Youth Without Shelter

ROMELESSHEET TO YOUTH WITHOUT SHELTER WITHOUT "ENDING HOMELESSNESS, ONE YOUTH AT A TIME, ONE STEP AT A TIME" YOUTH WITHOUT SHELTER IS AN WE PROVIDE AN OUR PROGRAMS ENABLE YOUTH TO LIVE INDEPENDENT SHELTER, RESPONSIBLE & INDEPENDENTLY EMERGENCY RESIDENCE & REFERRAL AGENCY SERVING HOMELESS YOUTH COMMITTED TO DIVERSE CLIENT-FOCUSED SERVICES, -BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16-24: IN A SAFE, NONJUDGMENTAL ENVIRONMENT. IN SOCIETY WHAT MAKES YWS UNIQUE? FOUNDED IN 1986 WE ARE BOTH THE ONLY YOUTH SHELTER IN ETOBICOKE (WEST END OF TORONTO) BY A GROUP OF GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS/TEACHERS WHO WERE FRUSTRATED WITH THE LACK OF SAFE, EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR THEIR STUDENTS IN THE SUBURBS. NUMBER OF STAFF: OPEN FOR THE ONLY SHELTER IN TORONTO OFFERING 28 24 » 365 AN INNOVATIVE FULL-TIME STAY IN SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT OFFERS YOUTH STABLE HOUSING WITH SPECIFIC SUPPORTS WHILE THEY FINISH THEIR EDUCATION. hrs days FULL TIME A DAY A YEAR 1155 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE 15,375 VOLUNTEER HOURS IN ONE YEAR. ASSIST IN CLOTHING ROOM TUTORS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES MEAL PREPARATION STEPS WORKSHOPS INTERIOR PAINTING YARD WORK GARDENING WE ARE AN ACTIVE CENTRE FOR CHILD & YOUTH CARE WORKER PLACEMENT STUDENTS. YWS HAS NO GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES. YOUTH COME FROM ALL PARTS OF THE GTA, OUT OF THE CITY/PROVINCE & GOVERNED BY A 12 MEMBER VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS. NEW CANADIANS. • HOW WE HELP• TIER 1 RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM The YWS Residential Program, which accommodates up to 30 youth, meets the immediate needs of residents by providing them with shelter, one on one counselling, regular meals, clothing and personal hygiene products. Professional child and youth care workers meet weekly with each youth to establish a plan of action and support them in reaching their goals. STEPS TO SUCCESS PROGRAM 2 TIER Equips youth with the life skills and resources they need to secure independent housing, find employment or complete their education. Youth have access to more than 600 workshops per year. Through a combination of workshops and referrals, we work with each youth to set goals and decide their next steps. TIER HOUSING PROGRAM 3 Focuses on placing youth into permanent, affordable housing. Housing workers conduct workshops on budgeting, tenant rights, living with roommates and relationships with landlords. Each year, we are successful in helping more than 75 youth move perma- nently off the street and into stable housing. STAY IN SCHOOL PROGRAM 4 TIER Homelessness and leaving school early go hand in hand and are a major life-long disadvantage for youth. The Stay in School Program offers youth longer-term accommodation for up to 20 residents while they focus on completing their education. Students have access to an onsite computer lab, tutoring, TTC EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM TIER The Employment Program provides dedicated counselling for employment assessments; job search; resume writing and inter- view skill development; and connection to career shadowing and volunteer opportunities. It aims to alleviate the barriers homeless youth encounter in finding and maintaining employment such as: literacy, legal issues and lack of financial resources to access appropriate foot and work wear. passes, school supplies, as well as all the other shelter services. .... .... ..... WHO ARE YWS YOUTH RESIDENTS? REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL LEVELS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, ETHNICITY, GENDER, RELIGION & SEXUAL ORIENTATION. 10,000 DIFFERENT YOUTH ARE HOMELESS AT THEY ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 – 24. ONE POINT IN ANY GIVEN YEAR IN TORONTO. ..... ..... OVER 70% 40% FEMALE 60% MALE HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF SEXUAL, PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL ABUSE. 65,000 YOUNG PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS IN CANADA AT ANY GIVEN TIME A - APPROXIMATELY 30% ARE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. 70 B - 34% HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE. 60 %3D 50 C - 33% SUFFER FROM POST –TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. 40 D - APPROXIMATELY 20% ARE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTIONS. 30 E- 65% COME FROM FAMILIES WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS. 20 10 F- 56% OF MALE HOMELESS YOUTH HAVE GRADE 11 OR LESS. A B C DE F G G- 60% OF FEMALE HOMELESS YOUTH HAVE GRADE 11 OF LESS. Sources: CBC News Report “No Way Home" 2004; Youth Homeless in Canada, The Road to Solutions by Raising the Roof, March 2009; Improving the Health of Canadians: Mental Health and Homelessness 2006 Toronto by Canadian Institute for Health Information. ENOILIION YOUTH SHELTER VOLUNTEER SERVICES