Real Life Stories

See how your Open House family can help create a positive change in your life.

A Real story of HOPE

In the heart of challenges, a beacon of hope emerges as Ryan’s (name changed) journey through the Youth Workshop Mentoring Program (YWMP) this year illuminates the power of support and resilience. Coming from a tumultuous background marked by family discord and severed ties with the educational system, Ryan’s attendance at school had plummeted to near non-existence. However, in the midst of these trials, he found comfort and encouragement within the YWMP. Living with his visually impaired and immobile grandmother, Ryan’s horizons were limited to the confines of his neighbourhood.

Nevertheless, the YWMP became his gateway to new experiences and a haven to share his struggles while engaging in thrilling adventures. Throughout the year, Ryan’s involvement with the Open House team became a catalyst for positive change. His gratitude for the opportunities presented to him echoed loudly, emphasising his determination to rise above the challenges he was facing. With unwavering support from the Open House team and other vital pillars in his life, positive steps were taken to mend the damaged relationship between Ryan and his school. Recently, a very excited Ryan shared the wonderful news that he has been accepted into an alternative school setting for the upcoming year—a prospect he eagerly awaited. This heart-warming achievement stands as a testament to Ryan’s resilience and the unwavering commitment of the team to empower and uplift youth facing significant challenges.

Ryan’s story reminds us how being kind, supportive, and having a safe place to learn and grow can change a young person’s life. Starting this new part of his life, Ryan’s story is a sign that even in tough times, there’s hope for a better future.

Read how Open House impacts lives like these everyday.

Journeying through life TOGETHER

As you may be aware Open House does a bus pick-up to take children to a local primary school each day of the week. This service has now been running for 18 months and we are hoping that this will continue if funding is secured. The following is a story of the wider impact this service is having on a family.

One of the families that we go to has five primary school children living with their grandparents who are the primary carers. Tragically earlier this year the grandfather suddenly died. We were able to get full funding to pay for all the funeral expenses. We were also able to get a minister who was known to the family and children to lead the funeral at no cost. We have been able to provide ongoing support to the grandmother and her children with meals and food.

In October this year, Empower Church, who have their youth group at Open House on a Friday night, asked if there were any needs that they could support practically. The outcome of this was that the church brought in a team of people to do a massive clean-up of this family’s garden to make it easier for the children to play outside. The church also bought and installed a new swing set for the children. The oldest girl is now attending their youth group and loves it. The family also attends Malahang Reserve whenever they can and they are a much loved part of the Open House family. We have also organised a food hamper and gifts for each of the children for Christmas with the generous support of 3 churches that have donated food hampers and toys.

The grandmother is very thankful for all the support she is getting from Open House.

Read how Open House impacts lives like these everyday.

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