Reaching out

By Bridget Brady
DAIN Fay hopes young people in Casey will be captivated by a Reach Foundation program in the same way he was as a teenager.
Mr Fay, 25, was at school when The Reach Foundation’s FUSED program made him reflect on the way his actions were affecting the people around him. He was inspired to be a part of the program, and the Pakenham resident is now a facilitator for The Reach Foundation.
“It was completely different to anything I’d ever experienced,” he said. “I was limited in what I thought I could achieve in my life.”
Mr Fay is encouraging Casey youth aged 13 to 18 years to take up the challenge of exploring their lives at a deeper level by taking part in the FUSED workshops, which start in Narre Warren on 18 May and run for five weeks.
The workshops were aimed at prevention and early intervention for young people, but any young person was welcome to come along, Mr Fay said.
He said the teenagers in the workshops were often a diverse group of people.
“Once you cut a lot of the surface level stuff, a lot of the feelings going on are pretty universal.”
Mr Fay said he hoped the program would provide the young people would gain a greater sense of self-belief. “There are so many young people out here (Casey) and the numbers are only increasing, and I really believe young people have to be given a space to explore.
The workshops cost $5 each. To book in call 9412 0910.