Joining Hands, founded by Kylie Lowe, provides health and wellness services to young people who are homeless. Kylie has worked professionally in the homeless sector for more than 20 years and says she started the social enterprise after seeing the need for a positive touch in the area.
Kylie started offering free Bowen Therapy treatments to the homeless, gradually building to a social enterprise business model so she could help more people. Each night 44,000 young Australians sleep rough. Kylie says many of these young people experience trauma, abuse and mental health issues, including anxiety and depression as a result of not having a home. Joining Hands provides services through retreats, events and its community partners. The aim is to provide a bridge for vulnerable and homeless young people to access health and wellness services, and live a life filled with health, joy and purpose.
Kate Kimber is has been an ambassador for Joining Hands for the past three years, and is a professional masseuse. “Kylie and I go to the Red Cross Night Cafe every Tuesday fortnight, where she does Bowen Therapy and I do massage therapy. It’s a drop in Centre for young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Red Cross provides the meals, showers, social workers, clean clothes… and we supply the Wellness treatments. Many of them are in pain, and others simply need human touch and connection. The treatments calm their anxiety and stress and many of them will travel a long way to get a treatment,” says Kate.
Kate’s own battle with depression and anxiety influenced her decision to help other people. “Most youth homelessness is caused by mental health issues and domestic violence, so most of these people are really in need of people to give them positive touch, care, time and true listening. I like to think that a simple massage can change someone’s mood, decrease their physical pain and show them that the community cares about them.”
This October Joining Hands will be holding a retreat for women. Each ticket sold for the event will allow a homeless or vulnerable young woman to join for free. Attendees enjoy meditation, yoga and Nia Dance, and a choice of workshops, which range from smartphone photography, drawing, low tox living, and dream catcher making.
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