Insights from our experiences talking to those on the streets.
Living in Australia, we are blessed with some of the best living conditions around the world. We have the opportunity to pursue our passions and have the freedom to live the life we choose. Walking through the CBD of our major cities, however, it is difficult not to realise the number of people that are left sitting on the side of the streets with nothing more than cardboard and a trolley for all of their early possessions. These lives contrasted with the majority, are difficult to reconcile and even more difficult to have to walk past every day.
With this dissonance in mind, in 2016 I set out with my best friend with nothing more than 4 big bags of bread from Bakers Delight and one question resonating in our minds –
‘In a country as prosperous as Australia, why does anyone have to sleep on the streets?’
To get right into the heart of the problem and understand the causes at its core, we decided to spend time talking on the streets with those experiencing homelessness. We had no agenda and no objective other than to sit and listen and to try and develop a deeper understanding of this problem and how we could help.
This first night out was insightful on levels we could hardly comprehend, initially, we thought that those on the streets just needed more money and were hungry (hence the big bags of bread), the reality was far more confronting. Those on the streets complained about feeling overlooked, disengaged and alone. A problem that we thought we would be able to solve with some change and food became far more complex and significant.
From these insights, however, I discovered a sense of hope. There was an underlying message of hope from those on the streets, that what was to come simply must be better than the situations they were in. I also discovered hope within myself, as I knew that as a youth we may not all have lots of money and material resources, what we did have was significant amounts of time.
This was the movement the Mobilise movement was founded upon.
Ultimately, we are a group of like-minded youth with one clear objective:
Work together to develop solutions for those experiencing homelessness across the country.
We have incredible teams that perform monthly outreaches in NSW, South Australia and Victoria and along with this, we have other initiatives to engage the youth together to raise awareness about the plight of life on the streets and to make a difference to those in need.
Since that formative night 4 years ago, a lot has changed, the movement continues to evolve but at our core, the mission remains the same –
Head where many dare not to, to spend time with those who need it most – listening, talking & connecting.
It’s not a complicated formula, all we try and offer is our time. We have learnt over the years, that sometimes all it takes is a simple conversation to make a difference in someone’s life.
Thank you for journeying with us on this mission and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team and we’d love for you to join the movement.
To learn more about homelessness, Mobilise, or to join us for an outreach, please sign up Right Here
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- Facebook – @wearemobilise
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- Email – [email protected]
