Jennifer grew up in an abusive household. As a teenager, she faced the difficult choice to become homeless, rather than remain at risk in her family home. Can you imagine becoming fully independent at such a young age? Can you imagine feeling terrified about what the future holds, and the prospect of facing it alone?

We asked Jennifer to share her story with you. She answered the following questions to describe her experience with homelessness:

How did you feel when you faced homelessness?

“There were a lot of mixed emotions around making the decision to leave home, but I vividly remember feeling a lot of guilt and fear for what was to ensue. I kept thinking if I should have persevered and continued living in that environment. I was riddled with a lot of questions for the unknown.”

What was life like at Project Youth’s crisis refuge, The Bridge?

“Life at the Bridge allowed me to feel safe. It is the place where I learnt my self-worth and capabilities. It is the foundation that gave me the chance to break the cycle of abuse I witnessed growing up. It gave me the chance to be okay with not feeling okay. It is the foundation that allowed me to seek support for mental health and to learn the importance of self-care.”

What happened when you left the Bridge?

“The Bridge helped me build the living skills to transition to a medium term service. The staff at the Bridge were very supportive and helped choose the best medium term service that was the best fit for me. At first, I was very reluctant to leave as I had finally settled down into a place, however I was still very excited.”

Where are you now, and how do you feel about your achievements?

“I’m now working in a career that I have always had an interest in and enjoy. I am also living in private rental. Looking back from where I started, this path wasn’t easy to take and it still isn’t the perfect road but it is a continuous learning process that I am grateful for. I admit that I still struggle with mental health amongst other things but what this path has taught me is that having a group of supportive people and a ‘sense of being’ helps tenfold compared to when I had nothing.

I hope for a day that the stigma that is associated with being homelessness is withdrawn, as it will help those in need of a safe place some reassurance in the right direction. It will also help communities and organisations come together to support those in need, a cause that is affecting people globally.”

Do you have any advice for young people facing homelessness?

“You’re brave for wanting to better yourself and that in itself is becoming a better you.”

You can save a young person from growing up in a dangerous household. You can give a young person a safe roof over their head. You can walk side by side with a young person as they find their independence. You can change a young person’s life for the better.

Donate today to help another young person like Jennifer.