YOUTH HOMELESSNESS SERVICES COME TOGETHER FOR NAIDOC BREAKFAST

Margaret Tucker Hostel and Hope Street Youth and Family Services will celebrate NAIDOC week with a signature breakfast together as they join forces to address youth homelessness in Melbourne's northern growth corridor. A Memorandum of Understanding has been developed between the organisations to enhance service delivery and improve outcomes for young people and their children at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Margaret Tucker Hostel is the statewide service for Aboriginal young women and their children while Hope Street, has multiple operations sites in Melbourne’s Northeast and Northwest providing nation leading responses to youth and child homelessness. In Australia and Victoria, the largest population of people experiencing homelessness are young people under 25 and their children. As frontline youth homelessness services, Hope Street and Margaret Tucker Hostel deliver vital support and accommodation to meet the needs of the community, making this a valuable partnership.

“To be a responsive youth homelessness provider, Hope Street needs to work with partners to achieve the best outcomes for young people. This partnership with Margaret Tucker Hostel will support safe options for Aboriginal people which will promote connectedness to community.” - Sue Scott, Hope Street Operations Manager.

This NAIDOC Week breakfast is an opportunity to showcase to the community the importance of collaboration and walking together in reconciliation now more than ever. This year to celebrate NAIDOC's theme of “Keep the Fire Burning,” Blak, Loud and Proud; both organisations have built on their long-term relationship by developing an MOU, a feature of Hope Street's Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Standing together to deliver safe and secure housing and holistic support for young people experiencing homelessness.

“I have worked at Margaret Tucker Hostel since 2012 providing much needed support to the most vulnerable members of the Aboriginal community who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The hostel provides supported crisis accommodation to young Aboriginal women and their children who are aged from 15-18 years of age. Margaret Tucker Hostel supported over 20 young women and children in the last year. This partnership with Hope Street will enhance service delivery for young people and the local community.” - Worrell Blow, Manager at Margaret Tucker Hostel.

This community partnership will enable Hope Street to strengthen cultural safety across their services for First Nations young people and their children. This partnership allows Margaret Tucker Hostel’s staff to have access to Hope Street’s nation leading facilities and resources that provide wrap around support in a therapeutically designed accommodation for young people and young families.

The NAIDOC Breakfast will be held from 7.30am Wednesday July 10th at the Margaret Tucker Hostel