Donna Bennett, CEO, has been nominated for the 2015 Victorian Homelessness Achievement Awards. These awards celebrate the exceptional efforts of specialist homelessness services, consumers and other community members to end homelessness in Victoria.

Donna's award nomination in the category of Excellence in ending homelessness among young people recognises her continued and tireless work, over the last 15 years at Hope Street, focussing on holistic and innovative approaches to addressing the complexity of youth and family homelessness. She has ensured that the voice of at risk and disadvantaged young people is represented and heard at local, state and national levels within the community, through grassroots engagement of young people and their families, and in her advocacy as an executive officer to local and federal members of parliament and departmental ministers.

As the leader of a community organisation, Donna's enthusiasm and energy inspires Hope Street staff in their ongoing pursuit to empower vulnerable young people to overcome early life disadvantages and achieve their desired goals. She supports and encourages staff to focus on delivering high quality programs that meet the shifting needs of at risk young people, their families and the community, ensuring that the organisation continues to be a proud leader in the field of youth homelessness.

Donna dedicates herself daily to creating opportunites and improving systems that are aimed at ending youth homelessness. She is a well-respected, long-established and active participant of the sector and is widely recognised for her unwavering commitment to bringing about social change.

The award nomination duly reflects her personal and professional ethos which informs and inspires Hope Street's work to end homelessness among young people in our community.

The Achievement Awards will be presented at the Council to Homeless Persons Homelessness Conference on Thursday 17 September 2015.

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