Simcoe County’s homeless crisis is on the rise and the numbers are staggering. Youth comprise an estimated twenty percent of homeless individuals currently living in Canada and for about 80 per cent of youth, the option to leave home was not a choice at all.
“Youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless come to us with trauma and experiences that nobody should ever have to endure,” explains Youth Haven Executive Director Lucy Gowers.
“Many of our youth have faced traumatic experiences and circumstances that no one should ever experience. They find themselves at Youth Haven because living at home has become difficult. In some cases, their parents may be grappling with their own issues and trauma, making it challenging to provide the necessary support and care. Some of our youth have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, often at the hands of the adults that were responsible for taking care of them”
For these vulnerable youth, the streets may seem like a safer option than the environments they are leaving behind. It's a stark reality that highlights the urgent need for organizations like Youth Haven. By providing shelter, support, and a caring community, Youth Haven aims to break the cycle of homelessness and offer these young individuals a chance at a better future.
The dedication and compassion of Lucy Gowers and her team at Youth Haven are instrumental in making a positive impact on the lives of these youth. Their work underscores the importance of addressing youth homelessness with empathy, understanding, and a commitment to creating a safer and more stable environment for all.
As the only emergency shelter in the county of Simcoe specific to the needs of youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, Youth Haven helps more than 400 youth every single year by offering safe housing, transitional housing, and outreach and support services.
Youth in our community count on Youth Haven for support. And now, it’s time for Youth Haven to ask for the community’s help through their New Haven for Youth Haven campaign.
New Haven for Youth Haven is a campaign to raise $2 million to build a new facility, which will nearly double the current capacity, providing safe housing to 31 youth. Groundbreaking begins in Spring 2024 and the build is expected to be completed in two months, provided the campaign reaches its target. With the community’s support, it’s a goal that Gowers is confident they’ll reach. “I believe in our community”, she says.
“Our community support has been remarkable! Without the support and generosity of our community members, Youth Haven couldn’t be what it is today. The support comes in many different ways – donations of clothing, food, gift cards, bus passes, supplies of all kinds, financial donations, the list goes on and on. We provide 24/7 support to youth in need. During COVID, the community support was incredible. While most organizations had to shut down, we continued to provide support to the many youths who came to us for help. And the community continued to support us with their generosity and commitment to ensuring that we continued to offer the best care and options for youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
That says a lot about the community that we live in; it's encouraging to see such dedication and compassion and it motivates us to keep striving to be better.”
Beyond the Build: Simcoe County Home Builders Association provides trade opportunities for youth
The new home for Youth Haven is made possible through the support of the Simcoe County Home Builders Association (SCHBA), which has committed to half of the campaign target, with $1 million provided in materials, services and labour. The project began with a call to the Association to visit the existing site, assess necessary improvements and provide an estimate. The result was a recommendation to rebuild the entire facility from the ground up.
In addition to the build itself, the partnership with SCHBA will provide opportunities for youth to find training and employment in the building trades. “One of the things that we're definitely going to be encouraging is a day for the youth to come out and actually help the Simcoe County Home Builders members with this build. We want them to feel good about what’s happening, and the Simcoe County Home Builders Association wants to encourage youth to get into the trades by introducing these career options.” An existing partnership with Community Builders provides opportunities for youth to learn about the building trades, through hands-on experience and classroom learning. At the completion of the program, opportunities exist for youth to apply for work in construction and with contractors.
“The opportunities are endless,” explains Gowers, who sees firsthand the positive impact these opportunities have on Youth Haven clients. “To be able to be given this opportunity and then see how much they actually enjoy being a part of the contracting and construction community and see themselves doing the work is inspiring. I get so excited when I hear that. We've had a number of youths that have been offered positions right after they graduated from the program. That’s exciting. That’s transformative!” For many, this type of encouragement is not instilled at home. “Our youth are like any other youths: they have hopes. They have dreams. And they just need somebody to say to them, ‘I believe in you. You matter’.”
Services offered at Youth Haven
Youth Haven facility offers emergency shelter and is currently at capacity with housing provided to nineteen youth. The new build will increase this capacity to 31. In addition, Youth Haven offers transitional housing support and outreach services to bring support to youth on the streets and in encampments.
From a hot shower and healthy meal to books and backpacks to a home where they feel safe and valued, Youth Haven has served more than 300 youth throughout the county of Simcoe this year alone.
How you can help build a New Haven for Youth Haven
Financial support is urgently needed to help Youth Haven meet their two million dollar goal. Donations can be made directly on the New Haven campaign website, or through their monthly giving program, which enables the shelter to plan for the longer term and changing needs. In addition to financial donations, Gowers invites the Simcoe County community to explore additional ways to offer support. “Get to know us better, by sending me an email or calling our shelter and asking for more information. Because sometimes, our needs do vary. Sometimes our focus may be on providing our youth with food. Sometimes it may be providing them with educational supports like backpacks and items they can use to help them in school. Sometimes it’s to help with bus passes, hygiene products and grocery gift cards.”
Gowers encourages the community to follow Youth Haven on social media for updates on current needs, and reminds us of the ever-present need for safe shelter for youth in our community. “As much as we want to end youth homelessness, we know that's not going to happen anytime soon. So, what we have to do is provide the youth that are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of being homeless, with the support that they need to move them out of their current situation and into a more stable and hopeful future.”
Youth Haven is staffed 24 hours, 365 days a year for any youth who needs assistance. If you are a young person in need of assistance, please contact Youth Haven immediately.