Giving Moreton Bay youth a red-hot crack at life

Fifteen years ago, the Youth Development Foundation (YDF) wasn’t born from a business plan; it was born from a breaking point.

Back then, Gerry Blackwell was working as a standard employment agency worker, a role where people were often reduced to a file number on a desk. The status quo shattered when she lost one of her 15-year-old clients to suicide. That tragedy was the catalyst for a radical shift in perspective. Gerry realised that for young people facing the edges of society, “employment services” weren’t enough. As Gerry says, ‘You cannot send a broken kid to an interview and expect them to thrive if their internal world is falling apart.’

She realised that to make a difference, the support had to be holistic, wrap-around, and entirely inclusive. Today, operating from their office at Strathpine, YDF has grown into exactly that kind of community, partnering with young clients and local businesses right across Moreton Bay to give these young people a fair chance at life, the education and employment opportunities they need and the support to get their lives on track.

Not clients, but family

Walk through the doors at YDF today, and you won’t find a cold waiting room or a caseworker ticking boxes. You’ll find a family.

In the eyes of YDF, these young people aren’t "clients on a card." They are brothers, sisters, and kids who need a safe place to land. When a young person joins the YDF family, they step out of the chaos and into a controlled environment where they are known, challenged, and, most importantly, protected.

The team doesn’t rely on soft sentimentality. Instead, they focus on honest, real-world accountability. They meet each young person where they are at, setting clear boundaries while offering a steady support system that keeps them from falling through the cracks.

“You can’t start building a future until you acknowledge the ground truth of where you are right now.”

Kennedy’s turning point

Transformation doesn't happen overnight, it takes time to dismantle years of survival instincts. Take Kennedy, for example. He was 16 when he first walked into YDF, and he was deeply disengaged, angry, and highly defensive. Like many young people who have been let down by the system, he expected the support to be conditional and short-lived.

But over time, Kennedy realised a fundamental truth about YDF: the words of comfort and support weren't just words. They were backed by action. When he saw that the team was genuinely there to catch him, faced the music,he put in the hard work, and made the heavy lifestyle changes required to rewrite his future. Today, Kennedy is 19, and he is gainfully employed with Fittings Express Brendale, a local business partnering with YDF to give these young people a fighting chance. Kennedy is waking up early, working on getting his drivers license, and making massive strides toward his goals. He is a living testament to what happens when a young person is given an authentic foundation.

How to Help

We talk a lot about certifications in this country. There is no doubt that a piece of paper, a qualification or a trade certificate, is a vital milestone. But through YDF’s traineeships, these kids learn much more valuable, foundational life skills such as how to take instruction, complete tasks, ask questions, turn up on time, and take responsibility for more than just themselves. They finish with a certificate in business, and experience working with clients and community, ready to take on the world. Over the last five years, YDF has guided 207 trainees through this life-changing process.

This is where our local business community steps in. When a Moreton Bay employer chooses to open their door a little wider to give a YDF kid like Kennedy a proper chance, they are doing so much more than filling a vacancy. They are investing in a life.

The return on that investment? It is far greater than just gaining a standard employee. What businesses get in return is a fierce, unmatched loyalty. These are young people who know what it’s like to have doors slammed in their faces. When an employer finally gives them a real opportunity, they grab it with both hands and run with it.

Ben Harris from 57 Wash at Brendale has been partnering with YDF for three years now, regularly employing young people from the YDF family, and giving them a supportive environment to get on their feet. For Ben, the ongoing collaboration has been incredibly rewarding.

"Employers don't want rocket scientists. They just want someone to turn up, follow a simple instruction, and do it consistently. But when you give them that chance, they get the whole family. We're a package deal."

Employers aren't left to figure it out alone; they get the full, unwavering behind-the-scenes backing of Gerry and the YDF team to ensure the relationship thrives. To date, YDF has officially engaged 1,747 young people through their state-funded Skilling Queenslanders for Work programs, though the team knows that if you include the countless kids they’ve supported “off the books” over the years, that number easily climbs past 2,200.

The future of Moreton Bay isn't just about economic output; it’s about breaking the cycles that keep our youth stuck. At YDF, the door is always open. Now, it’s up to Moreton Bay employers to open theirs.

This article was brought to you by our Community Correspondent, Stacey MacMillan-White.

How to Help is a social enterprise founded on the simple belief that everyone has the capacity to give. Our platform connects those who want to help with the local organisations and people who need help, working together to make the world a better place.

Whether you want to volunteer your time, donate goods, or support a local cause, you can find the right fit for you.

• Discover local opportunities: To see how you can offer a traineeship, collaborate, or support the Youth Development Foundation (YDF) right here in our community, visit their profile on How to Help.

• To explore other local organisations and discover more ways to make a difference in Moreton Bay, visit the directory at www.howtohelp.au.