SPOTLIGHT: Glebe Youth Service (GYS)
A lot of work goes into keeping abreast of community needs, especially during times when we are all tested most. The Glebe Connected services work hard to respond to these exceptional times and we thought it might be a good idea to check out what they have been up to. In this post, we are shining the spotlight on our very own Glebe Connected member Glebe Youth Service. Here’s what Keiran from GYS had to say:
What initiatives have you been involved in?
COVID-19 has been really tough for some members of our community. We have tried to address the basic needs of local families and community members, while crucially enabling us to stay connected to the children and young people and families in the Glebe community. We have focused on food relief efforts – acting as a central distribution and coordination hub. Additionally, we have been keeping busy with:
Information postcards delivered to the Glebe estate
Providing phone support to current and new clients
What’s it been like in Glebe community?
Being a part of local service coordination group has been really inspiring. There are so many passionate and committed people working in our community. I have been deeply encouraged, on an almost daily basis, by the collegial support and spirit of collective action that has abounded since the COVID-19 crisis. This spirit of collaboration did exist pre-COVID, it just seems to have gone 'next-level' in the face of this momentous and colossal challenge that is presented by a global pandemic.
GYS is really proud of the young people in Glebe. Many of whom seem to have understood and respected the social distancing and movement restrictions.
Also, so many volunteers and donations, people offering to help in whatever way they can. and worker resilience and dedication from a wide range of local organisations has been wonderful and inspiring!
It has been great to tangibly and effectively collaborate with Mission Australia, Anglicare and others - I think some great stuff has emerged from this crisis.
What challenges have communities faced?
Uncertainty has been a really big challenge for many. Firstly it was the uncertainty around restrictions and would our health system be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 crisis? Now that the curve has flattened, people are not sure when restrictions will lift and if they will be safe. Many households have struggled with home schooling and being in the 'pressure cooker' of a crowded family home. In some cases the risk of family and domestic violence has been amplified, for others the sheer isolation and lack of social contact has been tough.
What have you observed about communities through your work?
It’s been really uplifting to see how well we can collaborate and coordinate in a highly effective way.
Community connection, gatherings, getting together, events and just chats in the street are so important to the individual and collective wellbeing of people, families and the community. This is the thing that we are all working towards and which residents (and us!) are missing the most.
We are strong, we are resilient. Yes there are big challenges for many in Glebe, there is entrenched disadvantage and socially challenging situations and circumstances. But there is a tremendous capacity to adsorb and manage adversity, to work together and to take personal responsibility.
What lessons will you take away?
At a local and internal level I think GYS will do more outreach work post-COVID. We have seen some great results by increasing our presence on the street and through 'home' visits (chatting from the foot path) .
There is room for enhanced service collaboration in Glebe too. Yes we did it before, but we can keep growing and learning and I am hoping in my heart of hearts that we can take this 'next level' COVID 'collaborating' into the post-COVID world.
There is still lack of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and people in our work too so we are working to address that.
For local young people I think education remains a really big issue and if anything COVID-19 has reinforced that view. I have been passionate about this for a long time and now I am even more passionate. We need to improve and grow our efforts in terms of education outcomes for children and young people.