Partners - For Change Co.

Partners

We firmly believe that everything For Change Co. has achieved is a direct result of the people and organisations we work alongside within our community. It’s a diverse collection of people who have decided to take a stand and ensure that the young people we work with have the support they need to live fulfilling, healthy and independent lives.

Funders

Impact Program Partners

Anthropology Coffee
Berry Street
Bridge It
Launch Housing
South Port Community Housing
Melbourne City Mission
Mind Australia
SYC
Wombat Housing
YMCA Victoria
YACVIC

Fernandez-O’Neill Family
Helen Macpherson Smith Trust
Inner North Community Foundation
Janice Durkin Family Gift
Matana Foundation
Moreland City Council
Paul Ramsay Foundation
Pressroom Partners
Rotary Melbourne

In-Kind
Support

Sisters of Charity Foundation
StreetSmart Australia
Sunshine Foundation
VCF Bird Family Charitable Trust
Westpac Foundation
Wetherall Family Foundation
William Angliss Charitable Foundation

Venue
Partners

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For Change Co.

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Tackling youth homelessness, together.
@crepesforchange
@forchange.cafes
👇🏼 More info

Apr 29

Meet Shakara, a Pathways For Change graduate who was able to build her independence and confidence through the support of For Change Co.

Shakara began her traineeship with Pathways For Change, our flagship paid training and employment program, at For Change Cafe, Brunswick in May 2023. She graduated in November 2023 and has since secured employment with Open Shift partner @parkhyattmelbourne, where she now works in the food and beverage department.

In her new role, Shakara continues to develop her skills, extending her workdays and effectively balancing work, study, and personal life. Because of this, she has gained the economic independence and self-confidence to be able to make the move from emergency and transitional housing to a shared rental property.

Looking ahead, Shakara aims to pursue a business degree and potentially study psychology. She dreams of owning and operating her own café while remaining involved in local theatre.

Shakara was one of the 38 young people whose lives were changed through our training and employment program last year. This year, we're aiming higher. But, we can't do it alone – we need your support this Matched Donation Day. Join us on Thursday, May 9th, to help us create change in the lives of young people every day. Tackling youth homelessness, together.

To read more about Shakara's story, visit our website in our bio 🔗

Apr 26

Hey, you! Yes, YOU! 🚀 We’re on the hunt for a CEO who’s ready to shake things up and make a real difference. Think you've got what it takes? Or maybe you know someone who does?

At For Change Co., we're not your typical organisation. We're a fast-growing social enterprise based in Melbourne, and we're on a mission to change the lives of young people at-risk of homelessness. And guess what? We want YOU to lead the charge!

This isn’t your average CEO gig. You might not have been a CEO before, and that’s okay! What matters is your energy, passion, and drive to make things happen. If you’re ready to bring our vision to life, we want to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities:
🌱 Juggle the business side with making a real impact
🌱 Be the mastermind behind our fundraising efforts
🌱 Represent For Change Co.
🌱 Lead the charge in planning our next big moves
🌱 Keep our impact programs growing and glowing
🌱 Stay on top of risks and keep us smooth sailing

Our team is young, passionate, and full of big dreams. We're all about changing the world, starting right here in Melbourne.

If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and lead with purpose, this is YOUR chance to shine! No matter your background, we want to hear from you.

Interested? Visit ➡️ forchangeco.com.au/work-with-us/ to find out more 🥰

Apr 22

What an incredible Trainee Takeover Day we had on Friday at our Middle Park cafe! It was a huge success, a celebration to the dedication and hard work of our trainees in the Pathways for Change program 🌱

These events play a crucial role in empowering our trainees to put their skills to the test by managing the cafe independently, fostering their confidence and growth.

We're thrilled to celebrate the remarkable progress they've made, not only in honing their skills but also in their approach to teamwork and collaboration. They served over 100 coffees and plenty of meals, showcasing everything they've been learning.

Thanks to some of our partners for popping by ➡️ @parkhyattmelbourne, @admosismedia, @thealternativedairyco, South Port Community Housing and Harcourts Foundation for sponsoring the day

Keep an eye out for our next Trainee Takeover Day 🥰

Apr 17

Today on Youth Homelessness Matters Day, it is a reminder of the 28,000 young people experiencing homelessness every single night in Australia (ABS. 2021). We believe that every young people should have a safe place to call home. In Victoria, close to 25% of people experiencing homelessness are aged under 25.

Whilst we are amid a once-in-a-generation cost of living and housing crisis, Only 1% of the Victorian Government’s $5.3 billion Big Housing Build for social and affordable housing will be spent on youth-specific housing. While the rates of young people experiencing homelessness continue to rise, they are not being considered a priority group for social housing. Young people already face difficulties accessing social housing for many reasons including not having rental histories, and not being financially competitive with other potential residents. They also face undersupply, poor-quality rental housing stock, and rapidly rising rents.

