Mission Australia releases new report: 'Insights into the concerns of young Australians'

'Insights into the concerns of young Australians: Making sense of the numbers' is a new report released today by Mission Australia's Research & Social Policy unit.

In 2009 Mission Australia conducted its eighth annual National Survey of Young Australians, the largest of it's kind in Australia.

The survey asked young people aged 11 to 24 years about what they value, their concerns, where they go for advice and support and who they admire.

The new report sheds light on what the 48,000 young Australians surveyed are most concerned about.  To provide a snapshot, these issues were provided by respondents as their greatest concern:

• Drugs (26.8% of respondents)
• Suicide (26.3%)
• Body image (25.5%)
• Family conflict (24.1%)
• Bullying/emotional abuse (23.4%)
• Alcohol (23.0%)
• Physical/sexual abuse (22.7%)
• Personal safety (22.2%)
• Coping with stress (18.7%)
• Depression (18.7%)
• School or study problems (17.3%)
• The environment (16.7%)
• Self harm (13.3%)
• Discrimination (11.7%)
• Sexuality - relationships, health, identity (11.4%)

The new report helps to 'make sense of the numbers' and delves into analysis of these key concerns.

Click here to view the report online or download a PDF version from this link

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The 2010 National Survey of Young Australians has almost come to a close.  Northern Territorians are still able to have their say until the 30th July - Click here to participate in the 2010 survey

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Last chance to become a fan of Domino’s on Facebook to raise money for HUSH for Homelessness!

The Domino’s Pizza Facebook fundraising initiative to help support Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness 2010 campaign will finish at midnight this Friday 30th April.

For every fan that joins www.facebook.com/DominosAustralia, Domino’s will donate 50cents toward HUSH for Homelessness.

Domino’s is aiming to raise $10,000 and is not far away so please continue to spread the word and help combat homelessness in Australia.

If you have not become a fan yet, make sure you visit: www.facebook.com/DominosAustralia before midnight on Friday, then send the link to all your friends and help support HUSH for Homelessness 2010.

On any given night in Australia, almost 105,000 men, women and children are homeless with a staggering 43% aged under 25 years*.

Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness campaign aims to help combat homelessness in Australia by challenging people to be silent for an hour or more on 14 May and organising sponsorship for their efforts.

*ABS 2008. Counting the Homeless, 2006. Australian Census Analytic Program.

From rockers to hip-hoppers: Creative Youth Initiatives (CYI) celebrates the launch of Still Spinning

Great music, great food, great weather – a perfect combination for Creative Youth Initiatives’ Youth Week event to mark the launch of their new album Still Spinning.

The compilation album is the 20th release from CYI’s Sounds of the Street (SOTS), showcasing music from the program’s 17 year history.

Over 210 people attended the event on Wednesday, which paid tribute to the grass roots beginnings of SOTS, and insight into the future direction of the service.

Mission Australia Centre’s garage was converted into a funky performance space for the event, with a professional stage and PA system, while the generous staff from Albert Music held a BBQ for guests.

Past and present students performed original music throughout the day, with MC duties handled by one of Australia’s most popular hip hop artists, Ozi Batla, front man for The Herd and part of the Elefant Traks crew.

Mission Australia’s NSW State Director of Community Services, Leonie Green, opened the event citing the dedication of the CYI team, and announced the launch of the Regeneration program, which will look at a new sustainable model for CYI.

Mission Australia’s Executive Leader of Community Services, Lincoln Hopper, shared his thoughts about working on the front line over the past 18 years, and how CYI has left an enduring influence on the young people it has helped to transform.

CYI founder Phill Nunn detailed how in 1993, while working with young homeless people in Kings Cross, he realised the potential for music to be a powerful tool for young people to express themselves, ultimately leading to CYI’s conception.

CYI’s talented music tutors Liz Martin and Michael Hanlon shared their initial expectations of the program, their thoughts and student outcomes, while the student performers provided a raw and heartfelt snapshot into their experiences.

The carving of a marvellous cake in the shape of a vinyl record player marked the end of an exhilarating day.

17 years on and 20 albums later, SOTS is still spinning. CYI has matured into a innovative, relevant and unique service for young people at risk.

Acting Service Manager of CYI, Irene Drivilas, reflects on SOTS: “life is an ongoing process of change, as it is with CYI which will keep spinning - continuing to creatively grow and flourish”.

Rupert launches HUSH for Homelessness 2010!

"HUSH-UP!" says Rupert, the new and very cheeky HUSH ambassador, who has this week launched Mission Australia's 2010 HUSH for Homelessness campaign.

Armed with his own Twitter account, a new website and with a little help from his friends, Rupert aims to spread the word about HUSH for Homelessness and help fight the cause.

Homelessness is a major national concern with 105,000 Australians without a place to call home each night - 50% of whom are under 25, and 10,000 under 12. Homeless people may go for hours or days without speaking to anyone, and are largely without a voice in society.

Compounding the tragedy are the widespread misconceptions about the real reasons behind homelessness.

Friday 14 May is your opportunity to become an advocate and fight for the cause:

• Ask someone to "HUSH-UP!" and raise funds
  It could be a musician, a sports star, one of your friends that can’t stop talking, or even yourself!

