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WRYM's COLDEST NIGHT OUT!  WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin spent the night on the street at the 2018 WRYM's COLDEST NIGHT OUT, and plans to do so again this year. Supporters of The Windsor Residence for Young Men will repeat their successful fundraising event, “WRYM's COLDEST NIGHT OUT!" (*Editors note - this text as been updated to avoid ambiguity with another event with a similar theme), on a parking lot at 1350 St. Luke Road in Windsor from Friday February 22 at 5:00 PM until 7:00 AM on Saturday February 23. 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 supportive functional family with a staff of women and men who deliver individual counselling and teach basic life skills such as hygiene, food acquisition and preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic. WRYM’s program success rate, measured in the number of residents who have left the streets, is 92%, with a 3-year average of 90%. During the event, registered volunteers will spend the night outdoors in the cold. WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director, Greg Goulin, will be spending his 70th birthday at the event. “We are doing this to raise funds to help our guys at WRYM through pledges based on the hours our volunteers last on that night out in the cold,” says Goulin. “We can never duplicate the desperation of homelessness. The rules allow for participants to leave at any time with the knowledge that they have a warm home, hot bath and a good meal to return to - something the homeless can only dream about while facing another night of misery.” “I would like to thank Dave Woodall of Medachrom Holdings Limited for the use of a unique piece of property,” adds Goulin. “I am pleased to say it has an on-site warming centre and a washroom!” For more information on donating or participating:
 Windsor’s Walker & Division roads Home Depot store holds holiday fundraiser for Windsor Residence for Young Men Customers are invited to donate $2 at the checkout between Nov 29 – Dec 16
WINDSOR, ONTARIO - The Home Depot Canada’s Walker & Division roads store (store #7228) in Windsor is fundraising for the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) this holiday season. Until December 16, customers can donate $2 at the store’s checkout in exchange for an orange paper door. All donations will help WRYM to support 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. Less than ten percent of its funding comes from government sources. “It is thanks to generous individual and corporate donors that our work is possible,” says WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin. “The Orange Door Campaign allows us to reach many more people than we could on our own. One hundred percent of the donations will go to support homeless and at-risk young men in the Windsor Essex area.” Anyone who prefers to donate online may do so at www.orangedoorproject.ca – in the website’s drop-down menu under “Fund”, be sure to select the Walker & Division roads store “ON, Windsor-7228” so that your donation benefits WRYM. You may also leave a note regarding your donation.
WRYM Ambassadors Requested for Giving Tuesday November 27 The Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) is recruiting ambassadors and donors to take part in Giving Tuesday on November 27. “We are saying please join our WRYM family, if you haven’t already done so,” says WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin. “You can donate as you are able or be a WRYM Ambassador and share our messages!”
Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering that takes place worldwide each year, and is called the “opening day of the giving season”! It has become an important time for charities such as WRYM to raise the funds needed to carry on their programs. Since it began operations in 2012, WRYM has depended on such community generosity. The Windsor Residence for Young Men helps an average of 50 young residents each year to leave homelessness behind and build new lives. WRYM provides a supportive functional family for young men aged 16-24 years who are in desperate need of support. Often, WRYM is the only family “our guys” have ever known — with a staff of women and men in the roles of aunts, uncles or older siblings who deliver individual counselling and teach basic life skills.
WRYM’s program is efficient and effective. We do not duplicate the work of other agencies. Instead, we integrate our guys into the community and its resources to help them become active citizens. Our annual program budget is $400,000 (Canadian). Divided by an average of 50 residents assisted each year, the yearly cost per resident is $8,000. “We will be thanking our old friends and making new ones,” says Goulin. “We are respectfully asking that you help us achieve our 2018 Giving Tuesday fundraising goal of $16,000 – that’s the yearly cost of assisting two young men to leave homelessness behind and build new lives.” Goulin is inviting supporters and donors to visit WRYM on Facebook at www.facebook.com/windsorresidenceforyoungmen, or to visit the website at www.wrym.ca. He can also be contacted directly through e-mail greggoulin@cogeco.net or telephone (519) 981-9917. Updates on WRYM’s “giving season” progress will be provided on Facebook and at an Applebee’s Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast to be hosted by Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 2250 Division Road (at Walker) in Windsor on Saturday December 1, from 8:00 a.m. to 10.a.m. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased in advance by calling (519) 981-9917 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/windsorresidenceforyoungmen. Until the Windsor Residence for Young Men 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 depends on community support to fulfill its mission. Green Shield Canada Supports Windsor Residence for Young Men  Photo - Wednesday, October 24 - Celebrating a successful four-year association are (L-R) WRYM Executive Director (pro bono) Greg Goulin, GSC Chief Human Resources Officer Mila Lucio, WRYM President Susan Freeman, GSC President & CEO Zahid Salman, and GSC VP of Planning & Business Solutions Cathy Morrison. Green Shield Canada (GSC) has formally presented the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) with the final cheque of four yearly donations, bringing the total amount funded by GSC to $230,736. As with the previous cheques, the 2018 payment, totalling $57,684, supports WRYM’s Mental Health Navigation Program.
