The organisation received $300,000 through the Victorian Government’s 2025-27 Engage! program for two leadership and life skills programs in Shepparton and the Frankston-Mornington Penisula areas to empower marginalised young people by equipping them with essential life skills, fostering self-confidence and building community connections.
From that, $130,000 will be allocated to Greater Shepparton.
The Salvation Army’s Youth Services state manager James Aloni said the primary beneficiaries of the project would be young people aged 16 to 25.
“This includes youth residing in our Shepparton refuge and those in transitional housing,” Mr Aloni said.
“A large focus will be developing young people’s life and living skills, which is important to empower young people to successfully transition to sustainable, stable accommodation.
“The community as a whole benefits from the development of young leaders, reduced social isolation and strengthened connections.”
Mr Aloni said by prioritising youth participation and leadership, the project would ensure long-term benefits by creating confident young people who were engaged and proactive within the community.
The funding will be used to form a youth advisory group in leadership, a positive lifestyle program, an anger management course, a youth mental health first aid program, general group work and life skills programs, and co-facilitation and collaboration for youth-led events in the region.
Mr Aloni said the funding would be used in a similar way in the Frankston and Peninsula areas, but would have some varied aspects for activities, based on the relevance for that community.
The Salvation Army’s North East Youth Services regional manager Leah Farnham said the funding for Greater Shepparton would significantly enhance NEYS’s capacity to improve life and living skills and foster youth participation.
“Over the past year, NEYS has supported 203 young people in the north-east who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness,” Ms Farnham said.
“Within our accommodation setting we supported 46 young people who entered crisis accommodation.”
Ms Farnham said the funding would help the organisation to extend its accommodation programs to better equip young people with the skills needed for sustainable tenancies.
“While the current housing crisis may limit access to private rentals or share houses, our focus is on empowering young people with essential skills such as emotional regulation, financial literacy, relationship building and social inclusion,” she said.
“By improving their personal wellbeing and capacity, we aim to ensure that when opportunities for tenancy arise, they are well-prepared to sustain them.”
Victorian Minister for Youth Natalie Suleyman announced the Engage! and FReeZA 2025-27 grant programs for 134 recipients on December 16.
“FReeZA and Engage! empower Victoria’s young people to shape their communities, find their voices and unlock their potential,” Ms Suleyman said.
“These grants will ensure that young people have the support and resources they need to thrive and contribute to our state into the future.”
Engage! grants range from $60,000 to $180,000, and FReeZA grants, $45,000 to $120,000.
They are three-year funding streams that support community organisations, local governments and social enterprises across Victoria.
Also close to home, Rural City of Wangaratta received $120,000 for the Spilt Milk project, which empowers young people by providing them with the necessary skills, resources, training and development opportunities to plan live events, discover future career paths and be an active member within their community.
∎ For more information on the programs visit vic.gov.au/engage-2025-2027 and vic.gov.au/freeza-2025-27