• Educate your peers about the truth behind homelessness

Funds raised are invested in Mission Australia's crisis care, transitional or medium-term accommodation and auxiliary support for homeless men, women and children.

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Further Reading:

• Four Corners' Last Chance Motel - A timely reminder of the reality of Homelessness
• Rudd pledges $10m to cut homelessness (SBS.com.au)
• Mission Australia's Pathways from Homelessness

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Domino’s launches Facebook fundraiser

In an Australian-first, Domino’s Pizza has today launched a Facebook fundraising event to help support Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness 2010 campaign by donating 50cents for every new fan that joins at www.facebook.com/DominosAustralia

Domino’s is aiming to raise $10,000 for HUSH for Homelessness by encouraging 20,000 people to join Domino’s on Facebook to help raise awareness and combat the issue of homelessness in Australia.

Domino’s Public Relations Manager Sarah Morgan said the Facebook event was part of Domino’s ongoing commitment to leading the way in Social Media within the Australian fast food industry.

“Social media plays a huge role in our overall marketing communications strategy here in Australia and we are always looking for innovative ways to connect with people online,” Sarah said.

“However, we wanted to take it one step further and use our presence to support and raise awareness of a worthwhile cause.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to support Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness 2010 campaign by raising funds and awareness of homelessness in Australia.”

On any given night in Australia, almost 105,000 men, women and children are homeless with a staggering 43% aged under 25 years*.

Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness campaign aims to help combat homelessness in Australia by challenging people to be silent for an hour or more on 14 May and organising sponsorship for their efforts.

Mission Australia Community Fundraising Manager Jennifer Cramond said they were thrilled when Domino’s approached them with the idea of a Facebook fundraising event for HUSH for Homelessness 2010.

“We are so grateful for the support Domino’s has shown us in dedicating their Facebook fundraiser event to our HUSH for Homelessness 2010 campaign,” Jennifer said.

“With our focus being on preventing homelessness from occurring, the money raised through this event will go towards financial counseling, family and individual support programs, mental health support and employment and training assistance to name a few.”

The Domino’s Facebook fundraising event kicks off Monday 22 March 2010, so visit www.facebook.com/DominosAustralia to join and help support Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness 2010 campaign.

For more information about Mission Australia’s HUSH for Homelessness 2010 Campaign please visit hushforhomelessness.com.au

*ABS 2008. Counting the Homeless, 2006. Australian Census Analytic Program.

Urban Food Market to fundraise for MA in 2010

Food and produce supplier, Urban Food Market, has launched a creative new campaign to fundraise for Mission Australia throughout 2010.

During 2010 the Urban Food Market Food Fund will support Mission Australia community services with proceeds raised through the sale of new Urban Food Market / Mission Australia-branded cooler bags, donations generated through their website, and with the provision of food hampers at key times of need, such as the Christmas holiday season.

For more information about the Food Fund please visit the Mission Australia page on their website:  www.urbanfoodmarket.com.au....

Tim Elwin, Managing Director of Urban Food Market, is pleased to be supporting a charitable organisation like Mission Australia in Sydney's inner-city.

"One of the main areas Urban Food Market services is inner-Sydney, so we're frequently coming across Mission Australia services such as Missionbeat working the same areas to support the city's most disadvantaged. We're proud to help support Mission Australia again in 2010" said Mr Elwin.

Mission Australia launches 2010 Youth Appeal

The journey through adolescence can be challenging, but it’s even tougher when you come from a disadvantaged background.

When adolescents have to cope with financial hardship at home, strained relationships with their families or a troubled group of friends, it can be easy for them to get stuck in a destructive lifestyle.

The statistics are troubling when one in four* Australians aged 14 to 19 have used an illicit drug and nearly 44,000** young people under the age of 25 are homeless. Many young people in this situation simply do not know who to turn to for help.

We are appealing to supporters to make a donation and help us educate, support and connect young people with the pathways that will help them break free from addiction, unemployment and homelessness.

*Muir et al. (2009) State of Australia’s Young People: A Report. Australian Government.
** Chamberlain, C and MacKenzie, D (2008) Counting the Homeless 2006.

What is your 'New Year's resolution'?

The 2010 New Year Appeal asks the public to think about their New Year’s resolutions. The appeal challenges people to consider adding a worthwhile cause to their list, such as 'helping a homeless person to transform their life in 2010'.

With over 100,000 Australians without a place to call home tonight, the scale of the homelessness problem remains high despite the efforts of government and not-for-profits like Mission Australia.

Daniel Petsalis, manager of Sydney's Missionbeat service, noted recently that the number of homeless people sleeping rough in Sydney is on the rise: "The City of Sydney’s most recent count found numbers had increased by almost 13 per cent between 2008 and 2009 – from 354 to 399," said Daniel.

If you are interested in helping a homeless person this year, donations to the New Year Appeal will help support Mission Australia services like Missionbeat or Mission Australia Centre.

You can help by making a one-off donation, or choosing to donate through our regular giving program.  Alternatively you might like to consider other ways you can contribute - click here to learn more.

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Please email Emmanueld@missionaustralia.com.au for questions about the 2010 New Year Appeal

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