Hope Street Mission - ‘To seek, advocate and facilitate social change to meet the needs of young people and their children. To empower young people to overcome disadvantage and to achieve their hopes and future goals.’

Dear Friends and Supporters of Hope Street,

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you for your continued support of Hope Street in 2016. Homelessness continues to be a major social issue - increasingly becoming more visible with more and more young people (as well as young families) finding themselves without a place to call home. With the cost of living sky-rocketing; unaffordability in the rental market; and a weekly Centrelink Youth Allowance payment averaging around $200, a homeless young person lives 57% below the Henderson Poverty Line. Even prior to making contact with a homeless service, a young person experiencing homelessness is likely to have already couch surfed with friends and family and/or been made vulnerable by staying in unsafe and/or unconventional environmental settings. In a society as wealthy as Australia – this is unacceptable.

At Hope Street, we work hard to improve the lives of young people and young families experiencing homelessness.

As one of Melbourne’s leading youth homelessness specialist services, Hope Street has worked for over 35 years providing accommodation and outreach support to young people in Melbourne’s Northern and Western communities.

Some of our major achievements have included:

• Providing in excess of 500 support episodes to young people and young families across the Northern and Western Metropolitan communities (we are funded to provide 338 episodes of support)
• Securing funding and establishing the Hope to Home in Melton pilot program in partnership with Gandel Philanthropy and Raine and Horne Melton
• Securing funding to establish in early 2017 the Hope to Home in Whittlesea (LGA) pilot program in partnership with the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation and Ray White Thomastown
• The Launch of Hope Street's Major Research Project, Responding to Youth Homelessness in Outer Growth Corridors: A Research Project in Response to Youth Homelessness in the City of Melton
• Successfully campaigning to have a supported crisis accommodation centre (youth refuge) for local young people and young families built in Melton
• Accreditation completed by the Quality Innovation Performance (QIP)
• The relocation of our central office to the Brunswick Town Hall
• Successful continuation of our Corporate Committee
• Review of our Strategic Plan

Please see our Programs for further information.

I would like to say a special thanks to the following supporters of Hope Street – we look forward to continuing our work in the coming new year:

• Besen Family Foundation
• Bunnings Warehouse Melton
• Credit Suisse
• Cyclone
• Equity Trustees
• Gandel Philanthropy
• Harness Racing Victoria
• Haven; Home, Safe
• Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation
• Melton City Council
• Merri-bek City Council
• Raine and Horne Melton
• Reactivate Group
• Rotary club of Melton Valley
• Rotary in Melton
• Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS)
• Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
• Streetsmart Action Against Homelessness
• SUMITT
• Tabcorp Park Melton
• The Flora and Frank Leith Charitable Trust
• Upfront Events
• VincentCare Victoria
• Victoria Law Foundation
• Victorian Multicultural Commission
• Victoria Police - Melton
• Victoria State Government
• Woodgrove Shopping Centre

Special acknowledgement to individuals and families who have demonstrated their belief in the young people who seek assistance from Hope Street – via your support of Hope Street. This year has been exceptional with a high level of local community awareness, contributions (time, ideas, financial, connections, expertise) understanding, compassion and drive to do what you can to assist young people in your local areas who are experiencing the traumatic impacts of not being in a safe, nurturing family environment. Your support is inspirational and truly meaningful to young people and young families.

“I would like to thank you for standing by me and ensuring I was not homeless. Words cannot describe my appreciation but I would like to acknowledge that what you’re doing is making a difference and changing the world in many ways.” -- A young person who was in a Hope Street program, Hope Street 2016 Annual Report, Cover.

Please refer to some of our young people’s shared experiences of homelessness.

I wish you all an enjoyable festive season and new year.

Best wishes

Donna Bennett
CEO