A Place to Belong

A Place to Belong

Bec Stott | Manager Philanthropy

Pentecost is the celebration of God’s hand guiding the Christian community through the trials and tribulations that are presented and as we move through the colder months, none face greater trials than our young people who have no place to call home. Young people like Sandy.

Sandy had a dream of one day becoming a nurse. But when she left her family home at the age of 18 that dream started to disappear. She left due to complex mental health issues, which sadly we are increasingly seeing in our youth homelessness services; the growth has been quite staggering.
Sandy had no support networks, nobody to help her through the tough times - until she found Foyer Oxford.

When Sandy arrived at Foyer Oxford, she knew that she had found more than a roof over her head. She found people that genuinely cared about her and people who wanted to set her on the path to success. Our team at Foyer Oxford listened to Sandy’s needs and attended professional development training around eating disorders to increase their understanding in this area, so they were better able to support Sandy’s needs.

Given the support around her, Sandy is now committed to rebuilding her mental health and has taken steps to prioritise herself and her wellbeing. Something that previously she had found difficult to do.

Her case manager has been vital in helping to combat Sandy’s strong inner critic and help her build her self-esteem and confidence. At the age of 20, she had never had anyone believe in her, so why should she believe in herself?

With the faith and guidance of her community at Foyer, Sandy was able to navigate the daunting process that all first homeowners go through and achieve the one goal every young person at Foyer has in common, to find somewhere to call home. Have Sandy and her partner bought a house.

As for her dream of becoming a nurse? Through support of those around her, Sandy gained full time employment at a residential care service where she is a valued team member. She has also completed her first semester in a Diploma of Nursing, including successfully passing the practicum placement.

In these uncertain times we ask you to think of young people like Sandy. Young people who have hopes and dreams and just need a guiding hand and a community to surround them and help make those dreams a reality.