It’s a drop-in program run by the Bankstown Multicultural Youth Service (BMYS) and provides 12–24-year-olds a safe place to socialise and talk about their concerns. The program was built around the idea that the community needed to reconnect with local young people.

Located on the Mall in Bankstown, it’s in an ideal spot as it’s a short walk from the train station and a shopping centre, and faces a large park where many young locals like to hang out.

HomeBass has made a difference to the lives of those who come through its doors, many of whom are from Arabic, Pacific Islander and Indo-Chinese backgrounds.

“The staff at HomeBass noticed that I was feeling down and now I see a counsellor and I feel better,” explained one patron.

HomeBass offers more than a café, it also runs a series of programs and activities including karaoke, movie nights, cooking, Boys X Box challenges, Wednesday Girls Day, grass karting, cards and board games, touch footy, dance workshops and various craft activities.

HomeBass also has a team of senior volunteers on hand to run its Seniors for Youth project. Primarily the seniors provide the young patrons with a listening ear and a wealth of knowledge and experience. They are members of the local community, from various ethnic backgrounds, who feel it is important to invest in young people because they see them as part of our future.

“I love talking to the old people on a Thursday night!” exclaimed one youngster.

It also provides local young women an exclusive space once a week. This ‘boy-free zone’ gives the Islamic girls an appropriate environment in which to remove their scarves and interact more comfortably, as many are not allowed to hang out with young men. However, many of the girls still drop into HomeBass during other times.

HomeBass also doubles up as a referral service where its young patrons can be referred on to health centres, counselling, crisis accommodation and a wide range of other services.

“I can go to HomeBass and talk to any of the staff whenever I need help with something. I talk to them about how I’m feeling, what’s going on at home and how others are treating me,” shared one of the young patrons.

Initially there was some resistance to the idea of establishing a youth café in the Canterbury-Bankstown area, particularly a café situated in the heart of its central business district. It was considered that moving young people away from the CBD was the best way to deal with them. In fact some local businesses wanted to shut HomeBass down.

However, the café has successfully shifted those attitudes by raising the profile of young people in positive ways. The local community is not as negative towards young people and similar youth services. The local young people are now more visible and encouraged to hold local music and cultural performances.

The café has since continued to provide an important link between the BMYS and the wider community. Staff believe that the young people who frequent the café are more likely to access other parts of the BMYS. The youth workers at HomeBass say that once the young patrons have learnt to trust them, they feel it’s safer to trust other BMYS workers and extend that trust to other services. Sometimes HomeBass staff are the first adults that these young people have a positive relationship with.

Overall, HomeBass tries to encourage a 'give it a go' attitude and creates an environment where young people feel comfortable to take safe risks.

“Before I came to HomeBass I didn’t have any friends and I was always home alone, I’ve made friends at HomeBass and I’m always here now.”

HomeBass is open every Tuesday and Wednesday from 3-6 pm; and from 4-7 pm on Thursdays and Fridays.