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 Windsor’s Country Cares Concert online will raise funds for homeless youth Windsor's own dynamic and community-minded country singer Kelsi Mayne and her fellow artists are working with Windsor's Country 95.9/92.7 radio to produce a @windsorscountry Facebook Live concert July 15 at 7:00 PM. The concert will raise funds so that the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) can, during COVID-19, continue to shelter homeless youth and help them build new lives as active citizens. “We are very grateful that this group of talented young performers is raising money to help homeless youth build new lives,” said WRYM President Brian Worrall. “I’m really looking forward to the show!” The Facebook online concert will be accessed through https://www.facebook.com/windsorscountry/ Listeners who wish to donate will be encouraged to visit http://www.wrym.ca The performers...  As a national bronze medalist over 60m hurdles for the Lancers, Windsor’s own, Kelsi Mayne continues to make her mark across the country. The former house-singer at downtown’s Bull & Barrel Urban Saloon, has now played Canada’s most celebrated stages including Boots and Hearts, Havelock Jamboree, Hometown Hockey, and Alberta’s Big Valley Jamboree— opening for Alan Jackson, FGL, Lindsay Ell, Jason Aldean and many more. Kelsi made headlines last year as a top 3 finalist in CCMA’s 2019 “Top of the Country” nation-wide contest and is currently nominated for CMAOntario’s “Rising Star” award. With the recent release of her debut album, “As I Go,” clips of the title track’s music video have garnered over 4M views on TikTok— making her the most popular Canadian country act on the platform.  Barrie, Ontario’s Kansas Stone is composed of Brian John Harwood and Matt Davey. Both members came together to create music with no boundaries, music that reflected real life, like love, music, summer and cold beer. Since their debut in 2015, the band has toured extensively across Canada and the US, playing festivals such as CMT Fest, Trackside, Havelock Jamboree, and many more. They’ve opened for acts such as Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Dallas Smith, and the list goes on! While hitting milestones on the road and building a dedicated audience, they’ve released a string of successful singles, leading them to their 2019 CMAO nomination. The Duo are hard at work and gearing up for a full length album.  Danielle Bourjeaurd is a Canadian country song writer and recording artist who has written with & Shared the Stage with many Canadians such as Tom Cochrane, Michelle Wright, Aaron Pritchett, David Boyd James, Meghan Patrick, Gord Bamford The good brothers & more. She was a finalist in the CCMA's 2017 Discovery Program and then 2018 was a huge year for her coming off her November "Indie Week triump in Canada (Best Emerging Artist and runner up Best Overall Artist from over 300 acts.) She finished the year with a guest spot on Gord Bamford's "Honky Tonks & Dive Bar" national tour. The did a duet "Bigger Glass" together as well. 2019 she is showing no signs of slowing down!  Singer/songwriter duo Mike Ure and Aidan Johnson-Bujold emerged from the small towns of Harrow and LaSalle, Ontario, in a very big way. In just a few short years, the band has earned incredible accolades and awards including; 2020 International Songwriter Competition Finalists, 2018 CCMA Spotlight Finalists, 2017 CMAO Rising Star Award Nominees, and Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Finalists. Fans recognize Buck Twenty for their trademark sound, which is bursting with harmonies, catchy hooks, as well as the surplus of positive energy they have on stage.  Kalsey Kulyk has been singing country music since the age of 3 years old. The Saskatchewan native got her big break in 2017 at the Canadian Country Music awards when she won a record deal and publishing deal as well as the CCMA artist discovery award. Since then Kalsey released her debut album, released 4 music videos, all ending up on CMT and is set to release her next single in a few weeks called “Who I Was”.  London born Genevieve Fisher has earned 7 top 50 national country radio hits. Her recent releases, "Take It On Home" and "You Me We" climbed into Canada's top 20 and top 30 respectively. Genevieve has earned recognition within the Canadian Country Music scene by earning Female Artist of the Year nominations at the 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Country Music Association of Ontario Music Awards. She has been recognized by the Canadian Country Music Association with her prestigious CCMA performance selection at the 2012 New Artist Showcase in Saskatoon. Her songwriting skills have also been acknowledged by the CCMA as witnessed by their selection to perform for prestigious Songwriters Series in 2016 and 2018. Her Indigenous background has allowed her to score 2 NUMBER 1 HITS on the North American Indigenous Top 40 broadcast internationally weekly.  “Sarnia, Ontario Native, Eric Ethridge has been steadily making a name for himself in the national and international country music scene with 4 top 40 billboard singles and over 35 million streams world wide. Eric was discovered by Anthem Entertainment in Nashville, TN after his viral hit song "If You Met Me First" spent 5 months in rotation on Sirius XM's the Highway tastemaker program "On The Horizon". He then signed a worldwide record deal with Anthem and moved to Nashville, to pursue his dream full time."  The Windsor Residence for Young Men ends homelessness for young men 16 – 24 years of age by providing a safe, nurturing home and counselling. WRYM has a 95% success rate, with one third of residents returning to extended family and two thirds going on to appropriate independent living. In addition, two thirds of residents continue education while one third find employment. WRYM’s Aftercare Program continues to assist former residents as they make their way in the community.
Until WRYM opened its doors in October 2012, Windsor/Essex had no transitional housing or life skills program for homeless male youth. Concerned citizens began working to raise community support and funding in the year 2000, but it would be another 12 years before WRYM was able to purchase and renovate a suitable residence. WRYM is an effective operation that continues to depend on community support to fulfill its mission. MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, June 5, 2020 WRYM's Together, We are Community Campaign supports active, caring citizenship The Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) has launched a fundraising campaign called Together, We are Community, that promotes active, caring citizenship in Windsor and Essex County - both to assist vulnerable homeless youth and also to empower the young people themselves. The campaign runs from now until Canada Day, July 1. “Good citizenship is central to ending homelessness among our youth,” said Dave Freeman, a board member and WRYM’s donor development chair. “This is why our campaign culminates with Canada Day. WRYM assists young people with learning important life skills, accessing the resources and opportunities of our community, and becoming active empowered citizens. This is empowerment of the powerless and it works because of the support of conscientious citizens throughout our community. Together, we are community - and we all benefit as a community.” Windsor Residence for Young Men ends homelessness for young men 16 – 24 years of age by providing a safe, nurturing home and counselling. WRYM has a 95% success rate, with one third of residents returning to extended family and two thirds going on to appropriate independent living. In addition, two thirds of residents continue education while one third find employment. WRYM’s Aftercare Program continues to assist former residents as they make their way in the community. “In a crisis, we invite them back home to the residence - if that is what is needed,” said Freeman, adding, “Just as any good parent would.” Given the ongoing need for social distancing because of COVID-19, WRYM’s Together, We are Community Campaign is being conducted online in cooperation with the CanadaHelps Great Canadian Giving Challenge on the Windsor Residence for Young Men’s website at www.wrym.ca, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The fundraising target is $30,000, and the Great Canadian Giving Challenge offers charities a possible additional prize of $20,000. “Let’s support Canada Day as active, caring citizens,” said Freeman. Until WRYM opened its doors in October 2012, Windsor/Essex had no transitional housing or life skills program for homeless male youth. Concerned citizens began working to raise community support and funding in the year 2000, but it would be another 12 years before WRYM was able to purchase and renovate a suitable residence. WRYM is an effective operation that continues to depend on community support to fulfill its mission. -ends- Media contact: Brian Worrall, Chair. WRYM PR Committee 519.255.7930/226.280.7203 / jbrianworrall@gmail.com News Release – 22 April 2020
