Youth Off The Streets

Ever thought of being a mentor, but didn't know where to start? Whether you realise it or not, you have skills and life experiences that children and young people can learn from ✨ We're always looking for passionate volunteers who will provide positive, non-judgmental support to young people who are accessing our services, enabling them to develop their talents, build life skills and achieve their goals. Some of our mentoring opportunities include volunteering as a supervising driver to young people hoping to obtain their provisional driver licence, and offering support and guidance to recipients of our National Scholarship Program. Start your mentoring journey here https://ow.ly/uzsw50UOjZM

“We need to shift the discourse around ‘solving the Aboriginal problem’ and looking to Aboriginal communities as solutions,” says Sam Alderton-Johnson, an Aboriginal man, First Nations advocate and former #YouthOffTheStreets National Scholarship Program recipient. Twenty years ago, Sam’s scholarship enabled him to pursue tertiary education at UNSW where he studied an honours degree in criminology. Now Sam works as the managing director of First Nations consulting firm, Impact Policy AU and teaches criminology at the same university that first gave him this formative education. “We need to focus on decolonising criminology, in terms of how we position Aboriginal people as central to justice,” he says. “And how we understand the impact of state violence and its perpetuation of the issues we have in the justice system today.” Always was, always will be. Revisit Sam’s story through the link https://ow.ly/JwJa50UMg1n

“I became a student at a Youth Off The Streets school after a family referral. When I arrived, I was homeless and struggling with alcohol and drug abuse,” says Ryan*, one of our former students. “I hadn’t been to school in over a year. I had also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had experienced domestic violence, which led to my situation. “Youth Off The Streets immediately helped me with temporary accommodation and connected me to the Dunlea Alcohol and Other Drugs Youth Service. They also provided counselling, extracurricular programs and support through teachers and other staff,” he says. “Everyone was dedicated to helping me get back on track.” This #InternationalEducationDay, we want to recognise our amazing educators, support services colleagues and mentors whose guidance have helped shape the futures of young people like Ryan. Persevering through initial low attendance and an unsuccessful first attempt at graduation, Ryan says it's the dedication of our school staff that him eventually saw him attain his Higher School Certificate. "Now, I have my own flat and a full-time job and I’m looking forward to celebrating my 21st birthday. The support from Youth Off The Streets helped me turn my life around and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.”

"Remember, even when things are going badly, somebody cares." Last month, we asked our donors to send messages of hope and support to Olivia*. Olivia, 16, was forced into homelessness after experiencing years of abuse. We hoped that a few kind words from our supporters would give her courage and comfort over the holidays. We've included a few of our favourite messages here, so that you too can be inspired by our donors' beautiful sentiments. We're so grateful to every person who contributed to our appeal and gave Olivia some much-needed encouragement. It's people like you that help us provide wraparound supports for young people all year round. Learn more about supporting Youth Off The Streets here: https://lnkd.in/gCXCjg6

Today is International Mentoring Day, an opportunity to recognise the impact that the mentors within our organisation have on the children and young people we're proud to support. 💜 "The mentoring journey is progressing wonderfully. John is a great mentor," says James*, a 2022 scholarship recipient. "He's caring, kind and funny, which bodes well for my own goofiness." "John has given me wonderful and wise advice, which is so nice to have. Older people like John, with their vast life experiences, always have the best advice. I consider myself an old soul, so John and I just click." "Getting to know John and his family has been (and is) such a pleasant experience," says James. "He has shown me my strength and courage and he stands by me with support as I reach my goals, which is so heartwarming." "John has made me feel so welcome. I know I can always come to him and I know he will give the best advice." 🙏

We are so fortunate to work with passionate and experienced individuals who share our vision of a world where every child and young person is supported to reach their potential. One such person is Kishan Armstrong, our new Child Safety Manager. "With over 24 years of experience in the human services sector, mainly as a manager of high conflict and child protection programs, I wanted to share my learnings with Youth Off The Streets in a role where there is a clear strategic plan for children and young people," Kishan shared. "I also had direct contact with [founder] Father Riley during my time with juvenile justice and adolescent programs. "So far, I've enjoyed being useful and seeing the motivation and passion of my colleagues," Kishan says. "The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is the responsibility of all of us." 👏👏👏 #TeamStreets

Once a student, now a youth worker! Liam's journey demonstrates the impact that our team members and holistic education model can have on young people's lives. After Liam participated in the 2023 Sydney to Surfers charity bike ride, he was inspired to pursue a career in youth work. Thanks to Liam's own dedication, and the guidance he received from Youth Off The Streets mentors like Joseph Ratouvou and Kylie Sharp, he earned a formal certificate. Now, he has returned to the organisation, and supports young people experiencing homelessness at crisis and short-term accommodation, Don Bosco House. Click through the link to learn more about Liam's passion for cycling and giving back to the community that helped him grow and thrive: https://lnkd.in/gxY-Eat8

Another year, another successful National Scholarship Program (NSP) awards ceremony! 👩🎓💜 Here, you'll see the latest cohort of students who are chasing their educational and professional dreams with our support. You'll also see pictures of our uber-talented graduating class: the 2022 NSP recipients. Among these students are aspiring engineers, athletes, teachers, social workers, lawyers and tradespeople to the program. We can't wait to see all that they achieve in the not-too-distant future! 👏👏👏 As always, we'd like to thank the wonderful Scholarships team for making the ceremony possible, and friend of the organisation David Koch, for being our host for the occasion. We were also thrilled to have many of our mentors and sponsors in attendance. Thank you, everyone, for providing guidance, support and financial assistance to our 2024 NSP recipients! 🙌

What an incredible year 2024 was! 🥳🎆🎉 There have almost been too many highlights to mention. We held a successful Lipstick Luncheon - our annual flagship fundraising event, which featured a three-course meal, raffle and extraordinary guest speakers. We shared our expertise with educators from across Australia at the Alternative Schools Conference and we hosted half a dozen high school graduations in December. We also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the National Scholarship Program. 🎉 With your support, we even raised over $300,000 with our first-ever Giving Day! 🫴💜 We want to thank our supporters, donors, volunteers and corporate partners for all of their contributions this year. Each and every one of you has made our successes possible. So here's to 2025! We're so excited to keep implementing our five-year strategy and reaching more children and young people in need than ever before. 👏

We want to wish all of our followers, donors, partners and volunteers a very merry Christmas! 🎄🌟🎅 Thank you for helping young Australians to realise their potential in 2024. By supporting Youth Off The Streets this year, you’ve empowered children and young people in need to build a positive future. 💪💜 With your support, we look forward to another year of kindness, generosity and optimism! Our Alexandria office is closed at the moment, but services will resume as normal on Monday 6 January 2024. If you need help this Christmas, or you know a young person who does, please click here: https://ow.ly/XKNI50UwkIX