Youth homelessness matters
Ruby* was afraid to go home.
Her parents were violent and abusive. She walked on eggshells around them, which only worsened the symptoms of her bipolar disorder.
“When I first came to Youth Off The Streets, I was homeless,” Ruby continues, “and I hadn’t been to school in over a year.”
Thankfully, a student support worker intervened. Ruby found a place in a Youth Off The Streets refuge. She also enrolled in one of our special assistance schools and began seeing an on-site psychologist.
Ruby was one of the lucky ones. Of the 43,226 young people who presented alone for homelessness support last year, half were turned away.
In Australia, many of our services aren’t sufficiently funded to accommodate young people in need. We don’t have a targeted, national plan to assist them. Instead, domestic and family violence, the housing crisis and family breakdowns are impacting this vulnerable demographic at staggering rates.
This Youth Homelessness Matters Day, we’re calling on national and state governments to make ending youth homelessness a priority.
Donate, or sign the Yfoundations petition below, to change the reality of young people like Ruby.
Thank you for making a difference
As Youth Off The Streets’ Founder, Father Chris Riley, once said:
“I am proud that we are an organisation that will never give up. We will never stop advocating for youth and we will never stop offering our nation’s most vulnerable the chance for a brighter future.”
Thank you for donating to help young Australians recover from trauma, break the cycle of disadvantage and build a better future for themselves.
Other ways to give
There are many ways you can help young Australians in need.
Our promise
We have supported and empowered young Australians experiencing disadvantage for decades. Our generous donors and partners have walked with us every step of the way.
We appreciate every single donation we receive and ensure that every dollar goes where it is needed most.