WRYM assists 50 young men each year to leave homelessness behind to build new lives. WRYM delivers individual counselling and teaches basic life skills such as hygiene, food acquisition and preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic. By teaching life skills, WRYM provides “our guys” with the independence necessary to walk away from abusive situations. WRYM does not duplicate existing community services. Rather, it teaches young men how to access existing services in our community so that they can build new lives. Many have serious mental health challenges, and the WRYM Mental Health Navigation Program teaches them how to access vital mental health services. Started in Windsor in 1957, GSC is Canada's only national not-for-profit health and dental benefits specialist, offering affordable group and individual programs. GSC is also active in funding community charitable causes. The GSC Community Giving Program (CGP) is an annual granting initiative that provide financial and organizational development support to Canadian registered charitable, not-profit, social enterprise organizations that deliver frontline health care to uninsured and underinsured people across Canada. The CGP Program supports organizations that focus on oral health care, vision care, prescription drugs, disease management, mental health counselling, and have an aspect of social service navigation to help address the whole person, including housing support, healthy food programs, education, job training. “We really believe in giving back to our community and supporting the great causes that exist here locally,” says GSC Chief Human Resources Officer Mila Lucio. “Certainly, the Windsor Residence for Young Men is one of those charities that we really want to be supporting strongly.” “On behalf of the Windsor Residence for Young Men, I would like to thank Green Shield Canada for their longstanding support of our program,” says WRYM President Susan Freeman. “Mental Health issues are common in our community and this money will go a long way toward helping young men to deal with these issues.” In 2012, the Windsor Residence for Young Men began operations on the principle that the most effective way to integrate young men into the community was to assist them in accessing the community services specific to their needs. Collaboration with other agencies also allows WRYM to make the best possible use of funding dollars. MPP Percy Hatfield Receives the WRYM Community Awareness Award
The Board of Directors of The Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) has presented MPP Percy Hatfield, Windsor-Tecumseh, with the WRYM Community Awareness Award for his early recognition and support of WRYM’s mission in the community. The award recognizes individuals, corporations and groups who have recognized the community need for the provision of transitional housing and life skills to homeless male youth. Until the Windsor Residence for Young Men opened its doors in October 2012, Windsor/Essex had no transitional housing or life skills program for homeless male youth. Concerned citizens, including the current WRYM Executive Director Greg Goulin, 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. Even then, the hiring of program staff was conditional on the provision of federal funding through the City of Windsor. Previously a sympathetic journalist, Percy Hatfield had by 2012 been elected as a Windsor City Councillor, and he worked with other Councillors to guide WRYM’s staff funding applications to success. “At that time, we were the only community of our size in Canada that did not have transitional housing services for young men,” says Greg Goulin, who now volunteers his time as WRYM’s Executive Director. “Percy was one of the champions of WRYM when it came to obtaining municipal funding support when we first started off.” In presenting the award, WRYM President Susan Freeman told Hatfield, “I think it is a wonderful thing to recognize the work you have done for us. Thank you, and congratulations on your award − it is very well deserved!” “I am flabbergasted,” said Hatfield. “I am so honoured that I have received this award. This is a big deal and I am going to proudly display it!” Windsor Residence for Young Men 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 place to live, a supportive functional family atmosphere and a program that includes individual counselling in life skills. WRYM is an effective operation that depends on community support to fulfill its mission. For more information about Windsor Residence for Young Men, or to discuss donations or volunteering, please visit www.wrym.ca, e-mail executivedirector@wrym.ca or telephone 226.221.8464.
