yourtown Expands Safe Housing Services with New Government Grant

In a significant development for the Lasallian mission in Australia, yourtown has successfully secured a grant from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to construct three new three-bedroom townhouses in Port Pirie, South Australia. This project is part of the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program (Inclusion Round), which aims to support those experiencing family and domestic violence.

The newly secured grant will allow yourtown to:

1. Increase the availability of safe, appropriate emergency accommodations for women and children facing family and domestic violence in the Port Pirie region.

2. Ensure more women and children can access safe housing options when they need them the most.

3. Provide culturally appropriate and accessible emergency accommodations for First Nations women and children, as well as those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds or with disabilities.

yourtown, is an inclusive faith-based organisation, committed to being a practical example of the Lasallian Charism of courage, tenacity, compassion, love and respect. yourtown forms part of the Lasallian District and has been at the forefront of helping young people and families improve their lives since 1961. With over 600 staff members, including counsellors, youth workers, Indigenous mentors, and other professionals, yourtown has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the Lasallian mission of enabling young people, especially marginalised ones, to be educated and skilled for life.

The organisation’s services are categorised into four key areas:

• Mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people

• Support for parents and carers

• Refuge and support for children and their families experiencing Domestic and Family Violence, and

• Support for unemployed young people.

Among its many services, Kids Helpline stands out as one of yourtown’s key services, Kids Helpline is a brand that is both historically significant, and which has established itself in the hearts and minds of children, young people, and the community over the last 34 years, providing free professional counselling and support to children and young people aged 5 to 25 in Australia. In 2023 alone, Kids Helpline had over 120,000 responses by counsellors, with 3,893 or 75 a week supported by a Kids Helpline counsellor when in a crisis/safety situation that needed a duty of care intervention, when a counsellor engaged with an external service (e.g. police, ambulance, domestic and family services, homeless shelters etc) to assist children and young people who they believed we at risk of harm.

As yourtown moves forward with this new project, it not only addresses immediate housing needs but also reaffirms its commitment to creating safer, more supportive environments for those in crisis. The community's engagement is crucial in this mission—together, we can help ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home.

Source: Kate Mason, Communications Manager