A HOME isn’t just having a roof over your head, it’s having security, stability, privacy and safety. It’s having a place to call your own. According to the latest statistics from Homelessness Australia, there are over 100,000 people in Australia who are homeless. Of those, two in five homeless people are under the age of 25.
Zooming in locally, around 2,209 people from across the Shepparton area were reported to have accessed homelessness services during the reporting period of 2017 and 2018, as recorded by Council to Homeless Persons.
Last financial year, Shepparton’s The Bridge Youth Service helped almost 300 young people who were struggling with stable housing or homelessness.
The Bridge Youth Service CEO, Melinda Lawley said, “A lot of youth homelessness is preventable if we can identify the risks early enough. We need to try to prevent youth homelessness from happening as well as responding to it, but we still have a long way to go before we can get to that stage.”
Talking with schools and local community leaders, Melinda Lawley is hoping to introduce the COSS (Community of Schools and Services) model into schools in the Goulburn Valley. This project focuses on early prevention of youth homelessness by providing schools with a survey for students that will then inform them if any students are needing extra assistance, whether it be stable housing or other support.
The Bridge Youth Service will be hosting a fundraiser event at Village Cinemas, Shepparton of the film, ‘Life After The Oasis’. The film follows the 2008 documentary, ‘The Oasis’, and will revisit the participants (homeless young people) ten years on. The special screening will be on Wednesday, August 7, with a guest speaker and lucky door prizes up for grabs. Tickets are $25, including a popcorn and drink, and are on sale from The Bridge Youth Service office or through their Facebook page.
For more information about The Bridge Youth Service and their services, head in to the office at 127 Welsford St, Shepparton.
