Homeless Persons Week Aug 2nd - Aug 8th 2010

Every night in Australia, around 105,000 people are homeless. Contrary to popular perception, close to half of all people experiencing homelessness in Australia are under 25, and nearly a quarter are younger than 18. Almost as many women as men are homeless. Click here for the Homelessness Australia fact sheet on youth homelessness.

JYSS is a strong supporter of National Homeless Persons Week 2010. Despite the wealth and prosperity enjoyed by many in the "boom state" of Western Australia, homelessness among those most at-risk, namely disadvantaged young people, continues to rise. In the past 6 months JYSS has had a marked increase in approaches for support and unfortunately as funding and the amount of beds available are limited we have only been able to assist 11% of requests for accommodation. This is a sad indication of the current economic climate and the local area. Significant support is required from the community and private sector in supporting homeless youth or JYSS will soon fail to accommodate 90% of requests, the highest level recorded in our 23 year history.

JYSS is currently seeking community support its homeless youth program called "Youth Matters". This program provides homeless young people with long-term support to overcome their social and personal issues and find accommodation, as well as employment and education opportunities. We are currently seeking funds to put into the programs Sustenance For Life Account, which will enable these homeless young people to purchase everyday items that we take for granted including toiletries, food packages, school books, dental care, driving lessons and work clothes.

To make a secure donation please click here, or call Jamie our Organisational Development Manager on (08) 9300 2677 to discuss how you can help JYSS, help homeless young people.