Street Youth Services Manager Selim Ucar says more youth are willing to maintain engagement over the phone and are seeking interaction because they are isolated.
“So that’s been a positive aspect of lockdown but of course, we haven’t been able to offer our Friday afternoon outreach at Paul Keating Park with our youth workers on hand to discuss issues anyone is having along with the popular food truck in attendance,” he said.
Operating for over 30 years and formerly called Bankstown Multicultural Youth Service (BMYS), the group had a name change to Humanity Matters when it branched out four years ago to cover most of south west Sydney.
“We’re funded by the Department of Communities and Justice and receive some donations as well as grants here and there from the council and clubs,” Selim said.
“There is a lot of anxiety out there at the moment because of the Covid situation; many of our young clients don’t cope well with remote learning so we are all keen to get through the next few weeks.
“Many of them are also dealing with issues such as drugs and alcohol and domestic violence but it takes time for us to build a relationship of trust where they will accept support and listen to the options to ultimately get back on a better pathway in society.”
If you or someone you know could benefit from assistance, call 9790 3406 or connect with Humanity Matters on Facebook.
