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Evin’s Joy Following up on Evin’s story in our last Netletter, I am delighted to share his joy in finding his mother, now a refugee herself in another country. As well, because of his willingness to volunteer within our community, and learn from it, I am sure job offers will follow once his status is fully regularized. I must also mention the generosity of the members of “4ever4hymn” who sponsored his first month with us which had remained unfunded. Celebrate Mothers with WRYM This event is proving very popular. Please see the attachment and reserve, as well as pay for, your tickets very soon. About 50% of the seating has already been claimed for both seatings on Mothers Day. Remember that: The tickets can only be reserved through me at 519 981 9917 or executivedirector@wrym.ca, not Capone’s. Meal selections must accompany reservations. Payment, only by cash or cheque, must be made to WRYM by Monday, 7MAY18, or we will transfer your reservation to those on our cancellations list. 
Garden Day at WRYM
You are welcome to join our guys at 10am on Saturday, 19May18, when we cleanup our yard and plant our gardens, including our vegetable garden. There is a lot of work needed this year as we recover from our drainage system replacement. Donations of bags of garden soil and hardy plants like hostas would be appreciated to replace our front garden as well as seed potatoes, onions, carrots, beans or peas for our “stew garden” in the backyard. Check Out Our New Website at www.wrym.ca It is very impressive! Click the “Menu” button in the upper left corner to fully explore it, (even past copies of my Netletter stored on it). The computer savvy of Brian Worrall and design skills of Susan Freeman, both past recipients of our “Heart and Soul Award”, are to be highly praised in this volunteer production. Help WRYM to Help a Valued Supporter On behalf of the WindsorEssex Community Foundation (WECF), a significant donor to WRYM, I am requesting your assistance on their Vital Signs Survey concerning a range of issues that are important to our local community. For the past five years the WECF has produced a Vital Signs® survey which asks Windsor/Essex residents a variety of questions on 11 areas vital to the quality of life in our community. Please help them, by taking and promoting the survey. Here is a direct link: https://wecf.wufoo.com/forms/z1rkosop15mdfcd/ If you’d like to read the 2017 Vital Signs® report, please visit http://wecf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Windsor-Essexs_2017_VitalSignsReport_Final.pdf WRYM’s Present Needs for “Stuff” A new dishwasher, 2 long vinyl couches to double as emergency beds, and 3 book cases. I am always impressed at how somebody knows somebody else who can provide for our needs! Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime. Gregory D. Goulin, LSM, JD Executive Director, (pro bono), The Windsor Residence for Young Men
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Partners in Blue Uniforms You may find the correspondence attached from our police supporters impressive and their view unique. They truly do understand and appreciate what we are about.
Evin, an Amazing Young Man
At WRYM we pride ourselves in ensuring every young man experiencing homelessness can receive help. In late February “Matthew House,” which provides “comfort and security for refugee claimants in Windsor by providing transitional housing and settlement assistance,” was at maximum capacity. Unfortunately, this meant that Evin, a recent refugee claimant to Canada, was left homelessness, while Matthew house was willing to continue processing his refugees claim. Evin was on a student visa, when his mother in Rwanda seemed to disappear. Various international settlement agencies informed him that his mother was believed to have been arrested, is a political prisoner; and, it would not be safe for him to return to his home country. This meant that Evin could no longer continue school as he was not receiving financial support; he could not afford to maintain his living accommodations; and, he was not entitled to any government supports while his refugee claim was in-progress. He could not work nor attend school; and, was without purpose, lost and severely depressed. School, job search or work is mandatory in our program. It was also quickly observed that Evin was an outstanding, responsible, mature, and kind young man who grasped and flew through our program without any place to transition to upon completion. We had to do some hard thinking and concluded that volunteering for WRYM and other groups that support us as well as unpaid internships was “work” that benefitted WRYM and our community, as well as providing experience that would assist his future employment potential and improve his mental health. Evin has now earned his place in our semi-independent apartment. However, Evin could not receive any form of government assistance, not even $17.50 a day for room and board. At an average cost of $159 per day or about $8,000 per resident that we assist, WRYM needs your help to “sponsor” this young man. As an individual, group, or