Last year, more than 40,000 children and young people sought help from specialist homelessness services.
More than half could not access the housing or support they needed because demand far exceeds available accommodation. That means vulnerable young people are sleeping in cars. Couch surfing. Staying in unsafe situations. Or returning to violent homes because they have no other choice.
build safety. ensure security. restore hope.
no child should have to choose between home and safety.
Jennifer grew up surrounded by fear. Her father was absent. Her mother was abusive. One by one, her older sisters left home. She remembers the heartbreak and confusion of being left behind.
At just 11 years old, Jenny made the same decision, packed a few clothes into a backpack and ran from home. “I remember I took one last beating and I was like, that’s it, I’m just not doing it anymore”. “I packed whatever I could… and I just ran away.”
Looking back Jenny says, “I didn’t know that some people didn’t experience abuse…I thought it was just the norm.”
When Jenny finally reached a refuge, she believed she had hit “rock bottom.” But over time, that refuge became something else: a place of safety, stability and care.
Today, Jenny is building a future shaped not by what was done to her, but by what she chooses to do for others. “My hope and dream is to see Australia with no youth homelessness,” she says.
watch more about Jennifer's story:
introducing
Habitat Haymarket
Your tax-deductible donation can help support shelters like Habitat Haymarket – a vacant space that will be transformed into a safe haven for young people experiencing homelessness. Spaces designed to offer safety, dignity and practical support when it is needed most.
This new space will provide 6 self-contained units and 8 beds, including wraparound services, and options for single parents with dependent children. You can also help provide a first in NSW – the option for siblings to stay together.
There will be communal living areas, a laundry, kitchen and space for support services – a haven where young people can focus on education, employment and healing.
When complete, Habitat Haymarket will help provide 3,000 safe nights of sleep every year for vulnerable young people – nights when fear does not have the final word, and when healing can begin.
every child deserves a safe, warm, well-lit home. together, we can make it happen.
$55
helps purchase essential bathroom supplies like towels & toiletries
$183
can go towards warm bedding for a safe night’s sleep
$756
could buy 2 beds in a youth homelessness shelter to keep siblings living together
$____
Put your generosity to work where it’s needed most.