The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred people around the world to stock up on essential items and stay home.

For the young people living on the streets of Perth, however, self-isolation and groceries are luxuries they can’t afford. In addition, they often don’t have access to the crucial information they need to stay safe during the crisis.

In order to protect the city’s homeless youth, Anglicare has launched a dynamic outreach service called Street Connect, which operates from a self-contained bus in the Perth CBD.

The Street Connect Bus is stocked with information, resources, food, and useful items such as freshly made sandwiches, water, first aid kits, hygiene packs, pregnancy tests, condoms, sleeping bags, and access to mobile phones and IT. Street Connect youth workers also nurture positive relationships with vulnerable young people by providing informal counseling, service referrals, crisis intervention, and follow-up support.

With the unpredictable changes brought about by COVID-19, not-for-profits such as Anglicare have been greatly impacted by restrictions on fundraising and the economic downturn. And yet, the number of at-risk individuals experiencing financial hardship, domestic violence, and social exclusion is growing.

GMA has contributed AUD7,500 to the Street Connect Bus to ensure that its wheels keep turning and that it continues to help homeless youth around the city.

By Clinton Ward-Horner, GMA Group