Please join WRYM's Pandemic #GivingTuesdayNow fundaiser! The Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) must raise $30,000 as soon as possible to cover expenses until June, and is asking the community for assistance. The campaign is being conducted online through social media, with donations accepted through WRYM’s website at www.wrym.ca WRYM has joined with other charities in the #GivingTuesdayNow initiative, a global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020, as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. WRYM must implement special measures to protect vulnerable homeless youth during this coronavirus pandemic emergency. Meeting even their most basic human needs is only possible if these homeless youth have a supervised shelter. Overtime staffing and special supplies will mean added costs at a time when pandemic social distancing has put an end to in-person fundraising events. "The Windsor Residence for Young Men is desperate for funding to shelter our guys while helping new ones to enter our programs.” said WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin. “I can confidently say that we have not received even our modest fair share of federal and provincial emergency funding administered by the City of Windsor – because we have simply received none." Goulin said that an anonymous donor has stepped up to offer up to $5,000 in matching funds to start WRYM's Pandemic #GivingTuesdayNow fundraiser! “We are very grateful to this donor and to all our supporters who care about protecting and helping vulnerable homeless youth.” Said Goulin. “We depend on the generosity of the citizens of our community to do this work, and that is especially true during this pandemic emergency.” WRYM provides young men 16 - 24 years with a supportive home, individual counselling, and basic life skills. Youths with potential are diverted from the streets to reconnect with their community, education and employment. WRYM’s 2019 statistics show an average 95 percent success rate over the past three years. Since its opening in 2012, WRYM has helped more than 330 youths to build new lives. This is Windsor’s only supportive transitional housing program for young men. For more information about Windsor Residence for Young Men, visit www.wrym.ca or message WRYM on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/windsorresidenceforyoungmen. You can also telephone 519-981-9917. -ends- Media liaison: Brian Worrall, Pres., Windsor Residence for Young Men Tel 519.255.7930/226.280.7203 E-mail jbrianworrall@gmail.com News Release – 28 January 2020 (Update to WRYM Appeal Release January 17)
Update – Community donates $19,300 to match $13,000 given by formerly homeless youth Rising to a January 17 challenge by a formerly homeless youth, supporters of the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) have donated $19, 300 to match, and surpass, the $13,000 he donated to boost WRYM’s Transitional Housing Program. This is the program that has helped the anonymous young man and so many others build new lives. His generous donation kick-started WRYM’s January 2020 Urgent Funding Appeal. WRYM’s Chair of Donor Development Dave Freeman said at the time, “WRYM depends almost entirely on community donations, and he heard that our year-end fundraising was not as successful as we had hoped. He wants to inspire others to help, and he wants to remain anonymous.” His $13,000 example has really motivated people - as of January 28, WRYM’s January 2020 Urgent Funding Appeal has raised a total of $32,250 in urgent donations to be applied to the WRYM Transitional Housing Program. “It took a great deal of confidence in his future to take this large amount of money from his savings and contribute to WRYM,” said volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin today. “He can now feel confident that it was the right thing to do. Donations of well over $19,000 to match his donation says our community was very impressed.” Despite its success and unlike many other social agencies, WRYM receives very little government funding and depends on community fundraising. It is a constant challenge. WRYM offers the only supportive transitional housing program for young men in Windsor. Unlike an emergency shelter, drop-in centre or subsidized housing, the program provides young men 16 - 24 years with a supportive home, individual counselling, and basic life skills. Youths with potential are diverted from the streets to reconnect with their community, education and employment. WRYM’s 2019 statistics show an average 95 percent success rate over the past three years. In 2019, WRYM assisted 96 clients in its Transitional Housing, Aftercare and Outreach programs. Of these, 42 young men were enrolled and successfully graduated from the Transitional Housing Program. For more information, visit WRYM’s website at www.wrym.ca, Facebook site at www.facebook.com/windsorresidenceforyoungmen, or telephone 519.981.9917. -ends- Editors: 2 photos attached (1) Dave Freeman, Chair of Donor Development, Windsor Residence for Young Men (2) Greg Goulin, Executive Director, Windsor Residence for Young Men Media liaison: Brian Worrall, Pres. Windsor Residence for Young Men Tel 519.255.7930/226.280.7203 E-mail jbrianworrall@gmail.com  WRYM Pandemic Support for Homeless Youth Coronavirus emergency restrictions on community events