If you talk to homeless young people you learn a great deal.
Like how they fill in their time. How they wash themselves. And what they do at Christmas.
But there is another shocking fact. Nearly half of the young adults who are living on our streets, have been in the child protection system.
When the time arrives for 18 year olds to leave the care system, they often don’t have the ordinary, day-to-day resources and skills we all need for survival.
“The system” obviously lets them down.
The sad fact is that young people who leave care still face enormous challenges and uncertainty and then the care stops.
Sam was a young boy who had a really tough start in life. In his early years his mum did the best she could. But she had major problems of her own and just could not cope. At a very tender age, Sam was in foster care.
Over time, he went from one foster family to another. Finally he came to MacKillop.
By the time he reached us, Sam was into chroming and drugs and self harm. Things were not good. With lots of help, Sam’s habits improved from time to time, but then his old ways would return.
As the time came for Sam to leave MacKillop, our people did everything they could to find suitable accommodation. But all the attempts failed as Sam was not able to give up his addictions. Sam did not want to leave, but there were very few options.
Sam has no family to support him. No savings. Few belongings. He had not completed high school. Job prospects are bleak.
Compare this with so many young people today. Maybe young people you know. Many in their twenties today are working in good jobs and staying at home longer to save money. When they move out of home they are ready for independence.
But Sam’s future is spending his time hanging around the city. When he’s lucky he’ll get to sleep on a couch at a friend’s place. But mostly he’ll be on the streets. Homeless.
At MacKillop we want to offer an Independent Living Support Service for young adults like Sam. To keep them off the streets. But we need your help.
There are 250 children and young people in ‘out of home care’ with MacKillop. Many of these will need our support until they become adults. We need to do ‘whatever it takes’ to keep them off the streets. We don’t want them to end up homeless.
For many of these kids, there is a desperate need to:
- Extend our independent living skills training program;
- Provide practical assistance to those who are not eligible for government funding programs; and
- Get more of them into training.
But all this costs money and we can’t do it on our own.
I know you have been generous in the past and that times are difficult. But if you can make a donation for Christmas, you will do a great deal of long term good for a young person like Sam.
Christmas is called the Giving Season and right now we really need your support.
Thank you for showing that you really care this Christmas.
Yours sincerely
Paul Linossier
Chief Executive Officer
PS: Financially, most of us are feeling a little uncertain this Christmas. But at least most of have a secure home. We don’t want our young people to become homeless. All you have to do is press the link below.
Please give now.