volume 7 number 28 8 August 2026
salvosonline.org.au print post approved PP100001474
BUILDING BETTER FUTURES Youth support that changes lives
4 Salvos youth services
7 Developing youth potential
12 Shining a light in Ukraine
Targeted programs across Australia
From homework and driving to theatre and AI
Youth bringing hope to a war-torn nation
“Family is not just blood. It’s who walks beside you.” - Anonymous Elder
PHOTO BY KEVIN GENT ON UNSPLASH
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Editorial What is The Salvation Army? The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Vision Statement Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus. Mission Statement The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by: • Caring for people • Creating faith pathways • Building healthy communities • Working for justice The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.
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Founders: William and Catherine Booth Salvation Army World Leaders: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham Territorial Leader: Commissioner Miriam Gluyas Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief: Lieut-Colonel Paul Hateley Publications Manager: Cheryl Tinker Editor: Simone Worthing Graphic Designer: Ryan Harrison Enquiry email: publications@salvationarmy.org.au All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58 Press date: 17 July 2026 Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Miriam Gluyas at Focus Print Group, Chester Hill, NSW, Darug Nation lands.
Be the one Research and lived experience show that, for young people (and older!), having even just one safe person who truly supports you is a profound catalyst for confidence, resilience and growth. It could be a family member, friend, teacher, youth worker, neighbour or community member – someone who believes in you, encourages you and walks alongside you. Many young people don’t have such a person. They struggle through challenging circumstances and often feel alone, alienated and overwhelmed. This impacts their overall wellbeing and growth, both now and into their futures. The Salvos, and many other organisations, strive to reach out to and support these young people through a range of different services. These include programs that help address housing, addiction and education, but also mentoring, mental health, loneliness and social contact. This edition highlights some of those services and the impact they are having. Perhaps there is something each of us can do to impact a young person – someone we can support and encourage on a regular basis as they navigate a complex and often confusing world? Simone Worthing Editor 3
Feature
BUILDING BETTER FUTURES Youth support that changes lives
Children and young people have the right to a full life where they can thrive, be supported and empowered. Unfortunately, many children and young people in our country do not have a great start in life and face various challenges that are outside their control. This can be stressful, traumatic, and have lifelong impacts. The Salvation Army’s network of youth services offers targeted programs that engage youth across Australia as they transition to independence. These programs include youth homelessness services, driver training, educational programs, drug and alcohol addiction support, youth justice programs, mental health programs, counselling, chaplaincy, advocacy support, creative arts and multimedia, as well as youth groups, camps and other fun and safe activities where young people can connect and belong. Housing and homelessness Youth homelessness is often invisible. Young people are the group that most 4
Salvos Magazine
commonly experience couch surfing. This means they are in temporary living situations with friends, relatives or even complete strangers. If a young person is experiencing homelessness, or is at risk of becoming homeless, we can help them find and sustain safe, suitable and affordable housing. We have a strong focus on prevention and early intervention. Some of the responses at our services include: •
A broad range of accommodation and housing options
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Outreach programs
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Holistic case management.
Education Some young people may find mainstream schools challenging for many reasons. However, remaining in education is important. It reduces the risks of homelessness and engagement with justice, plus provides opportunities for further education and future training and employment. Our schools provide a flexible, safe and welcoming space for young people to re-engage with learning and achieve their educational goals. These responses include: •
Independent schools
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Specialist learning support
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A range of support staff.
Alcohol and other drugs Alcohol and other drug use is often thought of as a part of youth culture. But some young people use alcohol and other drugs as a means of coping with challenges such as mental health,
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stress or peer pressure. Because young people’s brains are still developing, they are at a greater risk of alcohol and other drug-related harm. Our practices are informed by young people and work to reduce harm by building on their strengths and enhancing health, wellbeing, independence and resilience. Our youth-focused responses include: •
Access to individualised counselling, resources and support
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Residential options that offer therapeutic recovery support.
Driver training For a young person without a licence, navigating day-to-day activities can be challenging. A licence increases pathways to education and employment, provides greater choice and control in a person’s life, creates a sense of freedom and helps to remove the barriers of social isolation.
mainstream driving programs, our driving training programs may be able to help. We can assist young people obtain their learner and/or provisional driver's licence, and build their skills as experienced, safe and confident drivers. Our driving training services include: •
Pre-Learner classes and individual support in preparation for licence tests
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Formal structured driver training, helping young people to obtain the necessary competencies to achieve a Provisional driver’s licence
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Access to structured safe driving courses
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Mentoring support.
Scan here for more information and service location details.
For those having trouble accessing 5
News
Salvos Magazine
Homework Club builds self-esteem Homework Club is an after-school activity that runs on Tuesdays during the school term at Shire Salvos Menai, southern Sydney. Its aim is to connect families to assistance and resources for children who may be struggling at school and are unable to afford a tutor. “Since it began, a range of primary and early high school students have been coming along to receive support from our growing number of volunteers,” says Bec Cundasamy, Children and Families Ministry Coordinator. “Over time, there has been a noticeable shift, not just in their academic progress, but in their confidence.” The Homework Club is for children in Years 5 to 8. Volunteers from the church provide a small, healthy afternoon tea, and volunteer tutors assist the young people with their homework.
