By Bridie Byrne
THOUSANDS of troubled youths across Wyndham have crawled their way out of addiction.
Outreach workers gave a rare insight last week into the lives of teens living on the streets to escape violent households, the abuse of drugs and alcohol to numb the pain and the criminal activity used as a cry for help.
Support team Jamie Boyd and Johanna de Vries have acted as a lifeline.
The Youth Resource Centre has become a refugee for Wyndham’s young citizens.
They come across 10 cases a week and have helped more than 1,600 young people over the past three years.
Open Family Australia run the outreach project, in a bid to curb youth homelessness.
Johanna said many who walk through the doors were at risk of becoming homeless, as they house surf or simply live in their cars.
Every week they target hotspots around the municipality to maintain a watchful eye.
Jamie said the problems were brewing due to the area being isolated and struggling from a lack of support services.
“Wyndham has received a lot of negative stigma,” he said.
“But the one thing we find is there is a big sense of community.
“Young people won’t speak highly of the area but they won’t speak lowly of it.”
He said teens found reconnecting with the system again daunting.
“We have a lot of kids living on the outskirts of Wyndham,” he said.
“Opportunities for jobs are usually outside the area.”
He said youth homelessness was on the rise.
“The saddest thing is the problem is growing but the emergency beds are not keeping up,” he said.
He became involved with the centre due to his own experience.
“I found if there are people in the community that are willing to help you there is a better outcome,” he said.
“The hard part was learning to ask for help.”
For further information contact the Youth Resource Centre in Hoppers Crossing on 9742 8155.
