Caroline manages the Australian Red Cross Police Call Outs program in greater Adelaide. She oversees a 24/7 operation, training and rostering a team of 46 volunteer dispatchers and responders who are on call whenever a young person doesn’t have a parent or guardian to attend police interviews.

Growing up in Indonesia, Caroline has always been conscious of the impacts of poverty and disadvantage on young people. From a high school volunteer program helping to strengthen school systems in underprivileged communities, to one of her first jobs after university as a Youth Mentor, her work has long been dedicated to disadvantaged youth.

That experience led Caroline to a role as Program Support Officer for Australian Red Cross. The Police Call Outs program is entirely volunteer run, with groups of three rostered on around the clock.

When a call is made from the station, it goes to a dispatcher who coordinates which responder will attend the callout, based on the location. The responder will then travel out and attend the police interview as an advocate for the young person.

From there, Red Cross offers referral support for assistance in areas like accommodation, employment and counselling.

In the last year, Caroline and her team of volunteers have responded to 242 call outs. Of that, sixteen young people asked to be referred for further support.

It might seem like a small number, but for Caroline, that’s a win.

When a majority of call outs involve children who may not have family support, and many identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, there is a strong need for trauma awareness and cultural sensitivity. Caroline sees it as her responsibility to ensure that responders go into these interviews with an open mind.

“These young people haven’t lived the same life that we have.”

Instead of viewing children held in police custody as ‘attention-seekers’ or ‘bad kids’, Caroline tells us to “[open] your mind to the other side of their life.” While most youth in custody can be seen as just another number, Caroline knows that to make a difference, you need to not only be an advocate, but a kind face too. And none of the success of this program would be possible without the passion and commitment of volunteers who sacrifice their time to support those young people.

She is particularly grateful for the spirit that other young people have bought to the program.

“We’re the new generation” Caroline tells us.

“Young people are more driven to [this line of work] because they want to make a change.”

We are so inspired by the incredible work that young people do with us here at Australian Red Cross.

If you’d like to get involved with Red Cross and help us make a difference, head to our Youth Hub to check out all the ways you can join the movement.