Dear O Sung Wu,

Thank You for your concern and yes my procedure is
still on (Monday 21st July). I've had all of my blood
tests and the CT Scan of my heart chambers, so fingers
crossed that this time it will be a success.
Anyway, I'm feeling very positive.

As for homeless youth? Yes, the problems won't go
away anytime soon but there's also hope -
because - there are so many other organisations
that also do a great job apart from the two I mentioned
earlier. In the heart of Melbourne's St Kilda, parts of
which are a "red light" district, the Sacred Heart
Mission provides 300 to 400 people with a three-course
lunch every day. The work is largely done by volunteers from
all faiths (and none), with a small number of paid staff.
Among them are people assigned by the courts to perform
community service orders, some of whom return to continue
the work after their sentences expire.

Father Chris Riley, as you know founded and developed
Youth Off the Streets (YOTS) in Sydney. His organisation
is non-sectarian and open to all comers. Father Riley has
almost 150 staff and over 800 volunteers.

"Have your ever worked either voluntarily" yes O Sung Wu I have had a bit. What Foxy said about YOTS is spot on, do a fantastic job, but its a help not a cure for kids on the streets. I don't know how some kids make it to be teenagers, given they never had a "home" life.
Indi, in Sydney you meet people who are dysfunctional with lots of issues, as you do in any disadvantaged community, they lack education and motivation, their lives are in crises mode constantly, they continually make bad decisions, bad choices, their life skills are non existent. they have little in the way of material or mental resources. These people can't look after themselves little own look after a child. I often put it this way," Its like standing on a railway track with a train bearing down at you at 100mph, a normal person would get out of its way, but some people just stand there and let it happen." They just can't make the right decision, well so it often seems. Then you'll meet someone with a kid,a young girl, although not perfect by any stretch, really is trying to make a go of it, but 2 steps forward 1 step back.
Drugs, crime, homelessness are the end results of this life of theirs. Put simply homelessness doesn't make you dysfunctional, dysfunctionalality makes you homeless.
None of this is a job for the police. Law enforcement is their game, social issues are not what they are on about, or should be on about. But often the police are the only ones there in a crises situation, they are forced to act, no choice.

A friend of mine is a youth counsellor in Sydney, does it a couple of nights a week, done it for years. He is tough, you don't get too many chances with him, you constantly stuff up and your off the program. He tells me he can't afford to be soft, gets you nowhere. When he talks with a kid he really lays it on the line. Gets a set pattern going on how he will approach the problem, and once that pattern has been set he don't deviate. Gets results, sometimes, short term, long term, sometimes never.

Dear Paul,

Your friend sound like a very capable person.
I imagine despite his "toughness" he's also
compassionate and fair

Paul,

<<A friend of mine is a youth counsellor in Sydney, does it a couple of nights a week, done it for years. He is tough, you don't get too many chances with him, you constantly stuff up and your off the program. He tells me he can't afford to be soft, gets you nowhere>>

Soooooooooo Paul, you do have some conservative friends, ay!

I mean, your friend acts and thinks like a typical conservative (he’s probably even a closet member of the LNP) …after all, if he was a Lefty-Greenie his MO would be : you can stuff –up 10,000 times and keep coming back for more tax-payer –funded --Christine Milne hyped handouts.

Hi PAUL1405...

Something you did say resonated with me, and was quite valid I thought - the analogy of the approaching train ? To me, it's as though some young people have this 'self destructive' mechanism within them. It's little wonder there are some many younger folk suiciding ? Hopelessness, abandonment, loneliness, drug addition, no prospects etc.

People of my generation (I'm in my mid seventies) often say, '...if the youth of today had to confront the hardships we had to face...' ? Well in my opinion, I believe it's much tougher for young people of today to successfully embrace daily life, than we did of my generation ! Sure my family were dirt poor, but we managed ?

However many of todays young people have to face a monumental barrage of daily confusion ? Many don't have role models; dysfunctional or single parent families; burgeoning crimes of violence; a culture of weapon possession and carriage; abandonment of school discipline; poor career prospects; ridiculously easy access to alcohol and drugs; and so the list goes on ! It's little wonder some just give up and either become feral, or sadly end their confused lives.

A hell of an indictment of our society. As you quite rightly state PAUL1405, it's most definitely NOT the role of law enforcement to regulate, control, or care for these 'lost' young people ? Often though, it's police who by necessity have to pick up the pieces.