A Brisbane-based charity working with vulnerable LGBTIQ+ youth, who experience a variety of life challenges, was announced as one of the latest successful grant recipients set to receive a funding injection from Hand Heart Pocket the Charity of Freemasons Queensland.
Open Doors Youth Service (ODYS) who provide more than 2,000 young LGBTIQ+ people each year with support for homelessness, family breakdown, mental health issues and alcohol and drug addiction, will receive an $80,000 Significant Grant from the Freemason charity. The grant will allow ODYS to engage a specialist to help them develop a framework to better understand, measure and manage the impact they are making, and to prepare them to take advantage of future philanthropic funding opportunities.
Open Doors Youth Service Chief Executive Officer Chris Pickard said the grant was a welcomed boost as the organisation looked to take its services to the next level.
“People who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or gay are at least twice as likely as the general population to experience homelessness at least once in their lifetime, and are at least three times more likely to experience adverse mental health concerns so there’s a real need for support services tailored to helping those who are most at risk,” Mr Pickard said.
“The new framework will allow us to evaluate and redefine our current services, build a stronger foundation for our organisation moving forward, and ultimately, help us to further enrich the lives of young LGBTIQ+ people.”
Hand Heart Pocket CEO Gary Mark said his organisation was committed to helping improve outcomes for the most at risk and vulnerable youth in Queensland.
“We look to partner with other charities and philanthropists whose focus is also youth at risk, so together, we can become a catalyst for change,” Mr Mark said.
“Open Doors Youth Service is an organisation who is passionate about enhancing young people’s connections to family, culture, and community, and giving them hope for their own futures, which is a key focus of our organisation,” Mr Mark said.
“We are delighted to form this new partnership with ODYS.”
To find out more about Open Doors Youth Service, please visit www.opendoors.net.au
