Housing Retention - COVID Grant Support for At-Risk Youth

COVID-19 Emergency Grant Funds Safety and Support for At-Risk Youth
The Windsor Residence for Young Men is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and WindsorEssex Community Foundation

News Release – 16 December 2020  
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation has granted $14,118 to the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund.  The money will be used to provide four months of full-time support to at-risk youth who are struggling with the second wave of COVID 19 as they try to rebuild their lives in the community.
 
WRYM provides Aftercare Program services to many of more than 300 past clients of its Transitional Housing Program as they attempt to reintegrate into the community with suitable living arrangements, work and education. COVID-19 has caused a full range of additional hardships for these at-risk youth. A recent national survey (September 24, 2020, A Way Home Canada & Canadian Observatory on Homelessness) determined the following:

• 64% of youth support agencies noted increases in youth staying in unsafe living arrangements
• 61% noted increased substance abuse
• 54% noted increased interpersonal conflict in homes
• 43% noted increased domestic violence.

Youth trying to adapt to the second wave of COVID 19 face evolving government regulations, changes to financial assistance and adaptations to education, which in turn can cause isolation fatigue, personal stress, and mental health issues. A full-time WRYM advisor will use social media, telephone, e-mails and texting to provide COVID-safe crisis response, referrals for assistance, emotional support and short-term case management with an emphasis on client well-being and housing retention.
 
WRYM’s Chair of Donor Development, Dave Freeman, says, “We are very grateful to the WindsorEssex Community Foundation and the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund for recognizing the dire need of at-risk youth for safe housing and extra personal support during this second phase of COVID-19. This funding will help us stay true to our mission of helping formerly homeless and at-risk youth to empower themselves as full members of our community.”

The Windsor Residence for Young Men
WRYM teaches youth basic life skills such as hygiene, food acquisition and preparation, budgeting, social responsibility and work ethic. WRYM integrates homeless youth into the community, reconnecting them with extended family or independent living as well as education and employment. WRYM’s programs are cost-effective because they do not duplicate services already available, and volunteers handle the administrative work. Since opening its doors in 2012, WRYM has helped more than 330 youth to leave homelessness behind and build new lives. For more information, please visit www.wrym.ca
 
WindsorEssex Community Foundation
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to improving communities across Windsor-Essex County through collaboration, strategic leadership and innovative solutions to charitable giving. For more information, please visit www.wecf.ca
 
Emergency Community Support Fund
Launched on May 19, 2020, the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) is a $350M investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profit organizations serving vulnerable populations as they manage the impacts of COVID-19.