How Youth In Transition is navigating this changing world
Hello to all our wonderful supporters,
You have been on our minds these past few weeks. We know that you will all have been focused on your own changing situations and getting used to a new way of living. Whilst we are still navigating the changes…
We would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to you all
Without the tremendous financial support that we received from our supporters pre-COVID19, we wouldn’t have been able to support our clients through this incredibly uncertain time, which is a significant cause of increased anxiety for many of them.
We would like to thank everyone who has donated via our website or via direct bank transfer, especially those who donated anonymously as we have been unable to thank you directly. It is heart-warming to know we have so many people out there thinking of us as we continue our work. If you would like a receipt for your donation, please email susan@youthintransition.org.nz
The impact on our young clients
The current Covid-19 situation is having a dramatic effect on the young people we support at Youth In Transition, and on our staff who care for them. Many of our young clients are more isolated and at risk than ever before. The impact is evident in the following types of situations.
Increased sense of alienation as our young clients are unable to come to the office, which is often their safe space
Online counselling sessions pose huge challenges in terms of technology acceptance, confidentiality issues, compromised safety and lack of privacy
Clients have increased time with their families, which is not always an ideal situation
Financial difficulties for clients and their families put additional strain on them, with rents due, lack of money for food, difficulty in reaching WINZ and other support services that are also overloaded
We have, of course, been doing our best to support our clients, some of whom are returning to us for the first time in quite a while, as they are once again finding it increasingly difficult to manage by themselves.
Our challenges today
In addition to meeting the increased support needs of our clients, we have to set up new systems and procedures to meet new guidelines and find new ways of working.
At present our major funders are not accepting any new applications for funds and our Op Shop has had to temporarily shut its doors, taking away vital income streams.
The gap, between the resources we need to carry on our critical work and what we have, has never been bigger.
However we know we have incredible supporters out there; and to continue our work, we need your support now more than ever.
How can you help? These are just some of the areas of need at present:
Supplies for the office, hand sanitiser, wipes and sprays
Frozen meals, food parcels, freeze-able baking and similar
Donations: It costs approximately $3000 to put one client through our Journey to Awesome programme. At present we are extending counselling sessions and offering additional support on an ad-hoc basis to both current and former clients.
At this stage, we don’t have funding to cover these extra counselling sessions.
Your donation of whatever you can afford will help us to help our young people fight on for every day this health crisis continues.
You can make a donation here: Donate Now
To arrange to drop off supplies and food, please contact Tina at info@youthintransition.org.nz or call 022 647 5528