Mitchell Connolly at Rumbalara
A Facebook page and online petition have been created in a bid to attract government and community attention and save Rumbalara Youth refuge.
Rumbalara Youth Refuge is at risk of having to close its doors since missing out on funding due to the State Government’s reform package in the homeless sector. Former resident Mitchell Connolly, now a personal trainer and aspiring actor, is a driving force behind the movement to save the refuge. “Our aim is to send a strong message to the State Member for Gosford, Chris Holstein, that we expect that funding should be urgently allocated to ensure that our most struggling local youth are not left to fend for themselves on the streets,” said Mr Connolly.
The petition has already attracted over 350 signatures “When I was a teenager I was having troubles at school, experimenting with drugs and alcohol and involved in stealing and graffiti,” said Mr Connolly “My parents could no longer deal with me at home and I ended up living on the streets. “In this new world, I was exposed to more drugs, more negative relationships, alcohol addiction, and theft. “I had frequently moved from refuge to refuge across the Central Coast, staying only for weeks at a time, and with periods of homelessness in between. “I was regularly sleeping in stairwells, train stations, parks and random people’s houses through people I met in similar positions.
“I can’t believe that the State Government could be so heartless to close down this vital service, especially in an area known for its high level of youth unemployment and youth homelessness. “It just makes absolutely no sense. “Where are the young people going to go if they find themselves living on the streets?”If it weren’t for the professional staff at Rumbalara Youth Refuge, who took me in and helped me to find my first rental accommodation, I have no idea where I would be today,” Mr Connolly said.
Media Release,
21 July 2014
Mitchell Connolly, Bondi