The 6th Annual Birthday Party for the Windsor Residence for Young Men  The youngest and happiest door prize winner at the 6th Annual Birthday Party for the Windsor Residence for Young Men was certainly 4 year-old Leto Lehman, here being assisted by his mother Yvette Lehman in curbing his enthusiasm. The 6th Annual Birthday Party for the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) was hosted Wednesday October 4 by the Giovanni Caboto Club Charity Pasta Dinners Volunteers. The event attracted 368 supporters and raised $3,657 for WRYM to assist young men as they leave homelessness behind. “We like to give back to the community,” says Caboto volunteers’ chair Alex Sorrentino. The volunteers currently hold fundraisers for 12 community charities and are carrying on a tradition that goes back to 1925. “We are dependant on community support to deliver our program,” says WRYM President Susan Freeman, “and we are certainly very grateful to the Caboto volunteers and to our own WRYM volunteers for making this event a success.” Windsor Residence for Young Men 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 place to live, a supportive functional family atmosphere and a program that includes individual counselling in life skills. WRYM is an effective operation that depends on community support to fulfill its mission. For more information about Windsor Residence for Young Men, or to discuss donations or volunteering, please visit www.wrym.ca, e-mail executivedirector@wrym.ca or telephone 226.221.8464.
Solcz Family Foundation Funds Windsor Residence for Young Men  Photo: The Solcz Family Foundation has presented WRYM with a cheque for $200,000 - Front with cheque: Nick Solcz (L) and (R) Kyrsten Solcz (Executive Director) – Back L-R: Len Solcz, Greg Goulin (Executive Director, WRYM), Susan Freeman (President, WRYM), Manuela Solcz, and Marty Solcz. The Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) is very pleased to acknowledge a grant of $200,000 over five years presented by Windsor’s Solcz Family Foundation for the purpose of ending homelessness for male youth. Windsor Residence for Young Men 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 place to live, a supportive functional family atmosphere and a program that includes individual counselling in life skills. WRYM is an effective operation that depends on community support to fulfill its mission. The Solcz Family Foundation’s mission is to improve the welfare of the Windsor-Essex community and, in particular, focus on supporting projects and programs in social services that provide opportunities for children and youth. Areas of focus include education, community development, healthcare, poverty, recreation, and at-risk youth. In a cheque presentation at WRYM on Thursday attended by members of the Solcz family, the Executive Director of the Solcz Family Foundation, Kyrsten Solcz, stated, “The Solcz Family Foundation is delighted to award Windsor Residence for Young Men with a grant to support their ongoing efforts to help young males who are experiencing homelessness. Through their work, WRYM is addressing the root causes of homelessness and ensuring the youth they reach are better positioned for success. The Solcz Family Foundation is proud to partner with Windsor Residence for Young Men and support the great work they do for the Windsor-Essex community.” Incorporated in 2016 as a registered charity, the Solcz Family Foundation is committed to funding projects and programs of local charities that strategically benefit the community, improve lives, provide solutions to gaps or needs in the community, are unique and innovative, and are one to five years in length. “We are very pleased that our program meets the stringent criteria set by the foundation,” says WRYM President Susan Freeman. “Homeless young males on the street are very much at risk. Our strategy is to work with all available community resources to assist these young men as they leave homelessness behind, transition into independent living, and become productive citizens of our community. Thanks to the Solcz Family Foundation, we can fill this community need even more effectively. We are very grateful to the Solcz family.” For more information about Windsor Residence for Young Men, or to discuss donations or volunteering, please visit www.wrym.ca, e-mail executivedirector@wrym.ca or telephone 226.221.8464.
