Not every young person gets the ideal start to life, and what happens in your formative years can easily derail your future.
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But with the right help, you can get back on track.
That is the message one local woman wants to share this Youth Week, to ensure young people are equipped with the right tools and resources to chase their goals as she has.
Because she knows all too well, her life could have gone in a very different direction without the support she received from Vinnies Reconnect all those years ago.
Due to her journey, the woman has asked to remain anonymous.
For the purposes of this article, we will refer to her as ‘Katy’.
Katy grew up with what she was only comfortable as describing publicly as an “unstable home life”.
The family dynamic was starting to impact on other aspects of her life, which included misbehaviour and poor performance at school.
“I was lonely and lost, and felt like I was drowning,” she said.
“Home should be your safe space, but for me, it just wasn’t.
“Teens who get in to trouble at school are often looked at as being delinquent or troubled, but that’s not always the case.
“For me, it got to such a point that the school eventually referred me to Vinnies Reconnect due to my behaviour.
“I left school early on, but if I had support earlier, I might have stayed on.”
Despite choosing to leave school, Katy did retain the connection with Vinnies set up by Deniliquin High School.
And with the support of her assigned caseworker Vanessa McKay - who has since transitioned to Vinnies service manager - Katy said she was armed with a set of tools that have helped her through to adulthood, to being a parent herself.
Her only complaint is that she was not referred to Vinnies Reconnect earlier, or made aware of how it can support young people.
She said it’s often thought of as an organisation focused on homelessness and adult support.
“There is just not enough information out there for kids.
“I didn’t realise what Vinnies was when I was referred.
“They are not here to send you to protection services if you're having trouble at home, and you don’t have to be in crisis to get their support.
“They made me feel supported. It was sink or swim for me, and without their support I would have sunk.
“It was definitely scary at the start, but I learned that it’s okay to speak your truth.
“I have always been goal orientated and Vanessa helped me with my short and long term goal planning.
“I still use what she taught me every day, and write it down - even if it just how I want to feel next week (compared to this week).
“Vinnies paid for me to participate in the Kick Start program to get a range of skills like my white card, barista training, and hygiene training. They also paid for me to get my driving licence.
“And when I got my own rental, they helped me sign up for Centrelink and get the power turned on. Being young, I could sign a lease, but organising the things that go along with them required some assistance.”
Ms McKay said the role of a Vinnies Reconnect youth caseworker is to give young people the stepping stones they need to become independent adults.
“We’re all about empowering people using strength based practices,” Ms McKay said.
“Our role is about preventing the risk of homelessness, and there are so many things (other than financial constraints) that can lead to you being at risk of homelessness.
“Katy was always very receptive to what we had to say, but we do know it can take up to 10 appointments with a young person before they’re comfortable opening up.
“But we walk with you at your pace and the Reconnect program is very flexible.
“We don’t have to meet in an office or our youth hub. We can meet in a park, go for a milkshake - we’re an outreach service and the aim is for you to be comfortable.
“And we don’t just work with young people. We can offer advice to parents, grandparents or other carers on how to support the young people in their care.
“As the saying goes, we’re not here to give a hand out, we’re here to give you a hand up.”
Katy was a client of the Vinnies Reconnect service, on and off, for more than four years before ageing out of the youth program when she turned 18.
And while she said it was daunting, she knew she had the tools to succeed and knew she could still go to Vinnies for support or advice as needed.
And that’s why she would recommend any young person who feels they need a little guidance to reach out and ask for help.
“You can’t just get through life without ever asking for help,” Katy said.
“I want people to read my story and think, ‘that’s what I need’.
“It’s definitely in you to do it, and sometimes all you need is someone to believe in you and give you that support.
“Sometimes that’s someone with an outside opinion.”
Vinnies Services is an arm of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.
It also runs specialist homelessness and housing services, and is located at 74 Wellington St, Deniliquin or can be contacted on (03) 5881 7411 or casework.deniliquin@vinnies.org.au.
Its newly established Youth Hub supports young people aged 12 to 18.
It is open every Monday and Thursday from 3pm to 4.30pm during the NSW school term, offering a welcoming space for young people to join activities, relax, or seek support. Call or drop into the office for a Youth Hub referral.
• Anyone requiring crisis support can contact Accessline on 1800 800 944, Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Resources and pathways to help are also available at www.denimentalhealth.org.au.