Posted by Ray Philp on Aug 03, 2021
 
Our guest speaker for last meeting was Kelly Keall, the Community Engagement Coordinator Philanththropy and Enterprise for Anglicare WA.  Kelly connects schools, parishes and community groups with the many aspects of Anglicare WA's work.
 
Anglicare supports people, families and communities with many services as they move from surviving, to coping, to building, to thriving.
 
Kelly took the opportunity, being Homelessness Week,  to focus on the support Anglicare provides for Homelessness through the following programs -
  • Street Connect - supporting young people who are street present
  • Y-SHAC - crisis and short-term transitional housing
  • YES! Housing - outreach support to help young people maintain a social housing tenancy
  • Foyer Oxford - long-term accommodation for residents engaged in employment, education or training
Foyer Oxford is the largest single-site youth homelessness service in Australia and is the largest Foyer project in the world.  It has the capacity to support 98 young people aged 16-23 years, including 24 young parents.  Residents can stay for up to two years - long term accommodation is demonstrated to break the cycle of homelessness.  Crucial factor is that residents have to be engaged in Employment Education Training, it is part of the agreement to be able to stay at Foyer.  The way out of homelessness is to have a regular income.
 
Anglicare WA prides itself on its results based accountability. 
 
Foyer Oxford's success in the past five years:
  • 83% of young people were employed or studying upon exit, with a similar proportion still engaged after 12 months
  • 95% of young people who have lived at Foyer Oxford rate their experience as positive.
Kelly concluded by thanking our club for providing them sleeping bags through our support of 'Stitches of Hope'. 
 
If anyone would like more information about Anglicare WA or wants to visit Foyer Oxford service, feel free to contact her at Kelly.Keall@anglicarewa.org