Former homeless youth pledges $13,000

1/17/2020

Former homeless youth pledges $13,000

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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

Rising to a January 17 challenge by a formerly homeless youth, supporters of the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) have donated $19, 300 (Update - $23,000 as of February 8) 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. 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.

Journalists - here is a print version of this update:

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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.”

“This young man had nothing,” said Freeman. “He was on the street with no shelter, family or income. And yet, once in the Transitional Housing Program he saw a future for himself. He worked, paid for a university education, and is now building a successful professional career. He wants to help others do the same."

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