Good things take time and so it is with Reconnect’s Caravans for Homeless Youth.
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Eighteen months after first putting out the call for donated materials to refurbish an old caravan that had come from Taree to the Nambucca Valley Men’s Shed, the project is up to its final lick of paint.
Reconnect’s coordinator David Stamel said it was incredibly satisfying seeing this first van ready to go.
“It’s watertight, it's professionally wired so it is safe and it is going to Nambucca Heads,” David said.
“It is for a 17-year-old Aboriginal girl who is finishing her final year at school. It was not working when she was at her father’s and her mother’s place is too small – now she can live with the support of her mum but have her own space. She is excited and looking forward to this enormously.”
He said the reasons leading to youth homelessness were many.
“One is overcrowding, which can lead to conflict – these caravans can be the solution in those situations.
“It’s only a small part of the possible problems and only one solution but there is no one size fits all, and we need a whole swag of alternatives.”
David sincerely thanked Bunnings, who donated materials, the Nambucca Valley Men’s Shed for all their work and the auspicing body, Lifetime Connect.
He said more caravans, materials, paint and willing hands were needed to keep the project rolling.
“Something like this can stop kids falling out of the system at a fragile time in their lives – any help is warmly welcomed.”
If you have an old caravan, ripe for refurbishment, give David a call on 0428 291 094.