It doesn’t sound like much of a life at all, and it’s one most of us can only imagine the pain of experiencing.

But for 105,237 Australians that situation is a reality, and incredibly, 17 per cent of the homeless in Australia are under the age of 12.

Another 25 per cent are Indigenous, despite Indigenous Australians only making up 3 per cent of the nation’s total population.

It is figures like these that spurred the establishment of Father Chris Reilly’s Youth Off The Streets.

For former NRL star Brad Fittler, knowing more than 47,000 Australians under 25 are homeless, “made him sick”, and motivated him to get involved in 2012.

“I live in the city, I’ve seen the issue first hand,” he said.

“Father Riley, the man himself, does wonderful things. I am (very passionate about the cause), I’ve done a lot of work with Chris, who does a lot of work to help those people who aren’t in their first choice of places to live.”

From that, the Hogs For Homeless charity ride was born.

It visited Orange on Wednesday and yesterday for the second consecutive year to run clinics and skills sessions at Orange’s junior rugby league sign-on day at Wade Park.

“I spoke to Hindy (fellow former star Nathan Hindmarsh), and (NRL salary cap auditor) Ian Schubert and we’re (all) keen riders so it worked out,” Fittler said.

“It’s a way for us to get out and incorporate a good ride into the fundraising. Slowly but surely it got up, and we’re in our third year now.”

“Yeah, Freddie (Fittler) contacted me, and, being an ambassador for Harley Davidson Australia and New Zealand, it made sense,” Hindmarsh said.

“I thought it was all a good mix. Get out and have a ride, raise some money at the same time and promote footy.

“We’re in a position where we can hand back, so of course (we’re passionate).

“I mean everyone can, but with the profile we’ve got, especially Freddie, it just gets that extra attention.”

The tour raised more than $40,000 in 2013 and over $130,000 last year, and Fittler was confident it would eclipse that mark in 2015, thanks to Wednesday’s lamb auction, merchandise sales and fundraising dinner at Duntryleague Golf Club.

The Hogs For The Homeless ride left Orange yesterday, en route to Oberon and then to Parramatta Stadium, where it concludes today.

matthew.findlay@fairfaxmedia.com.au