From homelessness to helping others: How Tahnee changed her life after years of ‘couch surfing’
Before discovering her true calling, Tahnee worked a long list of varied jobs, trying to find a path that felt right.
“I worked for Doors Plus and Williams Blinds as a female installer. I was a teacher’s aide up to Year 6, a professional cleaner, a handywoman, waitressing, kitchenhand work – just all random, different jobs. Nothing seemed to fit very well,” she tells nine.com.au.
Tahnee Capon navigated years of homelessness while studying. Supplied
Her initial brush with high school was cut short. She completed Year 11 and part of Year 12 across three years, before stepping away without graduating. Her first taste of community service came when she was 17, driven by a desire to help her 10-year-old brother, who was struggling in school.
“I said to him that I’d go and sit in his classes, so I went and did a TAFE course for a year to become a teacher’s aide. With my presence in the classroom, he wasn’t disturbing the other children. He was actually doing his work and helping make the teacher’s life easier.”
After completing that voluntary role, Tahnee, who is based in the northern NSW town of Inverell, took time out from working and studying to welcome a child. But her adult life took a difficult turn when, starting at age 20, she experienced ongoing homelessness.
“Relationship breakdowns, and then a lack of family and friends to help support me, meant I just ended up couch-surfing on people’s lounges,” she explains.
“I bought myself a caravan, so I’m living in that now. I’m slowly working my way up.”
Navigating homelessness while pursuing higher education required incredible resilience and reliance on local community support networks.
"I worked four days a week and had one day of studying," Tahnee says.
"The college was just around the corner from my work, so I got a lift to work, walked around to the college, did my course, walked back, and got a lift home.
“I always relied on other people. Asking people for help became an almost normal feeling.”
Tahnee’s first taste of community service came when she was just 17. Supplied
At the end of 2023, Tahnee enrolled at Inverell Community College, completing a 12-month course in Community Services. She immediately built on that milestone by pursuing her Certificate IV to secure a higher qualification for her current workplace.
For the past three years, she’s worked as a support worker and receptionist for the Rural Outreach and Support Service in Inverell. Along with her two formal certificates, she has completed around 15 short courses to continuously broaden her skillset.
"I even became a food supervisor so that we could serve food to homeless people," she notes. "I didn’t need to do that, but I did it for my job anyway."
Tahnee credits the team at the Rural Outreach and Support Service and key mentors at the Community College, including her trainers Tanya and Ian, for guiding her through her studies. They also helped her navigate learning barriers associated with reading and writing.
"I am self-diagnosed as dyslexic, though I've never been formally diagnosed," Tahnee shares.
“I told them straight up, and they were very helpful in showing me computer tools, like how to get the computer to read things out to you and how to keep notes. You can read my writing, but one or two letters might be mixed around.
“Whenever I got stuck, I’d look to them and they’d help me get to the right answer.”
Tahnee’s personal journey through hardship has become her greatest professional asset in her support work.
"My personal experiences help me a lot with my work," Tahnee says.
“It helps me connect with my clients on a personal level because we might have been through the same thing, or something similar. They know I know how they feel and what they’re going through. That helps them come out of their shell, open up, and accept help.”
‘My personal experiences help me a lot with my work.’ Supplied
Her workplace operates with an open-door policy: “We don’t turn anyone away here. If our service can’t help personally, we will find someone who can, so I know their needs are being met.”
Looking ahead, Tahnee plans to enroll in a Diploma of Community Services, likely via online study since it isn't currently offered locally in Inverell.
Her message to anyone considering stepping back into education is simple: “You can’t lose anything from trying, and you might surprise yourself in what you achieve.”
Adult Learners Week (September 1-8) is encouraging Australians to ‘Follow Your Compass’ with further learning. Find out more by visiting the website.