mean that WRYM’s Spring Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, originally scheduled for March 28, is postponed indefinitely – but, our work MUST go on. The Windsor Residence for Young Men really needs community generosity now, as it must implement special measures to shelter and protect vulnerable youth during this pandemic emergency. We cannot discharge them to the streets for lack of funds. “Sheltering in place”, “social distancing” and meeting even their most basic human needs are only possible if these homeless youth have a supervised shelter – and overtime staffing and special supplies mean added costs. Perhaps, instead of a pancake meal, you would like to make a donation? It’s easy to do through the links provided! To make a donation,
you can use these links: WRYM's Your Help donations page e-mail wrymevents2020@gmail.com or telephone (519) 981-9917 Thank you for caring! UPDATE (February 9) - WRYM’s 2020 Rough Night Out fundraiser was success! WRYM’s Rough Night Out fundraiser was success! This weekend’s event, held in a Windsor industrial parking lot for 14 hours overnight Friday to Saturday, was the third such annual fundraiser held. Volunteers hoped that when donations for this event were collected they would equal or surpass the 2019 event total of $5,000. (The 2018 event raised $2,500.) After totalling the pledges collected to date, WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin is pleased to report that the 2020 WRYM’s Rough Night Out raised $7,325, with donations still coming in.  “The community response has been wonderful,” said WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin (right). “We were trying to physically and emotionally demonstrate just how desperate life can be for homeless young people, including our guys – and many people have shown that they care!” Goulin says it’s not too late to donate. Just visit www.wrym.ca or telephone 519-981-9917 for advice. You can also mail a cheque to The Windsor Residence for Young Men, 1505 Langlois Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N8X 4M3. WRYM provides young men 16 - 24 years with a supportive home, individual counselling, and basic life skills. Youths with potential are diverted from the streets to reconnect with their community, education and employment. WRYM’s 2019 statistics show an average 95 percent success rate over the past three years. Since its opening in 2012, WRYM has helped more than 330 youths to build new lives. This is Windsor’s only supportive transitional housing program for young men. WRYM is not government funded. It is funded by the generosity of the citizens of our community. WRYM’s Rough Night Out was rough, indeed Overnight on Friday and Saturday February 7&8, a group of supporters of Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) bundled up to brave freezing temperatures, darkness and heavy snowfall for 14 hours or more on an industrial parking lot on St. Luke Road in Windsor. The occasion was a fundraiser called WRYM’s Rough Night Out and the volunteers were "sleeping rough" as homeless youths are sometimes forced to do. Donors sponsored individual volunteers, and some donors dropped by to show their support. In fact, the volunteers were well dressed for the weather, with friends and support services at hand, and everyone went home afterward. It was a miserable night, nonetheless, which was meant to draw attention to just how tragic the circumstances of homeless young people can be. “The fact is that homelessness exists and, generally speaking, so many people who are generous in so many ways do not really have an up-close in-your-face feeling of what homeless means,” said Greg Goulin (right), the volunteer Executive Director of Windsor Residence for Young Men. “Homelessness doesn’t mean inadequate housing…. homelessness means we’re in an industrial parking lot and we’ve got to make it through to the dawn and - hopefully, thankfully - we won’t have to do this tomorrow night as well.” “It’s dark. It’s cold. We have many friends - but sometimes you’re homeless because you don’t have that many friends who want to take you in. Then, it’s loneliness on top of it. The mental component, the anguish, is equally as devastating as the physical destruction and this is what we are trying to prevent for our youth.” WRYM is not an emergency shelter or a subsidized housing program. WRYM provides young men 16 - 24 years with a supportive home, individual counselling, and basic life skills. Youths with potential are diverted from the streets to reconnect with their community, education and employment. WRYM’s 2019 statistics show an average 95 percent success rate over the past three years. Since its opening in 2012, WRYM has helped more than 330 youths to build new lives. This is Windsor’s only supportive transitional housing program for young men.
