Your Support Changes Lives!

It’s not unusual that clients come back to YES to use our food and clothing cupboard, get identification copied, or simply check in with staff for advice to celebrate their success with a caring adult. Your support of YES make success possible, so we’d like to share some recent stories with you...

Step By Step, Life Can Get Better
YES’ Youth-In-Transition Worker, Kelly was thrilled to hear from a client “You told me just to stay the path and do one thing every day that life would get better – You were right!” This 20 year old man was referred to YES’ Youth-In Transition Program, because his Children’s Aid Society (CAS) social worker was concerned that he might kill himself. He was drinking too much, had lost rights to visit his daughter, and was being evicted.  Kelly worked collaboratively with him on a step by step plan including getting connected to addictions supports at Fourcast, medication, food and a safer place to live. Just months later, he has stopped drinking, is able to see his daughter, and has enrolled in school in September to learn a trade. Youth aged 16-24 with current or prior involvement with the Children’s Aid Society can receive support from this program. Email transition@yesshelter.ca or phone 705-917-3020 (text ok).


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Growing Up Safely
We’ll be pleased to see a familiar face return to our high school classroom this fall. “Samuel” came to the shelter as a very young 16 year old. He had quirky habits, many phobias, liked to get a rise out of others, and was negative in his outlook. Given his vulnerability, YES kept Samuel for an extended stay. We pushed to get some assessments completed that gave him a clinical diagnosis for some of his challenges. This allowed him to qualify for financial support through the Ontario Disability Support Program. With this income, he is able to afford a place of his own which he has maintained with minimal supports for 1 ½ years. Thanks to you, Samuel got to grow up safely. Like any adolescent, it’s taken time for him to become aware of the world and his place in it. Now, instead of provocations, he shares a warm and wry wit with others. He has become an accomplished writer and we look forward to his participation in our arts programming this fall.

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Cake Decorating
As part of our arts programming, YES staff Jaycee recently engaged residents in cake decorating. It reminded her of a time last fall when a young woman helped decorate cakes for Hallowe’en at the shelter. This client had a daughter but did not have custody of her child. She found housing and left YES – but not before arranging to get more decorating help from Jaycee. At 5am, on Jaycee’s overnight shift, she helped this young woman bake and decorate a cake for her child. She was able to take it to a visit to celebrate her daughter’s birthday. Jaycee continues to help parents in the shelter make and decorate special cakes for their children’s birthdays. These shared festivities with excited children (and youth!) are one of the joys of being both a family and youth shelter. 

 

“Today I am clean, we have a roof over our head and I am happier than I have ever been”
The YES Shelter for Youth and Families provides emergency shelter to about 25 families each year. Most often it is a catastrophic event such as a flood, fire or family break up that leaves families without a home. In recent years, bed bugs have become a reason for people to leave their rental accommodation. This past year, YES worked with a family of three who moved from the YES Shelter into a new apartment, only to return to the shelter within days, covered in bed bug bites. When they returned to their rental apartment a few days later, the minimal spraying conducted by the landlord had not solved the problem. The landlord refused to refund their last month’s rent. This family stayed at YES for weeks longer while the working father saved up last month’s rent again and YES’ case management staff helped them find a new apartment.  The family now has a fresh start: “We pretty much had to start over with nothing, but we are slowly getting there. Today I am clean, we have a roof over our head and I am happier than I have ever been. I don’t know what we would have done without the YES Shelter”. Your donations and volunteer support enable YES to stretch our resources when a family’s circumstances demand a longer stay.  A past family resident, Tammy, shared her story at our Annual General Meeting. It was so touching, we want to share it with you, in her words: "I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Every place you go, every person you meet, every job, even every struggle you have is part of a plan. I’ve had my share of struggles, from anorexia, bulimia, to addiction. I’ve been battling demons since I was 15 years old. My name is Tammy. I’m 39 years old. I have a 14 year old son named Dylan from a previous relationship who lives with his father. In 2007 I made the hardest decision of my life to let Dylan go live with his Dad when I went to rehab, but we’ve never been closer so I know I made the right decision... " To read the rest of her incredible story, click here.



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A Safe Haven For Young Women
Recently a young woman, “Jenny” stopped by the shelter specifically to tell a staff she will be attending college in the fall. She wanted us to know she was safe and well – and perhaps to share her pride in herself. Jenny stayed just briefly at YES. She had recently fled an abusive relationship and came to YES because the local shelter for women fleeing violence was full. Jenny was quiet and timid. She was afraid that her boyfriend was after her. An adult friend managed to find her housing quite quickly. Weeks later, she was running up YES’ steps one night, terrified her ex boyfriend was after her. Staff kept her safe until help arrived. Community support is critical to keeping YES staffed 24/7 so we are always available to help, night or day.  

‘Maker Mondays’ Engage Youth in Positive Expression
 

YES hosts an opportunity for creative expression every Monday evening. Community artists come in for a single session or for a series of Mondays to mentor youth in a particular art form. Recent sessions have included patch making, cake decorating, film making, wood burning, guided painting, zantangling,  circus arts, and tie-dying. Next sessions will engage youth in silk screen printing, creative writing and needle felting. These sessions are open to any youth who have resided at YES or who are involved with our youth-in-transition worker program. It offers a great opportunity for YES to continue to support youth in a casual and creative space. Much research has shown that engaging marginalized youth in the arts has far reaching benefits for both the youth and the broader community because it:
 

• stimulates learning motivation and has a positive impact on academic performance,
• cultivates creative thinking and problem solving abilities
• improves individual self-esteem, confidence, and conflict resolution skills,
• decreases anxiety and depression, and provides opportunities for developing new friendships and positive social networks,
• promotes mentoring and role modeling with both community leaders and peers,
• provides employment skills and training, and
• has a positive financial impact on social services through improvement in crime, health and education indicator

We welcome volunteers who have experience working with youth and some form of creative expression to share. Interested youth or artists/instructors can contact arts@yesshelter.ca. Funding for this program is gratefully provided by the Home Depot Canada Foundation.