Open Family Australia

“It breaks my heart when I have to give a young person a sleeping bag and tell them to sleep close to our building for safety because no matter how hard we try, we cannot get them into any accommodation for the night.”

 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

"I said: What are you doing here? You haven’t worked on the street in years. She said: ‘Times are tough. So I decided to return and work on the streets for a couple of weeks, to get some money and get us by over the next few months. It is only for a couple of weeks – just enough so I can keep my kids in school’.”

 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

“There is a high risk of violence or exploitation with young homeless people in my area – especially in winter. I know of instances where young women have exchanged themselves just for food.”

 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

“You watch a young intoxicated girl who has just come into the city for the night with her friends, getting targeted by the guys in the park. You can only hope that she has listened enough to us to realise the danger and she will get on that last train home and return to her family.”

 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

“I watched this angry young man full of aggression, put down his beer can and pick up the brush and begin to paint. A couple of minutes later he began to smile and talk.”

 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

“I watched with pride as she graduated from high school and saw her joy when she was accepted into university. I cannot thank enough a group of strangers who banded together and believed in her enough that they opened their hearts and wallets, giving her an education and a chance in life.”