities.

In order to reduce the strain of mental illness, the following needs to happen:

• Increase education and awareness
• Build in a support network and sense of community
• Create opportunities to foster the link between physical and mental health

Each stop of our truck “Sam” will include prearranged education sessions coordinated with the appropriate community networks and local businesses, while ensuring media is engaged for increased exposure. We want to address large audiences through free education sessions at community halls, retirement homes, schools, hospitals, indigenous communities, local branches of national businesses such as banks, rural suppliers, real estate agencies etc. These community dialogues will provide a safe forum for greater awareness and for discussing and dispelling any myths while providing some direction to find support.

In conjunction with the awareness sessions, the Sam Project is offering the opportunity for everyone to drop in for a coffee and a chat at our mobile cafe. We’ll be providing fun yoga and exercise classes to help foster the link between physical and mental health. Classes will be run on a donation basis and those monies reinvested into “do good” community projects.

For our vision to be realised, we have partnered with the Black Dog Institute, which is internationally recognised as pioneers in the identification, prevention and treatment of mental illness and the promotion of wellbeing.

Sam, the name given to our expedition truck, is based on the character in the “Lord of the Rings”. Sam displays all of the characteristics you would want from a travel companion: unwavering loyalty, down to earth, humble, but also courageous when needs be, and underlying it all, a selfless love to do what is important. In the story, one of the characters says, “Where there is life, there is hope”. It is this hope that we want to bring to others. Life has taught us that there is one thing that people crave for: understanding. Understanding of themselves and understanding from others.

We have also learnt that one of the greatest gifts that you can give someone is time. By selling all of our assets to live a life on the road, we are obviously genuinely committed to helping as many people as we can through providing understanding, sharing our own experiences and demonstrating a respect, care and love for others.

People need people! You and your friends can be part of the Sam Project community by following us in future blogs.

Scott and Florence say: “Whilst others may not understand why we are selling everything and leaving an enviable life on the beautiful northern beaches of Sydney, for us it is simply an extension of ourselves. We know who we are and what we are good at. We want to do what is true to our hearts and be part of something bigger than ourselves. We love people, we care about people and together we are going to try and help as many people as we can.”