Being homeless at just 16 years old has taught Woodridge father Colin Young a lot and now he wants to help others in a similar situation.
Mr Young is a Woodridge Orange Sky volunteer, which is a charity providing free laundry and shower services for the homeless. Along with volunteering at other charities he started at Orange Sky over a year ago, to help give back to the community.
“At the time my family and I hit a rough patch and we needed support with food parcels and other charity organisations,” Mr Young said.
“I wanted to give back, because we know how it feels and I found that Orange Sky work on ground level and in the streets with people, unlike some charities.
“We found that many charities were all about making money and when you actually need help you can’t get through to them, but Orange Sky are always there.”
Mr Young became homeless when he was 16 years old, living on the streets of Sydney.
“The streets were very unsafe and there is a lot of violence and aggression, because a lot of the homeless are drug or alcohol affected or have mental health issues,” he said.
“I’ve seen people get shot in front of me over drug deals and a lot of street fights and you always think you could be next. I felt like I was always watching my back.”
According to Orange Sky, new research revealed that one in five Australians have experienced homelessness and one in three Aussies fear losing their home due to financial struggles.
One in four have taken on a secondary income just to make ends meet.
Mr Young said Logan is a big area for homelessness and financial hardships.
“We are right in the middle of Logan and Logan is a big area for homelessness and people in very difficult situations,” he said.
“Orange Sky services are not just for homeless either, we’ve seen people who need help cutting costs and managing finances, especially with the costs of living now days and the housing crisis.
“It’s also the only way some people can socialise and communicate, there is just so much more to it than laundry and showers.”
Mr Young and his wife who has special needs, have four special needs children and they recently experienced their own financial hardships.
“We had to move into a caravan park and that was very hard,” he said.
“We couldn’t manage it with our children’s needs, and luckily we were offered a housing commission property a month ago.”
Mr Young will be participating in The Sudsy Challenge for his second year with Orange Sky, to help spread awareness about the homeless community.
The challenge asks Aussies to keep their clothes on for three consecutive days in September, raising awareness and funds to support the over 116,000 Australians experiencing homelessness.
For more information visit www.thesudsychallenge.com.au
