TVW April 9, 2015

Letter of the Week

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LOCAL NEWS

Thursday April 9, 2015

Call to put an end to couch surfing THE SERVICE which offers assistance to young people experiencing homelessness on the Far North Coast is calling on members of the community to open their hearts and their homes to help deal with the problem.

The Family Centre have organised a ‘travelling couch’ tour, which starts at this Friday’s Youthfest event and visits a number of locations in Tweed and Byron Shires over the next week, to call attention to the number of young people who are couch surfing or experiencing other forms of homelessness.

The centre’s Youth and Family Coordinator for Specialist Homelessness Services Gerina Appo said resources available to assist young people have been cut in recent years and they are calling on the community to help make up the shortfall.

“We have 40 kids on our books right now who are receiving assistance from our three workers in Tweed and Byron, but we know there are 170 just in the Tweed every night who are couch surfing or sleeping rough,” said Ms Appo.

“People don’t see it but it is all around us and I know of kids as young as 13 and 14 who have been living in the cane fields near Murwillumbah.

“The travelling couch is meant to raise awareness of the issue, these are kids who want to go to school and get an education, who want to work and support themselves, but don’t have their own space to work from.”

Keiah Smith, 20, said she has spent much of the past seven years dealing with the issues of homelessness since first being involved with the St Joseph’s Youth Housing Service at age 13.

“It is a real struggle for young people in this area who would rather couch surf or live on the street than deal with their situation at home,” said Ms Smith.

“Many kids need real support but there is a prejudice that 15 year olds are creating their own problems and they should just go home and deal with it.

“Nobody wants to be homeless though, there is always an underlying issue.

“Drugs are a huge problem in our community, along with social pressure for young people to act a certain way, and people in the community don’t seem to realise what a huge effect this is having.

“I know of friends who are couch surfing, camping in the

Gerina Appo and Keiah Smith in our approach to the problem, shifting much of our focus bush, sleeping in public toilets or other unsafe situations.

“St Joseph’s helped me to get counselling but there was to early intervention within families,” she said.

“One of the ideas we have come up with is to call on a lot of time when I was really in need of help and on a long people who have empty rooms in their homes to open waiting list to see specialised services.”

Now in recovery from her own struggles with addiction them up to young people who would be fully supported Ms Smith said she is taking courses with a long term goal through counselling and other services.

“We are also looking for volunteers to lend a hand at of establishing a youth service and helping young people teaching life skills and anyone who wants more information through similar situations. is encouraged to give us a call.”

The Family Centre have taken over primary responsibility Ms Appo said any young people experiencing for youth homelessness services in the region after homelessness at any level are also encouraged to get in changes in both Federal and State Government funding touch. reduced the number of youth homelessness services The Family Centre can be reached at 07 5589 1800 across the state from 140 to 45.

(Tweed) or 66857264 (Byron).

Ms Appo said the 16 beds St Joseph’s used to After Youthfest the travelling couch will make stops in operate have been reduced to just four under the new Byron Bay and Ocean Shores on Tuesday before moving arrangements. on to the Murwillumbah Centrelink office, Cabarita Youth “The funding changes have forced us to be more creative Service and Tweed Centrelink office on Wednesday.

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