Plasman Group Supports Windsor Residence for Young Men On Wednesday, a truck pulled up to the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM), and volunteers from the Plasman Group of automotive companies picked up 10 worn-out old mattresses and unloaded 10 brand new ones.  Volunteers from the Plasman Group of automotive companies picked up 10 worn-out old mattresses and unloaded 10 brand new ones. 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 place to live, a supportive functional family atmosphere and a program that includes individual counselling in life skills. WRYM is an effective operation that depends on community support to fulfill its mission – not only funding, but donations of household goods such as cleaning supplies, furnishings and renovation materials. The Plasman Group is a world leader in the auto components industry with more than 4000 team members and 20 manufacturing sites for tooling, molding, paint applications, chroming and assembly operations of Class “A” plastic exterior trim products. Shauna Hatch, Plasman Group’s Vice President of Human Resources, explains why the company chooses to assist WRYM: “Plasman Group is happy to again be a partner to the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) this year. Our Company’s giving mandate is to support children and youth agencies across the globe in cities where our Plasman Team Members live and work. “WRYM is changing lives of young men from 16-20 years of age in the city of Windsor by providing supportive, transitional housing to those who are homeless or who are living in an unacceptable environment without appropriate adult support. Their assistance of 50-60 young men in the group home with individual counselling, and teaching basic life skills such as hygiene, food preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic betters everyone in our community. Our relationship with the residence dates back over five years and we have seen first-hand how our support gives opportunity for education, employment and independent living skills.” “We work together to end homelessness,” says WRYM President Susan Freeman. “In terms of day-to-day operations, working with our community partners includes some very practical and essential matters such as providing new mattresses. We are very grateful to the Plasman Group and its volunteers for their kindness.” For more information, or to discuss donations or volunteering, please visit www.wrym.ca, e-mail executivedirector@wrym.ca or telephone 226.221.8464.
Windsor Residence for Young Men is to benefit from the HOME DEPOT ORANGE DOOR CAMPAIGN 31 May to 24 June, 2018 - Walker and Division Road Store The Orange Door Project fundraising campaign started Thursday May 31 at all The Home Depot stores across Canada. Buy a $2 “paper door” at the checkout or donate online! Together, we can put an end to youth homelessness in Canada.  Windsor Residence for Young Men and The Home Depot Walker & Division roads store joined in the Orange Door Campaign on Thursday. L to R: WRYM Executive Director Greg Goulin, WRYM President Susan Freeman, past resident and supporter Mike Rivard, and The Home Depot Assistant Store Manager Pat Nelmes.  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). You can make your donation when purchasing goods at the Walker and Division store, or you can donate online at www.orangedoorproject.ca. If donating online, please be sure to select the Walker and Division store fund “Windsor-7228” in the drop-down menu so that your donation benefits WRYM. You may also leave a note regarding your 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. For more information, please visit www.wrym.ca. “WRYM receives less than ten percent of its funding from government sources,” says WRYM Board President Susan Freeman. “We rely on dedicated staff to assist our residents and on volunteer committees to assist with administration. As a result, our services are very cost effective. It is the generous donations of individual and corporate citizens that make this work possible.” “We are grateful to The Home Depot for recognizing the value of this essential work,” says WRYM Executive Director Greg Goulin. “The Orange Door Campaign allows us to reach many more people than we could on our own, and as The Home Depot is covering all the administrative costs, one hundred percent of the donations go to support homeless and at-risk young men in the Windsor area.” To support WRYM, The Home Depot store at Walker and Division roads in Windsor will sell paper orange doors for $2 at the checkout until June 24. Alternatively, customers can make an online donation at www.orangedoorproject.ca by selecting store fund “Windsor-7228”. WRYM to be on the street for A Cold Day’s Night Out  The Executive Director (pro bono) of the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) has invited friends and supporters to join him on the street for A Cold Day’s Night Out. The fundraising event is meant to raise needed funds to support WRYM programs for homeless young men. On Friday February 23, Greg Goulin and friends will spend his 69th birthday on a vacant lot at 415 Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor from 3:00 PM until they can’t take any more. Participants will raise funds for WRYM with pledges based on the hours they will last into the night. “I thank them because I have already been admonished that my participation is crazy,” says Goulin, “but our guys are worth it. I might need the moral and physical support of those who join me to make it through the night.” Goulin encourages well-wishers to stop by to lend their support, even though they have no intention of spending the night. “We could never duplicate the desperation of the homeless,” he says. “The rules of participation allow anyone to leave the lot at any time with the knowledge that they have a warm home, hot bath and a good meal to return to ̶. something the homeless might only dream about.” To support transitional living for young men, donors can also visit the donations section of WRYM’s website at www.wrym.ca or e-mail greggoulin@cogeco.net with your name, full address including postal code and the amount of your pledge, per hour or in full. This information is needed to issue charitable donation receipts for amounts over $20. The Windsor Residence for Young Men is a charitable organization that supports young men as they leave homelessness behind to build new lives. WRYM assists 50-60 young men each year, and provides a supportive functional family, often the only family “our guys” have ever known, with a staff of women and men in the roles of aunts, uncles or older siblings. Our family delivers individual counselling and teaches basic life skills such as hygiene, food acquisition and preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic. We work together to end homelessness.
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February 2019
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