Exhibition zooms in on homelessness

It is a pleasure to be part of the 2016 Home Is Where My Heart Is peer mentorship project, which shares the stories of young people who have experienced homelessness.

As a proud supporter of this innovative program, I attended the opening celebration of this year’s photographic exhibition yesterday evening and was impressed by the photo images created the 10 young participants to convey what “home” meant to them.

Children and young people who experience homelessness are some of the most vulnerable people in our community and a measure of the success of this project is that it has helped many young people to build confidence to pursue further goals and to become mentors themselves.

Homelessness and its effects on children and young people is a matter of great concern. Young people and service providers around the State have spoken to me about it and my office will continue to conduct further research and consultation into how we, as a community, can identify ways to help young people in need.

I would like to congratulate the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia for coordinating Home Is Where My Heart Is, and especially the young people and mentors who have contributed to the exhibition.

The Home Is Where My Heart Is exhibition runs until 14 August at the State Library, Perth Cultural Centre.

Entry is free. More information about the project is available at the Home Is Where My Heart Is website.

Colin Pettit
Commissioner for Children and Young People