Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The cost-of-living crisis is hurting the community of Cook. I'd like to highlight three organisations that are bringing light to people's lives in these trying times. First, the Dandelion Support Network is doing exceptional work for families, babies and children. They are supporting families who are finding themselves in hardship and victims of domestic violence by donating children's and babies' goods. This charity, run locally in the Sutherland Shire, repurposes these items to help families in need, preventing waste from going to landfill. Over 80 volunteers tirelessly manage the sorting, cleaning and compiling of these donated items, ensuring each of them reach a family in need. This support network is led by general manager Gabrielle Humphreys and manager of corporate partnerships James Lavender.

I've been to visit these facilities, and it's one of the best run charities with some of the most hardworking people I have seen. In 2023 alone, more than 2,700 families were helped, and Dandelion is on track to help even more this year. The items provided are prams, cots, baby clothes, car seats and more, donated by local families in the Sutherland Shire and St George areas. On 21 September from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm, Dandelion are holding a donation drive. They're calling on community members to bring any spare baby gear, arts and craft materials, and children's clothes for children up to 16 years of age. I will be in attendance with my family, collecting and sorting these goods, so I'm encouraging all community members to go through your cupboards and bring the stuff down. For those of you who can't make it, monetary contributions can be made via their website.

I'd also like to speak about another community organisation: Project Youth. Project Youth focuses on the prevention of youth homelessness through early interventions such as family intervention with counselling; legal intervention, representing youth at the local juvenile courts; mental health intervention, helping manage the emotions of these young people; and education, including internal school programs for students who cannot attend normal schools. They also have crisis refuges, where Project Youth has provided youth housing in southern Sydney. They have 76 beds, including semi-supported, transitional and independent housing. I've visited Project Youth and met the young people they are helping. They've got a significant presence across our community, with 50 paid staff and 70 volunteers supporting people aged 12 to 24 across Sutherland Shire, Georges River and Bayside. I commend the work they're doing.

Phoenix Community Project is another organisation I was fortunate enough to meet with. I visited this great local organisation, which has both disability support services and a youth centre. I was particularly impressed with their efforts to provide great education to kids who cannot attend school and have entered the criminal justice system. Only last week I personally met these young people who've undertaken this program, and I've seen what great work this organisation can do with very little funding.

We can see the impact this growing cost-of-living and inflation crisis is having on my community of Cook in the work these great organisations do, but they need more funding. Government needs to look at helping these organisations, be it through grants or other funding programs, to ensure this sector is resourced properly amid this growing cost-of-living crisis. Sadly, organisations I met with outlined the real impact of this funding gap and this cost-of-living crisis. For example, Project Youth had over 550 referrals that were received and turned away this year. That's almost a whole school of children who are not given support, who are left to languish in the community.

Over 40 young people have stayed in Project Youth's crisis accommodation nine months longer than policy allows them, but there's nowhere for them to go. I call on the government to start looking at organisations like these three organisations in my community of Cook and support the fantastic work they do.