Terri's goals on track

Terri* was experiencing homelessness: as a young woman, she had to leave home because she was not safe. She then transitioned into our GOALS (Going Out and Living Successfully) supported accommodation program.

Within the first 6 months of living in the GOALS house, Terri was able to connect with essential mental health services and work towards recovering from her experiences of violence and sexual abuse. With support, she engaged in the legal system to seek justice and receive compensation through Victims of Crime. Terri also completed her VCE and enrolled in TAFE to complete a Certificate IV.

Terri embraced all opportunities to further her independent living skills, health and wellbeing. This included taking up leadership opportunities through which she modelled positive behaviour to other young people.

Terri personally matured and reported increased self-confidence and resilience. At the end of her 2 years in GOALS, she was successful in securing long-term housing and is now managing all aspects of the tenancy, from saving for bills to maintaining the garden.

The timing and availability of the GOALS program was critical for Terri to provide her with the platform she needed to go into the future.

About GOALS

Our GOALS (Going Out and Living Successfully) program provides support and accommodation for young people who are:

• homeless
• at risk of homelessness
• about to leave out-of-home care.

Thanks to generous support from the community, Berry Street has run the GOALS program since 2012.

Our Philanthropy team continues to seek philanthropic partners to support the GOALS program and the increasing rates of young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. For more information on how to get involved, go to Philanthropy at Berry Street.

*Name has been changed in the interest of privacy. The models and volunteers pictured are not connected to the case study.