Mission

Our communities have never been under such a threat. Family breakdown is the highest in our history; we still have extremely elevated suicide rates; child abuse has never been so rampant; drug and alcohol abuse is prolific; and youth homelessness and exploitation is devastating a generation. However, we also have a community movement in which individuals, associations and businesses are gathering together to be a part of the answer.

Start A Fresh has four primary areas of interest that are part of the national agenda for youth homelessness.

Health
People who are homeless tend to experience poor levels of health. Homeless people may also be more likely to suffer from mental health problems (Hodder et al, 1998).

Homes
The lack of affordable and secure housing is a substantial cause of homelessness. We also believe that people can live in a house but still be homeless. To be in a home is to be somewhere your needs are met with love and acceptance

Connecting
Homelessness young people often have little contact with family and are general isolated from the community as a whole. Social marginalisation is a significant barrier to helping people exit from homelessness.

Education and employment
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." (Nelson Mandela) Poor educational is part of being homeless. Many young people who are homeless (or at risk of becoming homeless) have left school early stopping them gaining the basic skills to live within the community, or obtain and maintain paid employment.

Our mission is to find all existing supports in our communities in these areas and connect them together to form an alliance committed to eradicating this unnecessary problem.