Bec had previously spoken to our Club very briefly as part of our focus on Homeless Youth on 2 July, together with Stitches of Hope and Foodbank. We asked her back to hear more about her work.
Bec came to her current job 12 months ago, after 9 years with Ronald McDonald House. Street Connect has helped over 41,000 young people this year; many of these are the fallout from domestic violence as well as sexual orientation conflicts with parents. There are more than 3000 young people sleeping “on the street” every night in Perth, including those couch-surfing and sleeping in cars. There are only 1144 crisis beds available for emergency accommodation.
The Street Connect Bus is a critical part of the service provided, and is a registered postal address for Centrelink and also for justice services. The bus is over 20 years old and needs replacement. Services linked to the bus cost $575,000 a year. See more at https://www.anglicarewa.org.au/get-help/youth-services/street-connect
Foyer Oxford is a cutting edge youth housing service located on Oxford Street in Leederville. Part of the international Foyer movement, and run by a consortium that includes Anglicare WA, the multimillion dollar project is founded on the idea that ending youth homelessness can be achieved through education, training and sustainable employment. It has the capacity to house and support 98 young people, including 24 young parents and their children. It is the largest single-site homelessness service for young people in Australia. See more on http://www.foyeroxford.org.au/