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Homelessness to Hospitality
You might recognise Tash. You can usually find her roasting your delicious cup of coffee as you admire the selection of baked goods on the counter at Café Y.
Yes that’s right, Tash is Café Y’s brilliant barista, wonderful waitress and front of house superstar.
You may not be aware, however, that Tash had a tough time during her teenage years. Her story of homelessness to hospitality is inspiring, and one which we are proud to share with you.
Yes that’s right, Tash is Café Y’s brilliant barista, wonderful waitress and front of house superstar.
You may not be aware, however, that Tash had a tough time during her teenage years. Her story of homelessness to hospitality is inspiring, and one which we are proud to share with you.
Tash first came to the attention of Project Youth when she was in Year 11. After a family breakdown, Tash faced homelessness and needed somewhere safe to stay.
For two years, Tash lived in Project Youth housing, a safe home which gave her the stability she needed to complete her HSC. She then moved into private rental, equipped with the skills she needed to manage a budget and live independently.
Tash completed her Certificate II in Hospitality with the help of Project Youth, and was enrolled into our Labour Y program. Tash’s warm personality and her excellent people’s skills shone through, and she was soon snapped up by the Shangri La Hotel, one of Labour Y’s fantastic partners.
As you can imagine, Tash excelled in her role, which paved the way for many young people to follow in her footsteps. Her manager at the time beamed with pride as he told the Labour Y team that Tash had ‘changed the face of the front foyer with her bubbly personality and enthusiasm’.
Unfortunately, after 6 months at the Shangri La, COVID hit. Nonetheless, Tash’s spirits stayed high, and Project Youth supported her to access online courses to add to her resume.
As the COVID storm subsided, a full-time job came up at Cafe Y. Tash is enjoying this new role, thriving in the busy Café environment. She especially loves training and mentoring other young people doing work experience at Café Y. Tash told us that she loves helping other young people to have a better future.
It’s safe to say that Café Y’s customers adore Tash, a ‘delightful waitress with just the right balance of friendliness and efficiency’, one customer wrote, ‘she was amazing, so welcoming and attentive’.
The popularity of our community café is testament to Tash’s glowing personality and contagious smile. We’re so proud to have played a small part in your journey, Tash - thank you for brightening up our café much more than any amount of pop-art ever could.
Project Youth helps young people deal with and get through difficult situations.
Project Youth acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work. We acknowledge that this always was and always will be Aboriginal land and we pay our respects to Elders past, present & future.
