John Lee OAM Shares His Values This Australia Day in Lithgow

The region's Australia Day events will feature Mr Lee delivering speeches in Lithgow, Portland and Wallerawang about his journey, his charity and what it means to him to be Australian. Mr Lee, who was raised on farms in Zambia and Zimbabwe, said he is looking forward to seeing Lithgow's community values, which remind him of his upbringing. "I grew up in a tiny little town, and I've never been to Lithgow, but the similarities are amazing," he said. "I was born in a town in Zimbabwe in Africa. My father was an honorary game ranger and my mother was a school teacher. We had a farm, but there was also a coal mine. "It was pretty much the same size as Lithgow. I'm looking forward to sharing the spirit and listening and learning about the locals." Mr Lee, who had a successful high-level sports analytics career, began his charity, 'You Have a Friend', which is dedicated to supporting homeless and vulnerable Australians, after an unexpected encounter. "I designed a rugby league system, which all the first grade rugby leagues took up. New Zealand took it, England took it and I was very involved with all of that," he said. "It was great, but eventually it got very tiring and I sold it. Then I was sitting down on the beach thinking, 'What do I do now?' and I saw these five homeless guys laughing and chatting. "We became best mates and I started doing barbecues for them. That's how it started and that's what I really wanted to do." The most common misconception about the vulnerable is that employment is the solution to homelessness, and drug abuse is the cause, according to Mr Lee. "If you don't have a home, you don't have a chance of getting a job. If you don't have a job, you've got no chance of getting a home. So very sadly, once people get right down, it's so difficult to come out of," he said. "A lot of people will tell me they saw a homeless person and I ask them if they know the reasons they're homeless. They will say to me it's drugs and alcohol. A lot of them end up drinking and using drugs once they are on the street; it's such a lonely life. "It's very sad and difficult to come out of that because you are just sitting out there on your own on a cardboard box." "It's a place where people come together. What's important is the opportunity for local people to come together and recognise what Australia gives them through welcoming new citizens and reflecting on the city," he said.