Foyer Oxford
10 Years On
The Revd Chris Thomason Chaplain
Last month we celebrated 10 years of Foyer Oxford with some history and a quick overview of how we work with young people to build good lives. This month I want to share a couple of resident’s stories and how they are now living their good lives.
Daniel was struggling to cope with high school, conflict with his family had escalated, and he had been kicked out of home. With no stable housing, his mental health deteriorated, and Daniel found himself living between crisis accommodation and mental health institutions. When he turned 16, Daniel made a serious attempt on his life and spent three months in hospital.
Despite the chaos of his world, Daniel was focused on completing his high school education and finding his own place. This was when he heard about, and was offered at place at Foyer Oxford. With his Foyer case manager, Daniel worked on developing his independent living skills, so he felt equipped to maintain his schooling, look after his mental health, manage his finances and the day-to-day chores of looking after his place. He also attended workshops offered on nutrition, physical health and exercise, budgeting and leadership skills. Daniel was at Foyer when he completed Year 12 WACE, was accepted into Curtin University, undertook work experience with the Foundation Housing marketing team, and started a casual job.
When Daniel left Foyer after two years, he had nailed his first semester of university and was deferring his second semester to travel and work in Canada for six months. After returning to Perth, Daniel was working casually, living in a share house, with plans to return to university and travel South America. He uses his skills to run an online blog sharing experiences about travel and life in general.
‘Foyer Oxford is an amazing opportunity. For me, it has given me a rental history from the age of 16, 24/7 staff support, lifelong friendship, and the chance to make something of myself with support through first graduating high school and now university and part-time work, when for a while it looked like I was going nowhere in life. The staff and residents continuously work on making Foyer a positive environment. Foyer works best for people who are at the stage of their life where they have decided to take their life into their own hands and are prepared to take responsibility in rising above the trap of homelessness, through getting a job and making a better life for themselves.’
And... Steven moved into foyer from his grandparent’s house where he was living due to the relationship breakdown with his parent. He had just completed high school when he entered Foyer and was initially quiet and reserved but soon his confidence grew, and he became a leader in the community. Regardless of what Steven had going on personally, he always had time for others. Residents and staff regularly commented on how he was the first to lend a helping hand. He was a core community member, always checking in to see how others were going, armed with sound advice and his dry humour.
Steven was a determined young person who wanted a career that was beyond just having ‘a job’. He found it difficult, however, to enter the workforce because of challenges with his literacy and numeracy. These barriers made resumé creation, job searching and applications tedious and frustrating. He felt ‘locked out’ of the workforce.
Steven however persisted, working tirelessly to improve his literacy and numeracy, engaging a tutor, and obtaining Certificates II and III in General Education. This motivation, perseverance and reliability transferred into him gaining part-time, then full-time employment and undertaking a Certificate II in Light Vehicle Servicing.
Steven was a regular at Foyer’s community events, inviting new residents and bringing along snacks or planning activities. He became renowned for his love of learning and passion for social justice, history, and politics. Often facilitating incredible conversations with others at these events, displaying significant insight and respect for other’s opinions. Foyer was just the start of Steven’s journey, he has demonstrated that he has the confidence, skills, and social aptitude to pursue all of his life goals.
We have changed the names of these two young people, nonetheless their stories demonstrate the great work done by the team at Foyer Oxford in helping young people like Daniel and Steven build good lives for themselves. This work is only possible through the generosity of its Major Supporters and donations from people like you. You can help a young person by donating to Anglicare WA here.