Cameron Scott and his best friend, Daniel, happened upon Rosies when Cam was still in high school. The duo met at the Caloundra library after Cam finished school to play computer games and would see the Rosies outreach team as they left for the evening.

Their curiosity piqued, they eventually wandered over to say hello and discovered a safe, welcoming environment that offered friendship and connection. “Coming to outreach is important for me to socialise and just chat. I’m not a very social person normally because of my anxiety,” Cameron explains.

The two best friends visited Rosies outreach for almost 10 years together until Daniel passed away in 2023.

“It’s been hard without him; I don’t really know anyone in Caloundra and I used to go to Dan’s all the time. I used to spend almost every weekend at his,” Cameron says sadly.

“Our parents knew each other and then we met at the library and started coming to Rosies. The Rosies volunteers are lovely people and have helped me. They are excited to see me when I come to outreach and that makes me feel good. “And now, even though Dan’s passed away, I’m still very close with his mum.” Cameron’s family moved to Caloundra to be closer to his mother’s family after the loss of his father when Cameron was only four years old.

“A lot of my anxiety comes from the loss of my dad; it’s kind of built up over the last 24 years but we were very lucky,” Cameron says. “My older sister’s dad kind of stepped up and helped mum with his daughter as well as me and my younger sister.”

Family is a valued lifeline for Cameron who lives with his mother in a unit complex and helps care for his older sister’s children.

“I get to see my sister’s kids pretty much every day and I babysit them every Saturday. They are 12 and 6 and if the weather is miserable, we will watch a movie or some TV. They love Bluey. They just got a budgie and named it Bluey,” the proud uncle says.

Cameron also volunteers at Gateway Care after impressing staff during a work placement program. “I do a lot of the stocking on the shelves but I’m also starting to train some of the newer volunteers,” he says. Cameron is among the many who have found community and friendship at Rosies with volunteers and fellow patrons.

If you want to build lasting connections or need a friend, please visit our website to find outreach locations, volunteer opportunities and to support our work on the street.