Drive for Life

The Oasis Youth Support Network, Sydney is The Salvation Army's response to youth homelessness in Australia.

Located in Surry Hills, NSW Oasis provides over 25 cutting edge programs that offer critical points of intervention and support for homeless and disadvantaged young people between 16 and 24 years of age.

These life changing support services include: crisis and transitional accommodation, case management, counselling, legal support, accredited workplace training, education and vocational programs and specialist intervention services.

Drive for Life

Carsguide.com.au and ŠKODA are proud partners of the Oasis Drive for Life program. For any young person in Australia, getting your driver’s licence is a rite of passage; a licence represents freedom, independence and accomplishment.

The majority of young people who come to Oasis are without family support networks to teach them to drive and none can afford professional lessons to obtain their learner’s and provisional driver’s licences.

Carsguide.com.au and ŠKODA are proud to help make this dream of one day getting a licence a reality by providing three Yetis, promotion of the initiative and offering volunteers.

Through the Drive for Life program, young people at Oasis will be offered the opportunity to achieve the mandatory 120 driving hours necessary to obtain Red Ps, in a safe and positive environment.

With 75 young people currently on the waiting list, the incredible donation of cars provided by Carsguide.com.au and ŠKODA will be life transforming for many!

“As the Oasis Schools Liaison, I am passionate about creating awareness of youth homelessness and have enjoyed the privilege of engaging thousands of students across Australia. However I have been doing this without a driver’s licence and sometimes struggle with taking three modes of public transport to reach some schools! Having a driver's licence will allow me the opportunity to access more schools, regionally and interstate, with my message. I can’t wait to start Drive 4 Life.” -- Bianca Orsini

At the age of 19 Bianca was homeless. After outstaying her welcome with her only friend in Sydney she ended up at Oasis’s doorstep. After being assisted with transitional accommodation, Oasis identified that Bianca was a confident and engaging young woman and invited her to undertake ‘Champions’ a nine month leadership development and advocacy program run by Oasis and Virgin Unite.

Bianca is now employed fulltime as the Oasis School Liaison.

“I’d been struggling to do normal, everyday things that most people take for granted such as grocery shopping and getting to the doctor. The driving program at Oasis was a huge help, especially because it allowed me to take the kids in the car when I had nobody to look after them ... without this program my life would be a lot harder than it is at the moment.” -- Amy

The Drive for Life program is committed to ensuring young people receive the skills necessary to drive safely, responsibly and defensively – for life! The Drive for Life initiative aims to expand nationally through the support of the Oasis Foundation.

• For more information on the Oasis Youth Support Network, Sydney please click here.
• Fore more information on ŠKODA, please click here

Carsguide.com.au launches the Oasis Drive for Life programme