“Let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love.” 1 John 3:18 (MSG)
What does it mean practice real love? And how do you lay down your life to serve others?
We asked some of our youth workers to share what motivates them to turn up, even when it’s tough. Why do they give their all to support young people, helping them overcome their past to take hold of their future?
Meet Jake, Youth Worker at Fusion Western Sydney in St Mary’s.
First encountering Fusion in the Blue Mountains through a National Homelessness Week event, Jake was inspired by the effort and passion shown by our volunteers as they advocated for young people experiencing homelessness. Since then, he’s found a similar passion, using his skills and experience to walk alongside young people through the highs and lows of life.
Image: Jake is a Youth Worker at Fusion Western Sydney in St Mary’s NSW
Jake’s Story
“I’m a qualified high school teacher. As I went through my training, I became increasingly uncertain about becoming a teacher full-time. The expectations on teachers were piling up and I was apprehensive about what it would cost me to go into this career. I value quality time. Quality time for myself, my family, friends, and even for people I am yet to meet. I was concerned about no longer being available or able to care for others, becoming someone I didn’t want to be.
Following graduation, I was a casual teacher. My favourite part was connecting and getting alongside young people. My least favourite was seeing young people struggle with very real issues, hurting and suffering, but being in a limited position to support them myself.
As a teacher, my primary role was to educate. It seemed my support only extended to getting them to do what I wanted them to do. It felt awful trying to convince a young person to carry on with their work when they felt like their world was falling apart.
Why Youth Work?
When the opportunity appeared for the role of Youth Worker with Fusion Western Sydney, I saw a chance to connect with and support young people in a way that wasn’t possible as a teacher. It didn’t take long to feel at home in the role. I could talk to the young people about their experiences, what mattered to them, the emotions and circumstances they faced. Together we could work to help them be their best and to impact the communities around them. I get to see the light switch back on in the lives of these young people.
The Challenges Facing Young People Today
The young people we work with are a different breed from those I’d met before. On my first visit to one of our schools, I thought it must be recess or lunch because there were so many students around. But it wasn’t, it was class time, they were all truanting. There were so many young people truanting!
The experiences of these young people have led to a rejection of ‘the system’. The system that tells them where they should be and what they should be doing. It’s a system that doesn’t reflect the reality of the world they live in, nor has it protected and provided for them. These young people have learnt to fend for themselves and hold back on trusting in anything else.
They Are Resilient
But they are also extraordinarily resilient. When we provide them with the opportunity to be seen and heard, when we provide a place for them to be safe and cared for, they are transformed.
They open up and talk, choosing to be part of a community. They start to look beyond themselves and more to the concerns of others. Growing in confidence, they speak up and stand up. They want to help.
Image: Jake and Fusion Western Sydney Youth Workers at Colyton.
These same young people re-enter the system they previously abandoned, feeling stronger and more secure. They choose positions of leadership and responsibility with a desire to implement positive change. They want to be for others what we have been for them.
Staying the Course
I show up to work knowing that I’m part of an awesome and diverse team of like-minded people. People who love working with young people to create lifelong change in their lives and communities. It can be difficult to measure the impact of our work. Our interactions can be brief, and the transformation on the inside can take years to bloom and be visible. When we are privileged to journey with young people over many years, the transformation we see in them is unbelievable.
I say unbelievable, because we have given something as simple as love to these young people, and it has changed their lives. And what we have given them, they will pass on to others. The impact of our work is immeasurable.” – Jake E, Youth Worker
Want to learn more?
To read more stories from our youth workers around the country, check out our socials.