Next Step Outreach
Say.kitchen is the home of Next Step Outreach and Keeping my Place - St John's Youth Services' innovative and life-changing programs that enable young people to put homelessness behind them for good.
Next Step is an intensive, individualised and long-term solution to homelessness that equips young people with the skills they need to live independently. Keeping my Place is an early intervention response that provides support for young people who are living in private rental but at risk of losing their tenancy due to personal or financial crisis.
The majority of Next Step Outreach program participants are young people who have stayed in our crisis accommodation service, youth110. Many of these young people arrive at youth110 with limited resources and without a network of support. Too many have never had caring adults in their corner to guide them to independence or to teach them the skills required to manage a home. The youth110 and Next Step Outreach teams work together to provide this care and support. Young people are guided to develop their own innate talents and capacities, develop ambitious goals and prepare for a future beyond homelessness.
While youth110 provides exceptional support for young people in crisis, we know it would be far, far better if problems could be resolved before the crisis of homelessness takes hold. Keeping my Place does exactly that - providing young people with the support they need to avert eviction, and ensuring they have the skills and support they need to get their tenancies - and their futures - back on track.
The young people who participate in these programs achieve outstanding outcomes. An incredible 96% of young people supported by St John's Youth Services successfully move into independence, and break the cycle the homelessness.
Next Step Outreach and Keeping my Place are true community success stories, entirely funded by individual donors, community groups and philanthropic grants. We invite you to join this wonderful community of supporters, and be part of creating real and positive change for young people in SA.
With your help, we can lend a hand to every young person who needs us. And make homelessness history for young people in SA.