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BETWEEN them, Rebecca*, Selina*, Jaike Findlay, Amy Davies and Jessica Ratcliffe have faced child abuse, domestic violence, other violence, bullying, early school leaving, poverty, homelessness and discrimination.
With the help of Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS) and their own determination, all five have come out the other side and are on the path to stable, safe and happy lives.
SYFS chief executive Narelle Clay said the group personified how people could overcome what she called "the community's issues" when helped onto the right path.
"All of them would probably say they had complex issues when they came," Ms Clay said.
"Even if it is simply that you are poor and you can't afford to pay for housing - that is a pretty serious issue. If you don't have family support and financial backing, you are in strife in this community.
"This group is an example of what can happen but you need the community's support, you need the community's resources, you need donations, you need the other agencies to assist, you need government to fund services properly and we need infrastructure like this."
Last week Jaike, Rebecca, Jessica, Selina and Amy, who have all lived in SYFS accommodation, joined Ms Clay to check out the soon-to-be completed SYFS community hub, on the site of the old Lake Illawarra Police station in Warilla.
The hub will feature a range of community services including a cafe, a bathroom for homeless people, business tenants, computer suites, training and education facilities and a low cost gym. It should be fully functioning by July.
It cost $5.2 million, $2.6 million of which was funded under the RDA Illawarra Regional Development Plan.
Adjacent to the hub is a 20-unit complex with medium-long-term accommodation for up to 26 people aged 18 to 26.
The units will be used by young people as they complete education and training on their way to getting a job.
"Our biggest aim is to help people grow up safely, grow up happily, end up in good housing, with good jobs and be able to look after themselves," Ms Clay said.
"The biggest key to getting out of disadvantage is being safe, having people care about you, including the whole community, finishing your education and getting a job - having an income that means you can look after yourself."
The new units are complete and are awaiting furnishing before the first tenants move in, possibly as soon as April.
Ms Clay estimates each unit will cost $9500 to furnish.
While Ms Clay had high praise for the community and key business sponsors, she said attracting donations, and securing grants was a never-ending battle.
Enter the charity, the Great Illawarra Walk.
GIW committee member and real estate agent Martin Merritt sold the old police station building to SYFS and the seed was sown for which charity would be this year's beneficiary.
Mr Merritt's event co-founder Chris Lovatt said SYFS fit in with their ethos of helping young people.
In the past the event has helped Camp Quality and the Wollongong Hospital neonatal ward.
Mr Lovatt said this year's event hoped to raise $200,000 and were confident of $100,000.
■Visit greatillawarrawalk.com/
*Surnames withheld