“We are not government funded,” said Goulin. “We are funded by the generosity of the citizens of our community.” The annual fundraiser is in its third year and volunteers hope that when all donations for this year’s event are collected they will equal or surpass last year’s event total of $5,000. For more information about Windsor Residence for Young Men, visit www.wrym.caHome or message WRYM on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/windsorresidenceforyoungmen. You can also telephone 519-981-9917.  Every year, a growing group of brave supporters of Windsor Residence for Young Men bundle up and spend a 14-hour winter night "sleeping rough", as some homeless people might say - although, to tell the truth, the volunteers are well dressed for the weather, with friends and all support services at hand. It's a miserable night, nonetheless, which is meant to draw attention to the tragic circumstances of homeless young people.  Here's a photo of WRYM's supporters last year, including Executive Director Greg Goulin (centre), looking cold, miserable but determined! (It was Greg's 70th birthday, hence the cake with the sparkler on it - was this any way for a senior citizen to behave?) If you are sufficiently brave, determined and wonderful in many ways - and would like join in this year's WRYM's Rough Night Out on an industrial parking lot at 1350 St. Luke Road - we welcome you. In fact, it would be great if you can recruit a friend, or a bunch of friends, to join you!
Each WRYM's Rough Night Out participant uses the pledge sheet (download) to collect pledges from - let's say, five - of her or his friends and upon completion of their overnight vigil (8:00 AM Saturday morning) the pledges go to support WRYM's services for young homeless young men, while the volunteers go home to their warm beds because they didn't sleep all night. Can't make it? If you don't know anyone (including yourself) who thinks a "rough night out" is personally a good idea and if, in fact, you definitely choose electric light and central heating - don't worry - you can still help!
If you are curious as to the other ways you can help homeless young men build new lives, just visit WRYM's "Your Help" page at www.wrym.ca/your-help.html for more information. (Note - donations $20 and over receive a tax receipt.)
UPDATE - January 28! Community donates $19,300 to match $13,000 given by formerly homeless youth UPDATE - February 8! - Matching funds now total $23,000
Despite its success and unlike many other social agencies, WRYM receives very little government funding and depends on community fundraising. It is a constant challenge. WRYM offers the only supportive transitional housing program for young men in Windsor. Unlike an emergency shelter, drop-in centre or subsidized housing, the program provides young men 16 - 24 years with a supportive home, individual counselling, and basic life skills. Youths with potential are diverted from the streets to reconnect with their community, education and employment. WRYM’s 2019 statistics show an average 95 percent success rate over the past three years. In 2019, WRYM assisted 96 clients in its Transitional Housing, Aftercare and Outreach programs. Of these, 42 young men were enrolled and successfully graduated from the Transitional Housing Program. Journalists - here is a print version of this update:
January 17 Former homeless youth pledges $13,000 to boost urgent funding appeal Recognizing fundraising challenges, a former homeless youth has handed Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) a guaranteed bank draft for $13,000 to boost its Transitional Housing Program – the program that helped him and so many others build new lives. The money will be used as matching funds to kickstart an urgent community fundraising appeal. For more information, visit WRYM’s January 2020 Urgent Funding Appeal at www.wrym.ca or contact Windsor Residence for Young Men. “WRYM depends almost entirely on community donations, and he heard that our year-end fundraising was not as successful as we had hoped,” said WRYM’s Chair of Donor Development Dave Freeman. “He wants to inspire others to help, and he wants to remain anonymous.”
