Upcoming Events
- Friday, October 22, 2010
Winter Appeal 2009
This winter Sir David Martin Foundation needs your help! We need to raise an additional $250,000 before the end of June just to meet our current needs.
We are disturbed by the large increase in the number of phone calls we are receiving this year, compared to last year, seeking our help. These calls come from youth workers, parole officers and families all asking us to help someone they believe is ready to seize a chance to change their lives. Between ourselves and Triple Care Farm, we have received in excess of 1,000 calls so far this year seeking our help and we only have places for 80!
I would like to share with you a story about an inspirational young man we are currently supporting. Through his story we want to share with you the hope and opportunity he now has, so you will continue to support the work we do.
Sebastian is 20 years old. He has grown up in a family where alcohol and drug abuse is the norm. In fact Sebastian tells us he first started using cannabis when he was 5. His father gave it to him! By age 11, his family had introduced him to alcohol and he was rarely at school.
Sebastian’s home life was a nightmare. A place where life was brutal and violent. He has suffered significant trauma and does not like to remember or even talk about it. He left home as soon as he could and says “Living on the streets is better than living at home. I can’t go back there.”
For the past 12 months, Sebastian has been unemployed and homeless. Without basic things like an alarm clock and regular meals he was unable to keep his job mowing lawns. He was surviving on one meal a day from a local soup kitchen.
Nine weeks ago, Sebastian joined our program at Triple Care Farm. His goals are simple. He just wants a chance at an ordinary life. Sebastian said “I want to do some training and get a job. I want to live like other people and stop the drinking and drugs. I don’t want to be like my Dad and I don’t want to be in trouble with the cops.”
He is thriving under the care of Triple Care Farm. The Program is teaching him about being healthy and how to make positive decisions in his life. He can now cook, knows how to eat well and the benefits of regular sleep and exercise. These are things that we take for granted. Importantly, Sebastian is discovering how his mind, body and environment all influence how he feels, behaves and thinks. For the first time, Sebastian now believes in himself and knows how to have fun with friends without using drugs and alcohol.
Through counselling, Sebastian is also learning about anger management, why he previously used drugs and alcohol and is acquiring techniques to prevent a relapse. With vocational education, he has gained new skills. He is eager to use these skills to find work and further his education.
There are thousands of young Australians like Sebastian who all need help to get their lives on the right path. They have never been given the opportunity or chance to succeed but you can help the Sir David Martin Foundation give them that chance. That’s why the Foundation relies so heavily on your help. There is very little government funding for rehabilitation programs for our youth. We rely on your gift.
There are no other programs like Triple Care Farm. Without the generosity of people like you, Triple Care Farm will have to reduce the level of support that it offers young people like Sebastian or worse, start closing down beds. Sir David Martin Foundation does not want to see that happen. If you can help now with a gift, however large or small, we will be able to continue to support these young people holistically. They need our help and we need yours.
With winter coming, living on the streets becomes a bitterly cold, lonely and wet place to call home. Your tax deductible gift can literally save a young life.
- Did you know?
One in 3 homeless youths say they are homeless because they are unable to afford housing costs or find work....