Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs celebrated receiving a $50,000 grant from The Home Depot Canada Foundation for prevention and early intervention programs for youth at risk of homelessness in the Okanagan.
The grant is part of The Orange Door Project Grant Program, which supports repairs, renovations and/or modifications to housing accommodations or other support for youth homelessness initiatives. The funding will be used to further develop ways to engage youth prior to experiencing homelessness.
The funding through The Home Depot Canada Foundation will help Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs to focus on prevention, assess risk, and provide support to youth and their families before youth enter into homelessness. Youth at risk of homelessness are supported through possible reconciliation of family breakdown, and by finding natural supports for the youth to stay with until conflict in the home can be resolved.
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Youth facing homelessness are supported through life skills programming to learn how to find housing, complete their education, find a job and manage their money, work effectively with a landlord, cook and clean, be a good neighbour, and work toward their goals. Our Youth Shelter is an emergency safety net for youth experiencing homelessness, and we do whatever possible, including working with young people’s natural supports and our housing partners in the community, to find safe, stable options for youth that will also decrease their future risk of homelessness. This work is embedded in the Journey Home Strategy, and part of the A Way Home Kelowna coalition to prevent and end Youth Homelessness.
“Youth should not experience being homeless. The more we can do upstream, with families and young people, the more likely youth are to have a stable living environment as they make the transition to adulthood. We are so thankful that The Home Depot Canada Foundation has contributed funds to our efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness in our community.” said Diane Entwistle, CEO, Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs.
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“Working together with our community partners, The Home Depot Canada is committed to ending youth homelessness and we are so proud to support Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs with their preventative approach to ensuring youth never experience homelessness,” said Jeff Kinnaird, chair, board of directors, The Home Depot Canada Foundation and president, The Home Depot Canada. “By supporting the organizations that provide important life-skills programs, we are helping bring housing and hope to our most vulnerable youth.”
The Orange Door Project Grant Program is part of The Orange Door Project initiative, which supports renovation and repair projects and programs that provide vulnerable and homeless youth with access to safe, stable housing and support services.
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