Last Christmas, Woodgrove Shopping Centre partnered with City of Melton Youth Services in a charity gift wrapping service to support Hope Street's work with young people and young families.

From 18 December through to Christmas Eve outside Kmart at the Woodgrove Shopping Centre, gifts were being beautifully wrapped by the Youth Services team, who offer a huge range of programs and events for young people between the ages of 12-25 in the City of Melton. This includes drop-in programs offering a safe space to hang out, meet new friends, engage in fun activities and find out about other services for youth. The City of Melton Youth Services is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all young people.

Thanks to contributions from government, business and the local community, Hope Street recently announced a new Youth Refuge, the Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Melton. The initiative means young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness will no longer need to leave the Melton area if they require supported crisis accommodation, allowing them to retain their school and social support networks.

All the proceeds raised through the dedication and wonderful efforts of the Woodgrove and Youth Services teams during this initiative were contributed to Hope Street's work with young people and young families.

^{With thanks to Woodgrove Shopping Centre for their contribution to our original news story published in December 2017.}