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Our impact · Playford, South Australia
Safe spaces, after hours,
for vulnerable young people.
This page is built on real data — surveys from young people who use our programs, and direct insights from the Davoren Park community. These are their words.
4.77
avg rating out of 5
from young people
100%
said they have a
positive role model
96%
comfortable talking
to staff
85%
said the program
helped them
Who we are
Eleven years in.
Still showing up.
Hopestreet is a grassroots youth and community organisation and a program of CareWorks Inc, operating in Playford, South Australia for over a decade. We run six interconnected programs and have a team of 40 staff and volunteers showing up every week. We are not a fly-in service. We live here, we work here, and we stay.
11 years operating
Continuous presence in Davoren Park and Playford
Team of 40 staff and volunteers
Showing up across all programs every week
A program of CareWorks Inc
Formal governance, financial accountability and DGR tax status
How we work
From first contact
to real pathways forward.
Each part of what we do connects to the next. This is a deliberate model designed to walk alongside young people over time, not just catch them once.
1
Find them
Skate outreach and street presence where young people already are
2
Safe space
After hours Drop-In — consistent, warm, relational
3
Real skills
Hopestreet Social — café training and work readiness
4
Move forward
Employment, education and community contribution
Our programs
Three core programs.
One consistent presence.
Youth Drop-In Program
An after hours safe space for young people when other doors are closed. Warm, consistent and built on real relationships.
Hopestreet Social
A training café and op shop creating real work experience, skills and employment pathways for young people.
Skate Outreach
Street level presence meeting young people at the skate park and in the community before they are ready to step inside.
Who we reach
Real young people.
Real circumstances.
Out of a pool of 30 regulars who attend the Youth Drop-In Program, this is what the data shows. These are not statistics in isolation — they are the everyday reality of young people who walk through our door.
78%
had school suspensions on record
56%
had contact with police
44%
had contact with youth justice or services
85%
said the program helped them in some way
If the program wasn't here
Without Hopestreet,
where would they be?
We asked young people: if the Youth Drop-In Program wasn't open tonight, where would you probably be instead?
At home
The most common answer
Roaming the streets
"Walking around," "with friends somewhere else," "shopping centre"
At the skate park
Unstructured and unsupported
Police station
One young person listed this directly
At home, unfortunately for many of these young people, is not a stable or safe environment. For a significant number of young people who attend the Youth Drop-In Program, home means exposure to family conflict, domestic violence, or simply having no one around. Hopestreet exists to be the consistent, safe presence that fills that gap.
"It makes people feel better that I'm here at Hopestreet than on the streets."
— 16 y.o., Davoren Park
Safety and belonging
How young people feel
when they walk through the door.
4.37
avg safety rating out of 5
89%
rated safety 4 or 5 out of 5
56%
leave feeling better than when they arrived
96%
comfortable talking to staff and volunteers
Why young people come
To talk to a youth worker63%
"Get to relax, don't have to deal with my family drama. The program helps me keep my mind off things."
— 15 y.o., Elizabeth South
"Ever since I started coming here I have made new friends. I wish I could stay here after I turn 18."
— 17 y.o., Elizabeth North
"Everyone is welcomed. It always has a chill vibe."
— 15 y.o., Davoren Park
"If something goes wrong at home I come to youth group if it is open. That is why I used to come every day."
— 17 y.o., Davoren Park
In their own words
"The Youth Drop-In Program is important because..."
We asked every young person to finish that sentence. Unedited. Unprompted.
"it is so important for the youth to get them off the streets."
"it has helped me be a better person."
"if anyone is having a bad time at home they can come here to chill out and make friends."
"it helps with work, helps me feel safe. Everyone is welcoming."
"to keep people off the streets and make young people more engaged."
"we have people here that can protect us."
"to get away from home safely."
"it keeps people safe and makes them feel better."
"it builds social connection and helps meet new people."
"The risks have decreased a lot since the rules put in place. It is better now for all kids. I have noticed a big change in many of the kids."
— 17 y.o., Elizabeth South — one of the longest attending young people at the program
Skills and development
What young people are
building here.
Young people told us what skills they have developed and how the program has helped — in their own words.
How it has helped
Staying out of trouble63%
Hopestreet Social
Built from what we were
already seeing.
Hopestreet Social was not created in isolation. It came directly from what we were witnessing in the Youth Drop-In Program — young people who were disengaged from school, had no work experience, and no clear pathway forward. We saw the gap and we built something to fill it.
Hopestreet Social is our training café and op shop located at 13/45 Peachey Rd, Davoren Park. It is a real world work environment open to the public, where young people aged 11 to 17 learn barista skills, customer service, food preparation, cash handling, retail operations and workplace expectations. Every session is delivered by youth workers who work with what young people already know, building from their baseline and moving at their pace. Sessions run for one to one and a half hours in small groups. Referrals can be made for individuals or classes, and programs run during school terms, holidays or as an ongoing arrangement.
What we were seeing in the Drop-In
- Young people with no employment history or skills
- Disengagement from school and training
- Low confidence and limited future vision
- Nowhere to go and nothing purposeful to do
- High risk of long term unemployment
What Hopestreet Social does
- Real café and retail skills in a live environment
- Resume support and employment readiness
- Confidence built through serving real customers
- A reason to show up — purpose and contribution
- A direct bridge to employment
Current impact · Feb to May 2026
60
work experience completions in 3 months
11 to 17
age range served, disengaged from school
40%
school attendance increase on Hopestreet Social days
40%
A teacher reported that school attendance in his class goes up 40% on the days students attend Hopestreet Social.
"I come here to feel safe."
— Young person, dropped in off the street
"I only want to come to school on the days when this is on."
— Young person, Feb 2026
"When I am in this space I feel calm, safe, happy, amazing and collected."
— Young person, May 2026
"I am going to go and apply for a job now."
— Young person, opening day Mar 2026
"I am going to be able to get a job after this."
— 15 y.o. participant
"I would not be able to gain the confidence I did without Hopestreet Social."
— 13 y.o. participant
Davoren Park · Through the eyes of the youth
What young people say about
growing up in this community.
Hopestreet gathered direct insights from young people about life in Davoren Park — their experience of safety, belonging, and what they need.
Where they feel safe
Hopestreet was named as one of the only genuinely safe places in Davoren Park by multiple young people — alongside home and close family.
Where they feel unsafe
Nights, backstreets, shopping centres, being alone — and for some, their own homes. Several described domestic violence and instability as everyday realities.
Their aspirations
Zoo keeper. Lawyer. Navy. Cook. Youth worker. Firefighter. Teacher. These young people have real dreams. They need somewhere safe enough to grow them.
"The biggest thing people misunderstand about Davoren Park is that it is actually a welcoming community. You could go up to someone's door and be best friends by the next day."
— 14 y.o., Davoren Park
"We need more places open for kids to go — somewhere they can get a feed and talk."
— Young person, Davoren Park
"There should be a program for kids to have safe people to talk to outside of family — a space to pop in whenever they want."
— Parent, Davoren Park
"I saw my siblings lose their dreams — so I chose not to do that."
— 19 y.o., Davoren Park, Hopestreet volunteer
Get involved
Inspired by what you have read?
Here is how to help.
Whether you are a donor, a business, a church or a grant funder — there is a role for you in what Hopestreet is building in Playford.
Grant funders and businesses: we have formal impact data, governance documentation and program proposals available on request.
Email us
A program of CareWorks Inc · Tax deductible donations · 13/45 Peachey Rd, Davoren Park SA