News for February, 2009

Feature: Wear Your Toque with Pride on Toque Tuesday, February 3, 2009

National

Times are tough—especially for the homeless. This year more than ever, Raising the Roof needs your support for our 12th Annual Toque Campaign. The campaign raises money to help fund agencies that provide shelter, food, job training and more in your community. Campaign proceeds also contribute to our ultimate goal—to bring about long-term solutions to homelessness.

Buy your special Raising the Roof toque—in driftwood or classic black—for a minimum $10 donation and support programs and initiatives that make a difference in the lives of thousands of men, women, youth and children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Want to help in a big way? Take the “Ten -Toque Challenge.” Order ten of these warm, stylish, Canadian-made toques; keep one and pass on nine to deserving friends or fellow supporters. The challenge helps you to make a difference in the lives of Canada’s homeless men, women, youth and children. Wear your toque with pride throughout the winter and, especially, on Toque Tuesday, February 3, 2009!

The “Ten -Toque” difference

Wonder what your purchase of ten toques can do?

• For 16-year-old Cindy, struggling to finish school while living on the streets, it represents a hot lunch every day for a month.

• For Dillon, trying to hold down his first job and pay rent, it’s a monthly bus pass.

• For Indra, it’s a night at a shelter for her and her child.

Now, think of nine other people you know, who would be proud to wear a toque that says “I care.” Thank you!

Community Spotlight: More Services Needed for Homeless Aboriginal Youth

British Columbia

A new report has provided a detailed analysis of the experiences of marginalized and street involved Aboriginal youth in British Columbia. The report includes the response to the findings from Aboriginal community members, and calls for increased services. The most common services young people said they needed was safe and affordable housing, job training and work experience.

The report is a further analysis of a McCreary Centre Society survey conducted in late 2006 of marginalized and street involved B.C. youth that found more than half the youth (54 per cent) who participated identified as Aboriginal. This was a significant increase over a similar study in 2000.

Concerned about the increase, community members requested more information about the health of these youth. With funding provided by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), McCreary Centre, in partnership with UBC School of Nursing, was able to hire a team of Aboriginal researchers to analyze the findings. They also held discussions with Aboriginal service providers, Elders and community members in each of the nine communities from the original study.
Called Moving Upstream, the report analyzed the experiences in nine B.C. communities of 410 homeless, inadequately housed, street involved and marginalized Aboriginal youth ages 12 to 18.

Community discussions suggested several possible reasons for the significant increase in Aboriginal homeless youth—an increase in the Aboriginal youth population, the lack of affordable housing and inadequate social assistance, and youth feeling more willing to identify as Aboriginal.

“Although the original survey was not created solely for Aboriginal youth, these findings suggest Aboriginal youth continue to experience the legacy of colonization, and the cultural disconnection that this causes,” said Annie Smith, Executive Director of the McCreary Centre, a non-profit organization concerned with the health of young people in British Columbia.

“I think the report clearly shows the need to ensure there are Aboriginal-specific programs and services available to children, youth and their families in their communities.”
“The challenges Aboriginal youth face in all these communities is sobering,” said UBC Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, who serves as McCreary Centre’s Research Director and was Principal Investigator of the study. “At the same time, it’s important to recognize how many of the young people we surveyed had strong hopes for their future, and were working hard to create a better life. Despite the obstacles, many were going to school, were working, were connected to their family, and reaching for healthier opportunities.”

“Programs and services are only part of the solution,” said Aboriginal researcher Dana Brunanski. “We need societal change and community-level healing, in order to create a world where more of our youth can choose a good path.”
Other key findings include:
• A large number of the youth reported leaving home before entering their teen years. Over 40 per cent had first run away at age 12 or younger, and one in three had been kicked out by age 12, underscoring the importance of early interventions with families.
• 47 per cent had gone hungry because they or their parents didn’t have money for food.
• Violence was a significant issue for most of the youth. 63 per cent reported having witnessed family violence, and almost 60 per cent having been physically abused.
• One in four reported experiencing racial discrimination in the past year.

News Briefs: New on Raising the Roof’s Shared Learnings on Homelessness Website

LEA Place Women's Resource Centre, in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, provides direct services and programs to women and adolescents girls on numerous issues.

The Mustard Seed Street Church, in Victoria, British Columbia, provides effective support for people that are homeless to make sure that they have daily substance in the everyday life and their needs are being addressed on a day-to-day basis.

Housing Key to Recession Relief

Prior to the federal budget release last week, there was a major gathering of agency representatives, homeless, unemployed and people from all walks of life concerned about the impact of the recession on Canada’s most vulnerable citizens in Toronto. The group gathered to sign the Recession Relief Fund Declaration which has been endorsed by over 200 organizations from across Canada and by over 900 individuals since it was launched on December 18. For all the latest news on the federal budget, which delivered new spending on social housing renovation, visit the Department of Finance Canada; for analysis visit Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Wellesley Institute.

Second National Conference on Homelessness in Canada

Calgary, Alberta

To address the causes and develop solutions for homelessness, those involved in the delivery of services, planning, policy making and research with homelessness are encouraged to join in a national dialogue – Growing Home: Housing and Homelessness in Canada. The second national conference on homelessness will be held in Calgary, Alberta from February 18 to 20, 2009.