At For Change Co. we see the impacts of this every day working with young people facing constant precarity in their housing which makes it so much more difficult to engage with mainstream employment.

We know that our model of employment gives these young people the best chance to realise their goals and engage with consistent employment and education, creating lasting change. This is all the more crucial as young people at risk of experiencing homelessness face the greatest impact of this crisis.

This Youth Homelessness Matters Day, we say that now is not the time to turn inward and focus on our own financial challenges, but to provide as much support as we can to these young people who need it most and do what you can to support organisations like ours who support young people to break the cycle of homelessness.

At For Change Co. we believe we can help support young people to create their own pathway out of the cycle of youth homelessness. We do this through our Pathways For Change program, a paid, employment and on-the-job workplace training program at our @forchange.cafes that works to support participants to develop the skills and confidence to support them into any workplace and break the homelessness cycle.

Apr 11

Team bonding never felt so zen! 🧘‍♀️💼 Recently, our team traded desks for yoga mats, finding balance and connection in a rejuvenating session. We had a lovely afternoon with @yogalyfe_melbourne and can't thank you enough!

We have lots of exciting events coming up in the next few months, so it was great to spend some time connecting with each other and making time for mental and physical wellbeing 🌟

Apr 8

March has been another great month at For Change Co. with lots of trainee successes and fun events. We have lots of exciting news and events coming up, so make sure to keep an eye out!

As always, your continued support helps to empower young people to create their own pathways out of youth homelessness and we can't thank you enough ❤️

Here’s our Pathways For Change program update for March:
🚀 14 trainees in our program
📚 17 hours of trainee mentorship
⌚ 385 hours of paid training
💸 Over $10,922 in award wages paid to trainees

Here's to another awesome month! Tackling youth homelessness, together.

Apr 5

At For Change Co. we deliver lasting change to the lives of young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Our evidence-based programs focus on the key impact pillars of housing, education, confidence, employment and community to break the homelessness cycle.

We invest 100% of our profits into our programs addressing youth homelessness, including our flagship paid training and employment program, Pathways For Change, which provides young people experience and support to find their own pathways out of homelessness.

To find out more or for more info on how you can get involved, visit the link in our bio ❤️

Apr 3

After nine massive years, the time has come for our Co-Founder and Managing Director, Tenille Gilbert, to step down from her operational role at For Change Co.

We are excited for this pivotal step in For Change Co.’s journey and to create space for a new CEO who will bring fresh passion, energy and vision to the organisation for our next chapter.

Read about the CEO position via the link in bio.

Mar 22

In case you're new to us or if you're looking for a refresher, For Change Co. is a social enterprise with the vision of an Australia free from youth homelessness.

We deliver lasting change to the lives of young people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness through our range of venues, from cafes to food trucks, catering services, and other programs.

We believe in a future where youth homelessness doesn’t exist. Will you join us and help make a difference?

For more info, visit the link in our bio ❤️

Mar 20

Are you a young person interested in gaining some paid employment experience in the social services sector? ✨

For Change Co are excited to announce the second iteration of our Voice For Change Youth Advisory program! This program will be delivered in collaboration with the @cityofmelbourne’s Community Engagement and Impact team ! This is a paid employment and training opportunity for young people with lived experience of homelessness and disadvantage.

For Change Co are looking to employ a team of young people living locally in the City Of Melbourne. These participants will be employed for 45 hours of work from April to July this year. Working arrangements include meetings at the City Of Melbourne’ council offices in the CBD as well as working from home in later phases of the program.

This work involves participating in skills training workshops facilitated by @yacvic, and then taking the opportunity to put your new skills to use by evaluating the Community Engagement and Impact team’s programs and operations. This program is perfect for young people who are interested in pursuing skills training and employment in the social service sector and not-for-profit sector. See our program brief for more information.

For Change Co and the City Of Melbourne are looking to build an inclusive team of people from diverse backgrounds. We encourage applicants from people of diverse cultural backgrounds, genders, sexualities as well as applicants living with a disability.

Applications Close on the 31st of March

If you’re interested, contact our Impact Manager, Joe at joe@forchangeco.com.au for a brief of the program and information on the application process.

Mar 15

Sometimes it can be hard to know how to contribute to social change. This is why we've created a guide on how to support a social enterprise, because it's simpler than you might think.

Your support, such as visiting our venues, booking our services, employing our graduates, donating, or even just interacting with us, brings us one step closer to achieving our vision of an Australia free from youth homelessness.

Tackling youth homelessness, together.

Mar 11

It's been another great month at For Change Co. this February!

Our trainees have been making great progress and an awesome start to the new year and we are looking forward to lots of exciting events coming up!

Once again, we couldn't have this impact without your support, so thank you for all that you do ❤️

Here’s our Pathways For Change program update for February:
🚀 15 trainees in our program
🎓 2 trainees graduated
📚 24 hours of trainee mentorship
⌚ 362 hours of paid training
💸 Over $9,318 in award wages paid to trainees

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