Shire Salvos volunteers with Bec Cundasamy (far right).
“Young people who once hesitated are now looking forward to their math or English classes at school rather than avoiding them,” said Bec. “Some are talking about reading at home again, and others have proudly shared about achieving higher marks on school tests than before they began coming to Homework Club.” – Lauren Martin
Youth drama group builds confidence Several Salvation Army corps (churches) in the Adelaide region have recently collaborated to form a youth drama club for young people seeking an alternative to costly community theatre memberships. The club is the design of Majors Gaye and Richard Day from Arndale Salvos, AuxiliaryLieutenant Colin Sampson from Unley Salvos, and Colin’s wife Marion Sampson. “I know of at least 500 kids involved 6
in different theatre companies [in this area],” said Gaye. “We thought drama’s quite a big thing, but we also know how much it costs ... So, we thought maybe we can reach some kids [who] wouldn’t be able to access the fees for the professional companies but would like to get involved in something.” Gaye said that one participant had already developed the confidence to
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Driving young people’s potential A youth education scholarship is helping teenagers and young adults connected with Salvation Army youth programs to access education. The scholarship, sponsored by Toyota Australia, allows young people, with the assistance of their Salvation Army youth worker, to apply for assistance with course fees, textbooks and e-learning materials, laptops, tools, uniforms and transport costs for education or training. There are three rounds of applications, with grants of up to $1500 available, and funding above that amount if special circumstances are met. In a statement, Toyota Australia said the scholarship is about enabling access and opportunity: “We recognise that many young people accessing Salvation Army services demonstrate capability and commitment to their goals and often while navigating complex circumstances.
Salvos programs help youth to thrive.
“These scholarships acknowledge that relatively small, well-timed financial support can make a significant difference in ... enabling progress in education, training and employment.” “The scholarship provides recognition, encouragement and a tangible investment in their future pathways,” said Stephanie Wilks, The Salvation Army’s General Manager, Youth and Education. – Lauren Martin
audition for her school musical. This had previously felt out of reach. The team is also helping the children to learn technical skills such as sound and lighting, and the group is responding very positively and quickly, taking charge of coming up with the ideas. “It’s not about putting on a show,” Gaye said. “It’s about teaching them the skills of how to sing, how to act, how to dance. The kids are actually guiding where it goes.” – Kirralee Nicolle
The youth drama group at Unley Salvos performing their Easter production. 7
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Salvos Magazine
Hope amid homelessness
State Manager Felicity Pearson with Jess and Adeola at the Darwin Evacuation Centre after Cyclone Narelle in March. The team helped support youth who were there from emergency shelters. Freya (left) and CJ are part of the support team in Alice Springs.
The Salvation Army recently launched its first-ever Youth Services team in the Northern Territory, with the uplift of a Street to Home program set to deliver culturally responsive, targeted assistance to young people.
rough sleeping … providing immediate crisis support and intervention.
Led by State Manager Felicity Pearson, the team of five is beginning to engage with clients between the ages of 14 and 24 who are already homeless or at risk of homelessness. The staff have already been conducting assertive outreach in Garamilla (Darwin), Katherine, and Mparntwe (Alice Springs) since March.
The team offers early intervention for those relying on couch surfing, or whose family dynamics meant unstable housing was likely.
Felicity said team members were making themselves known, ensuring they were as “visible as possible” in the community with the goal of fostering trust and forming relationships with vulnerable young people. “Our Street to Home program supports young people at risk of, or experiencing, 8
“We work closely alongside schools and communities, to keep young people safe and ensure their voices are heard.”
Felicity said the goal was also to refer clients to other providers aligned with their health, educational or housing needs. “We think of it [as] getting them back up on their feet, getting all the other wraparound supports in place and walking with the young person for a time until they are confident to keep going on their journey toward independence,” she said. – Kirralee Nicolle
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‘AI for Good’ group kicks off A vibrant cross-section of the community recently joined the congregation at Hornsby Gateway Salvos for a special ‘All-in-One’ gathering. This included the children and parents from the church’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program, alongside the UTS (University of Technology, Sydney) student volunteers who coached them in coding and AI-powered project-based learning. Captain Lydia Hong, Hornsby Gateway Salvos Corps Officer (pastor), said the idea of the after-school STEM club was to engage with children and young people. Lydia and a UNSW computer science graduate came up with the idea of teaching primary and middle school students the coding program ‘Scratch’ and the STEM club started in late 2024. University volunteers The demand was high, but more volunteers were needed to expand, and due to the specific nature of expertise needed, volunteers were hard to find. Then, God intervened. “I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at UTS,” Lydia said. “I got to talk about what The Salvation Army Hornsby does, that we have a family store, we have social programs, and recently we started this kids’ coding club. “I talked about the philosophy and the project-based learning and how we are now doing it in our community for lower socio-economic families. Some of the UTS students were interested, especially
Students of the ‘AI for Good’ club with their graduation certificates. AI club members enjoy lunch after a morning church meeting.
