Chris Byrnes-Mikelsons is the coordinator of Jacaranda Cottage, a youth refuge for young women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Since 1992, the refuge has housed and cared for hundreds of young women who have experienced family breakdown, domestic violence, poverty, abuse, or neglect.

Chris has been a youth worker for 13 years and through her life's work, Chris strives to create environments for the people in her life to discover and celebrate who they are. In this conversation, we discuss her experiences, passions and perspectives on supporting young people over this period. If you would like to learn more about the amazing work of Chris and Jacaranda Cottage, please visit their website and Instagram.

Timestamps:

[1:50] - How Chris developed a passion for youth work

[3:35] - Her expectations at the start and how they changed

[4:50] - The power of silence 

[8:05] - Being there for people 

[10:15] - The familial approach of Jacaranda Cottage

[16:29] - Self-learning through youth work

[18:02] - Different models of youth refuges

[20:30] - Life after Jacaranda Cottage

[24:19] - The network of services outside of Jacaranda Cottage

[26:31] - Community initiatives 

[28:45] - Going virtual

[31:33] - Challenges of COVID-19

[33:30] - What can be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to delivering support for young people in need

[40:01] - Misconceptions about youth homelessness

[43:24] - What can young people in general do to make a difference, big or small, in this space

[46:56] - Lockdown streaming

[48:10] - Lockdown reading