*Cassidy's name has been changed to protect her privacy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A survivor of domestic violence has shared her inspiring road to recovery with others like her now set to benefit from increased housing in the city.
At the age of 17, Orange woman Cassidy Smith* was "doing drugs every day" and carrying out crimes to the point where she was arrested by police.
"I was not the best version of myself," she said.
"I was on the street and Veritas House called me again. They said, 'we can come and get you, just tell us where you are. We want to help you.'
"At this point, I had nothing. Nobody around me; no family. So I said, 'okay, I'll come'. They were genuinely concerned about me, and they didn't judge me at all, not for a second."
Veritas House offers accommodation and support services to more than 800 vulnerable children, young people and their families across the Central West.
- READ MORE: Liberal Democrats Orange campaign 'unlikely'
During her stay at the youth refuge, Ms Smith received help to access drug and alcohol support services, mental health services, financial support to pay her debts and manage her money, as well as assistance to develop a resume. On top of this, she also got her Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) certificates during her stay.
Having achieved stability during her stay at the refuge, Ms Smith moved to a Veritas House transitional youth flat and began working directly with her caseworker.
After a few months in the transitional flat, she was ready to move into a private rental with a flatmate and has since taken over the lease to live independently.
"It feels like so many people just gave me a chance. My work gave me a chance, Veritas gave me a chance and my roommate gave me a chance. It's led me to the best part of my life," she said.
"Now I work full-time as a bar supervisor. I love it; it's a big passion. I have my own place; it's a really nice little house. I've got my dog and I've got a great group of friends. I'm going to keep saving money until I can afford to go to uni. My goal is to do a public health course; I'm really interested in women's health, so I'd like to be a women's health educator or something like that."
Now, more people in Orange will get the same opportunity as Ms Smith, after Veritas unveiled its newly renovated two-bedroom transitioning flat on Monday.
The renovation took place over the past four months through a $60,000 grant from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation and included the replacement of windows, lighting and electrical upgrades as well as the installation of heating, repainting, and new furnishings.
The foundation's chairwoman, Jennifer Leslie, said on average, 50 young people access crisis accommodation at the Veritas House youth refuge in Orange each year.
"For these young people, it can be difficult to secure a lease in the private rental market with no prior rental history and limited finances," she added.
"The new property will be leased for six to nine months to young people transitioning into independence, with case workers providing support to obtain furniture, secure ongoing income, and learn budget and tenancy management skills.
"At the end of their lease, Veritas will provide a reference, and advocate and support the young people in securing long-term accommodation."
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Central Western Daily website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.