members of their Engineer Society, so they came and they said, ‘We are happy to volunteer.’” With the extra volunteers on hand, and a ready-to-use curriculum from another non-for-profit tech-group, Lydia and the STEM club leader, Sunny, launched an extra program on Sunday afternoons, focused on AI-powered projects. For the full versions of the stories on pages 6-9, go to salvosonline.org.au – Lauren Martin 9
Salvos Magazine
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Psalm 119, verse 105 New Living Translation
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My Story
Salvos Magazine
Children and youth bring hope to Ukraine by Simone Worthing
It began with an invitation after the Sunday meeting at the Vinnytsia Salvos in Ukraine. A few of the youth offered to take my husband, Cliff, and me (we were recently on deployment in Ukraine with The Salvation Army International Emergency Services) on a walking tour to show us the history and beauty of their city. We were surprised but delighted that the young people would volunteer to spend time with us ‘oldies’, and they were equally surprised that we accepted! In so many ways, we could’ve been anywhere in the world – children playing in parks, outdoor cafes full of people, music playing, the sound of laughter. Except we weren’t. We were in a country at war. Russia’s war in Ukraine began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Its impact can be seen and felt everywhere, despite the laughter, the music and the signs that life goes on. And yet, in many ways, life doesn’t go on. People still go to work, children go to school, and ordinary activities continue. But so do the air-raid sirens, the drones, the missiles, the destroyed lives and homes, the grief, the exhaustion. Life goes on, but at the same time, it is on hold. And so it is for the young people of the Vinnytsia Salvos. Yet their energy, positivity and growing faith bring a joy and hope that seem to rise above the challenges and encourage all those around them. 12
“Many of our hopes and dreams may be more difficult to obtain right now because of the war, but we still have them, are doing what we can, and are trusting God to direct our paths and our future.” This was the overwhelming sentiment among this small group of young people who showed us around the city that night. As we walked through parks, down boulevards and rode trams, they spoke about their faith, their service at the Salvos, their beloved youth and Scout groups, and their hope for the future, both now and when the war is over. They still face the challenges many young people around the world encounter as they grow spiritually, socially and emotionally, and they carry the added burdens, complexities and pain of war. Yet they focus on God, his strength and his will for their lives as they serve, study and look to the future. Kyiv youth The young people in Kyiv showed a similar spirit – a desire to serve God, their church, their peers, and their community – as they continue their studies and work towards a future that is anything but easy to navigate after more than four years of war. “I want to improve my English, and I want to improve everything I am doing and learning,” said one youth leader. “I know God is leading me and I want to respond.” Their friendly competition with youth
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Some of the young people with Cliff Worthing (far right) in front of the monument to Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych. Young people from Kyiv Salvos leading the church in worship. A youth leader sharing a message of encouragement with the Kyiv Salvos congregation.
groups from other Salvos churches was heartwarming. Their love of music, fashion and technology was familiar. Their maturity and ability to face and work through issues that no young person their age should have to face were inspiring and humbling. Despite the grinding impacts of a war many have grown up with, the faith, love, and energy these young people embody bring hope and joy to a nation in need of light and joy in dark, desperate times. And times are desperate. There are many young people grieving the loss of parents
and loved ones at the front; many who have served and are dealing with mental, physical and psychological scars; many who have turned to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain of loss, grief and horror; many who have no one to turn to; and so many more suffering in numerous ways. The youth of The Salvation Army in Ukraine face many difficulties and challenging life circumstances too, but their lights continue to shine – sometimes flickering, sometimes bright – as they focus on Jesus, the source of light and hope. 13
Taste of Life
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Four-ingredient biscuits
PHOTO: KAREN MASTERS
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Salvos Magazine
Quiz
1. Cats are born with what eye colour? Ingredients 2 ½ cups plain flour; ½ cup sugar; ½ tsp salt; 250g butter, chopped Method Preheat oven to 160°C. Mix flour, sugar, salt and butter. Scoop out a spoonful of the mixture, roll into a ball and place on a greased baking tray. Flatten each ball, using the back of the spoon or a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly brown on the bottom. Optional: Top with chopped nuts or coconut, or drizzle over some thin icing. These can be made gluten-free and dairy-free.
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Believe in Good: Tips
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians chapter 4, verse 8 The Message Bible version 14
2. What is a mother cat’s priority for her new kitten? 3. Which cat can hang in your arms or drape over a shoulder and not struggle? 4. Which types of cats are rarely male? 5. There is a belief in Scotland that seeing a strange black cat on your doorstep is a sign of …? 6. What are the most popular breeds of cat in Australia?
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“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua chapter 1, verse 9, New Living Translation 4 6 1 9
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Each lighthouse has a unique flash pattern, so that mariners can identify which lighthouse it is and how far from the danger it is located.
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Sudoku 2026 Puzzle #5
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Have you taken care of your Will? A gift in your Will can help The Salvation Army create a long-lasting impact in the lives of those experiencing hardship. Find out how you can start or continue your legacy of generosity. Contact The Salvation Army’s Wills and Bequests team and ask for a free Wills booklet. Together, we can give hope where it’s needed most long into the future. CONTACT US TODAY
1800 337 082 or visit salvationarmy.org.au/wills