The Transitional Housing Program provides young men 16 - 24 years with a supportive home and individual counselling. It teaches basic life skills such as hygiene, food acquisition and preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic. The residents reconnect with their community, education and employment. They become empowered and productive full citizens. WRYM’s 2019 statistics show an average 95 percent success rate over the past three years. In 2019, WRYM assisted 96 clients in its Transitional Housing, Aftercare and Outreach programs. Of these, 42 young men were enrolled and successfully graduated from the Transitional Housing Program. “This is the only supportive transitional housing program for young men in Windsor,” said Freeman. “It’s not an emergency shelter, drop-in centre or subsidized housing. It is an essential community program that diverts young men with potential from the streets at the earliest possible age. Overall, WRYM is a lifeline to about 20 percent of the local homeless population. Without it, not only will many of these vulnerable youths be lost to unemployment, substance abuse, sickness, violence, sexual assault and other crimes, but our community’s social agencies, emergency services, courts, families and taxpayers will face the consequences of not dealing with the challenges early on. “The basic problem is that, although WRYM provides an absolutely essential community service, unlike other social agencies it receives very little government funding. When we opened our doors in 2012, many people did not want to recognize that young men could be vulnerable victims, that some demoralized victims can also become perpetrators, and that early intervention can benefit the entire community. Three agencies were providing good and essential transitional housing services for women, but there was nothing for young men. Senior government had frozen funding for any new agencies and so this basic inequity has been frozen in time for the past eight years. “WRYM’s Transitional Housing Program is highly successful even though operations and staffing are cut to the bone. All funding goes directly to the program – we do not duplicate the services of other agencies, and administration and fundraising are done entirely by volunteers. Yet, every year we risk the collapse of transitional housing services for homeless young men in our community. We are doing our best to raise awareness of what WRYM does among elected officials and government funding and program administrators, while also continuing to appeal to citizens. I think Windsor can do better!” For more information, visit WRYM’s website Your Help Page, Facebook site at www.facebook.com/windsorresidenceforyoungmen, or telephone 519.981.9917. Journalists - here is a print version of this news release 
Windsor Residence for Young Men is to benefit from THE HOME DEPOT ORANGE DOOR CAMPAIGN Until December 22 at Windsor’s Walker and Division Roads Store  The Home Depot’s Walker and Division roads store manager Mark Belanger (L) and WRYM Director of Fundraising Dave Freeman (R) have started Orange Door fundraising to help homeless young men build new lives. The Home Depot’s Orange Door Project fundraising campaign for youth housing charities across Canada is under way. One hundred percent of the funds raised at the Walker and Division roads store (store #7228) in Windsor will benefit the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM).
Until December 22, customers will be asked if they would like to make a $2 donation at the checkout when purchasing goods at the Walker and Division store, or can donate online at www.orangedoorproject.ca. If donating online, people are being asked to be sure to select the Walker and Division store “Fund #7228” in the drop-down menu so that their donation benefits WRYM. They may also leave a note regarding their donation. Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) is a charitable organization that supports young men 16 - 24 years of age as they leave homelessness behind to build new lives. WRYM provides a transitional residence and individual counselling while teaching basic life skills such as hygiene, food acquisition and preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic. WRYM depends almost entirely on donations from the community, which go direct to assisting homeless young men. Administrative tasks are done by community volunteers. “All of this comes primarily through the generosity of our local community,” said WRYM Director of Fundraising Dave Freeman on Wednesday, “and so we have partnered with The Home Depot again for the Orange Door campaign. They have been a wonderful supporter and partner of ours over the years and we are hoping that again the Windsor community will rise to the occasion and help us to raise money for this important cause.” “We have established a great relationship over the years and it’s great to have such an appreciative charitable partner,” said store manager Mark Belanger. “We are quite happy to get engaged and have some fun around collecting funds, especially around the holidays, for such a great and deserving charity as WRYM. “ Through its holiday season fundraisers, including the Orange Door Campaign, WRYM is trying to raise $16,000 – that’s the yearly cost of assisting two homeless young men to build new lives. For more information, please visit www.wrym.ca |
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July 2020
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