organization, please consider helping us to provide for Evin. Stuff We Need Lunch time is when we teach our guys how to prepare healthy meals with staples and canned goods available from food banks. We need canned beef, chicken and turkey – not tuna, salmon nor ham. I am afraid our guys may soon grow gills and start to oink after lunch. Thank You to a New Corporate Program Partner We must extend our heart felt appreciation to Fabio and Massimo De Mench of CareerStreams Resources Inc. Fabio and Massimo are voluntarily enrolling our guys in their program which develops the full potential of our residents for employment with businesses of our community. They truly perceive the “win – win” benefits to our guys and our economy. They are “completing the circle” with employers such as Green Processing, Canadian Tire and others who seek to employ our guys. Tours and Talks We are continuing our Tours and Talks every Wednesday from 1-3pm for those of you interested in our residence and learning why as well as how our program produces a 98% success rate in moving young men off the street and on to productive citizenship. By reservation only due to demand. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime. Gregory D. Goulin, LSM, JD Executive Director, (pro bono), greggoulin@cogeco.net Cell: (519) 981-9917 Another Success Story Jonas came back to us knowing he could rely on his WRYM family when his own was breaking apart, again. This was caused in part by his decision to stop taking his prescribed medication. With the support and guidance of WRYM staff, he came to accept that he indeed needed professional help. WRYM assisted him to reconnected with his doctor and then with a psychiatrist. WRYM provided the stability needed to adjust to his medication again while he remotely upgraded his education. Jonas always wanted to return home. WRYM accessed counseling to mend his family breakdown, which ultimately led to his return home, with the confidence that we will still be here for him as needed through aftercare. Sponsor a Resident? From the attached material, you will learn that we had a remarkable 98% success rate last year; and, we measure success by the number of our guys off the street and on with life, not by the number of meals served or beds occupied each night. At an average of 50 guys assisted each year, this breaks down to between $8,000 and $11,000 per year for each resident, or $1,086/day minimally for up to 12 at a time. Many of us already “sponsor” residents, often more than one; but, there are simply not enough sponsors to continue funding our efforts for more than a few months. Will you, or you and your friends, church, work or service groups undertake a sponsorship? We do deliver “bang for your buck” when one considers that the average cost of one child in the care of the Children’s Aid Society is $310/day. And, it looks like our dishwasher’s door is about to fall off. Remarkably, it has lasted about 4 years in our main kitchen! Thank You! Thank all of you who joined me to celebrate my birthday “on the street” last Friday. It was “an experience”; and, we raised enough funds to sponsor one more resident – best possible present!  Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime. Gregory D. Goulin, LSM, JD Executive Director, (pro bono), 98% successful outcomes in 2017! 80% in 2016. Open the attachment. What more can I say? When “our guys” become a part of our family, they do not “age-out”. 
Tours & Talks
Because of the number of requests from supporters and others; and, unfortunately, misunderstandings of what we do, or rather do not do, I am now conducting tours and talks on Wednesdays from 1-3pm beginning February 7th, when there is the least possibility of interrupting our program. Only 4 persons at a time and only by reservation. Please email or give me a call at the number below to join a tour. We obviously do things a bit differently, for good reasons. Come and find out what we do, how we do it, why and how you can help. Greater understanding results in more meaningful assistance. Gregory D. Goulin, LSM, JD Executive Director, (pro bono), The Windsor Residence for Young Men E-mail greggoulin@cogeco.net Phone 519.981.9917 2017 Year End Stats
This is not a warm and fuzzy edition, but it is important. Attached you will find the statistical breakdown of the results of our efforts in 2017, which you supported. This material is impressive. We are honouring our pledge to you. The full impact of our efforts will not be felt for a few years yet when our guys are more mature and fully take their place, at your side, as established and productive citizens of our community. We are in this for the long term, and so are “our guys”. We don’t feed them – we teach them how to prepare a meal. We don’t provide a place to sleep for a night – we teach them how to create a home. Total Clients Served
Admission Related Statistics
Discharge Statistics
Education
Employment
Mental Health
Substance Use
Demographics
Aftercare
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Gregory D. Goulin, LSM, JD Executive Director, (pro bono) |
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