Ashley has faced plenty of adversity in his young lifetime. In spite of these hardships and with the support of Oasis he is courageously building a better future for himself.
When Ashley was only 4 years old, his dad died of a drug overdose. The impact of this continues to affect his life. At age nine, he was the victim of a hit and run, leaving him with a permanent brain injury. Following this, Ashley faced further challenges in his family relationships, eventually becoming homeless at the age of 15. But Ashley is a survivor. After enduring a brutal existence on the streets, Oasis has helped him find employment and overcome his shattered past.
*Note: All stories are true at time of publishing. Names and locations may be changed to protect the identities of the young people.
Beau left a troubled home environment on the Central Coast of NSW at age 12. On the streets he experienced abuse and drugs became his way of coping with his pain. As a young man, he wandered Australia.
His trauma led him to a series of desperate suicide attempts, and his drug addiction triggered the onset of mental illness. Today, Beau looks to the future with optimism and has succeeded in his goal of becoming a fulltime youth worker.
Beau’s dramatic story is told in ‘The Oasis’ documentary and is further illustrated through the speech he gave at the launch of the National Youth Commissions’ Australia’s Homeless Youth Report in 2008. Beau was chosen to be a representative of all homeless youth at this event and continues to provide inspiration to other young people.
Watch Beau's Short Film*Note: All stories are true at time of publishing. Names and locations may be changed to protect the identities of the young people.
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Daren’s horrific past drove him to a self-destructive life on the streets. He now works hard to lead a productive and positive life.
Daren’s mum abandoned him when he was eight. While in foster care he suffered months of emotional and physical abuse that sent him into a downward spiral of drug addiction and homelessness. With the support of Oasis, these dark days are over. Darren has maintained his own stable accommodation for more than two years.
His journey can also be seen in The Oasis documentary.
In 2009, Darren was given the honour of speaking at the launch of The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal at the Sydney Town Hall before an audience of over 500 of Sydney’s business and community leaders, including the Governor General of Australia, Quentin Bryce. This is his speech:
Hi everyone,
The footage taken from the documentary was of me two years ago. If you know my story, you know that my mother abandoned me and my older brother when I was eight years old - so me and my brother sold drugs to support ourselves. It was six months before someone found us.
I was split up from my brother and placed in foster homes where I was beaten and abused.
I had my first shot of heroin when I was fourteen and that took away all of my thoughts and feelings of what I was going through.
Prior to moving into the flat that the Salvo’s got for me I had been homeless for ten years.
I spent at least three years in jail.
I was a regular user of ice, a drug that destroyed my reality.
I have had so many admissions to psych hospitals that I have lost count.
I believed that I was beyond hope and help.
But there was someone and one organisation that never gave up hope for me. That always believed in me. That was Paul Moulds and the Salvation Army.
And today though everyone else thought that I was beyond hope, I stand here and say that I’m proof no one is.
The documentary shows me at some of my worst moments.
Here are some of my better ones.
I have kept that flat for over two years now, I pay my rent every week. I have things in it that are my own.
Since the documentary, my mother has contacted me and she has said sorry and we talk regularly.
I have a child who lives in South Australia and I talk to him, and I am trying to have a positive influence on his life.
I am grateful for what has been given to me and I am trying to give back. I cannot work yet because of the things I am going through, but I help Paul out, like collecting for the red shield appeal or telling my story or helping at Oasis.
Paul talks a lot about miracles. When I look at myself on the documentary and see where I was then and where I am today I think maybe I am one.
Thank you all for listening to me today and supporting the work of the Salvos, and helping more kids like me become a miracle too.
*Note: All stories are true at time of publishing. Names and locations may be changed to protect the identities of the young people.
Until recently Esther was living on the streets of Sydney, but with the help of Oasis she has discovered a talent and turned her life around.
Esther has an artistic flare for jewellery making and plans to pass on her skills to other young people at Oasis through a series of workshops.
Esther has now secured her own stable accommodation – first in a boarding house and then in an independent apartment.
*Note: All stories are true at time of publishing. Names and locations may be changed to protect the identities of the young people.
Matthew has progressed from the Oasis crisis accommodation service to independent supported housing and into employment through the Get Skilled for Work course. Below is a transcript of Matthew’s speech, given at the Get Skilled for Work course graduation event held in May 2009.
"My name is Matthew.
Before I came to this course my life was not going well. I spent a lot of time on the streets homeless and going nowhere. I would not wish homelessness on anyone.
It is a very draining and sad thing to experience. There is a lot of crazy people out there and no one you can trust. It is just so hard to get things together and try to get ahead.
I was fortunate that The Salvos were there to help me. I was able to get connected with Oasis and get the help I needed for my life. I got off the streets and started to meet people who work at Oasis that can help younger people like me get a future. One day at Oasis I heard about the course and I just knew I had to get into it.
The program did not just get me in a position for a job, but got me help in all the right things in my life. I was able to get more stable accommodation, which is great. The people there have really been a great help to me. I feel like I can really have a a go at nailing down this job and have a career.
I got to work at a Woolworths store and that has been awesome. I really like it. I work in the bakery department and the guy I work with has just finished his apprenticeship. I think I can learn a lot from him. I really like baking and I can see myself going for an apprenticeship.
Woolworths have been good for me. When we were going to start our work experience, Oasis told me I was going to be placed in the Town Hall store. I freaked!
You see; that area was where I was homeless and I just did not want to go back to that place. When I was desperate one day I got into trouble at the store. I thought I was cooked, but Oasis rang Woolworths and told them, they just got things organised at another store.
I just felt like a new person when Woolworths did that. It was like they were saying Woolworths want to give me a chance too, and that just made me more determined to make a go of it.
"Everyone that I have met in the course has been really great. The course has been really cool; I even slowed right down on smoking cigarettes.
Getting fit and meeting new friends and having a new focus on life, has been what I really needed, but I just could not get it happening for me.
The course should be everywhere so that young people like me can get a change to get their lives back on track.
I just want to thank Oasis for being there for us and Woolworths for believing in the work that Oasis do.
Thank you."
*Note: All stories are true at time of publishing. Names and locations may be changed to protect the identities of the young people.
