Former Beacon residents shine a light on journey to independence
- deansimpson7
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
BY ANTHONY CASTLE
Former residents of The Beacon emergency accommodation facility in Perth shared their journeys at the centre’s recent Homelessness Week event.
Jason B and Sharon T came to The Beacon while experiencing homelessness and are now transitioning to independent living in the community.
“You are in the best place, with the best support,” Sharon said, encouraging current residents. “Make use of it because you’re not going to get it anywhere else. God helps those who help themselves.”
The Beacon is The Salvation Army’s largest residential homelessness facility in Australia. It offers case management, crisis intervention, allied medical health services, and development programs. Clients work on the issues that contributed to their risk of homelessness or becoming homeless.
“Being housed at The Beacon enabled me to focus on my Master’s studies,” Sharon said. “I didn't have to think about food shopping, cooking and cleaning. I also had so much support and encouragement from staff and clients. There is no way I would have been able to do this if I didn’t stay here.”
Sharon grew up facing hardship and struggled with serious mental health issues in her younger years.
“My father was a member of the Stolen Generation,” Sharon explained. “I left school in Year 8. Apart from one teacher who believed in me, I always felt insignificant. Everyone told me I would not amount to much.”
After several relationship breakdowns, Sharon decided to relocate to Perth. Her accommodation ranged from living in her car to staying in hotels and a brief period of house-sitting.
“Although highly allergic to cats, I was offered a house-sitting option, looking after an aged cat,” Sharon said. “This didn’t last long as I became violently ill. I felt completely lost and googled places to stay and found The Beacon.”
Sharon immediately started engaging in the various on-site programs and also started seeing the on-site bulk-billing psychologist and GPs. Sharon was offered a property in the community and received support from The Salvation Army's outreach and the Independent Community Living Program for a two-year period.
“I never had so much support, ever,” said Sharon. “Geoff, the psych, helped me to start believing in myself again.”
Sharon is now in the final stages of finishing her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Western Australia.
“The key is perception,” she said. “All these opportunities are offered to you at The Beacon. It is up to you to decide to change your life.”
Jason B also came to The Beacon after experiencing homelessness. He is now a successful branch manager for a custom trailer company, mentoring others at The Beacon, and has spoken about his journey at public events this year.
“When you look at it, one day, that person, that broken man, walked through those doors at The Beacon,” Jason said.
“Then one day, I went to attend a course. One day, I went to another. One day, I signed up for more than two courses. One day, I started seeing a psychologist and one day, I realised that I wanted to change my life. One day, I decided I needed to change my life. In the end, it’s all up to you. Everything is offered here, but it is up to you whether or not you take it.”
The Beacon is a lighthouse of hope for those experiencing homelessness, a 102-bed accommodation facility located on the corner of Nash and Aberdeen Street in Northbridge, Perth. To watch a video of the centre, here
