I have been reading a book about simplicity as seen through the eyes of St Therese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa, and Dorothy Day. It emphasises finding joy, and God in the everyday simple things. Joy in things like a smile, a good deed, or a listening ear.
I recall an early Rosies experience. I approached a young boy of about 10 at our Logan outreach. He told me he had been kicked out of home because his mother and sister didn’t want him. He was sad and withdrawn. Our outreach provided him an opportunity to connect and be accepted for who he was. Later in the evening I observed an older, more confident boy reaching out to offer support. They left together. I have not seen him since, which in this instance was a good thing as he found support.
Experiences such as this are why we at Rosies continue to re-think our approach to youth homelessness, both in terms of our direct services and also through improving relationships with other providers, such as the police, government, and local area services. Our presence and connection makes a difference at a time when many need it most.
This is especially so now as Australia’s treatment of youth is unfortunately again under the spotlight through the widely publicised Darwin ‘incident’. A time when we are all called to consider what contribution we are making individually and collectively to address youth issues by doing simple things every day. I hope you will take a moment to make it a positive thing, much like our wonderful community are doing as highlighted in this edition.
Finally, a big thank you to all our volunteers and supporters on the recent opening of our new Wynnum Manly Branch in July/August.
John Scoble
Rosies Board Chair
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