18
Apr
Posted in: Events, Gold Coast Youth Service, Website & Internet
National Youth Homelessness Matters Day, 2012
Youth Homelessness Matters Day is a national awareness raising event to highlight the issue of Youth Homelessness. The Gold Coast Youth Service, in partnership with other service providers from the Youth sector, promoted this continual event for community education and awareness on this important issue.
National Youth Homelessness Matters Day was held on the 18th April, 2012 with a variety of organisations accross the nation raising awarness of youth homelessness in Australia. The day hopes to provide opportunities for the public to become invloved in stopping the wide spread problem, and to be aware of it’s seriousness.
Young people are the invisible face of homelessness in Australia, and much is still to be done in putting a stop to this. The theme for this year was “Be part of the solution” placing focus on how the community can be invloved in addressing the problem.
Statistics show that on any given night there are between 600 and 700 young people experiencing homelessness on the Gold Coast. This community event is to raise awareness surrounding the social and structural causes of homelessness; the seriousness of Youth homelessness is the pivotal priority.
This event is something for the entire community to participate in and support. It is to give a ‘voice’ to the invisible face of youth homelessness, giving young people whom are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless an opportunity to be heard, valued and respected.
This year’s NYHMD was another success, with the Gold Coast Youth Service setting up service stalls in two major shopping centres on the Coast. The stalls had an eye catching visual display and this generated attention and successfully raised awareness to the public. The stalls also provided information about the different services that are available and provided referal to those in need.
A YHMD service stall set up at 'The Pines Shopping Centre'
As well as this on Saturday 14th of April Hyfidelity Dance School performed a flash mob centered around youth homelessness in Surfers Paradise. This was a great way to draw the crowds and raise awareness. The dancers wore YHM screen-printed shirts and after they had performed Denis from the Youth Service said a few words to the crowd about Youth Homelessness on the coast.
Watch Youtube video of Youth Homelessness Matters – Flash Mob Gold Coast 2012
