What We Do
Our plan begins with the identification of youth at risk of homelessness.
Our first step forward is to take a look at what took these youth from stability to instability and what ultimately led to them being at risk. These situations range anywhere from drug and alcohol addiction to mental illness including some congenital disorders. Most often, there are just disagreements between the youth, the caregivers, parents, guardians and even seniors within the household. More often than not, these disagreements are resolvable and we have found success in the majority of cases we’ve been involved with. The safety of youth is our primary concern.
The Barbara Weider House
Bridging the identified critical gap between emergency shelter and independent living.
For youth aged 16-24, the Barbara Weider House offers a place of safety and hope for homeless youth. Our services address the needs of youth in crisis and provide the support to help them gain confidence in adolescence and focus on their education and employment possibilities.
Youth Transitional Housing
Home Horizon is transitional housing, which means youth at risk of homelessness will find help 24/7. We create programs with these youth to became independent and we guide and support them into the process. We offer access to counselling and programs to help these youth successfully rebuild their lives and transition to independent living and adulthood. Our support programs help them learn life skills, create positive relationships with peers and adults, and re-engage with school, employment training, and/or employment. These programs can run in the house or with other partner agencies like Tracks, the Collingwood Youth Centre, The Learning Centre, Quest, Collingwood Public Library, and the Georgian Bay Health Team.
Homelessness Diversion Program
One of the ways we are able to support our youth is to assess what took them from stability to instability and what ultimately led to them being at risk. Quite often, there are disagreements between the youth, the caregivers, parents, guardians and even seniors within the household. More often than not, these disagreements are resolvable and we have found success in the majority of cases with which we’ve been involved with the safety of youth always at the core of our efforts.
Your S.A.F.E. Outreach Program
Specialized Access for Everyone is an Individualized approach to Youth Homelessness. Your S.A.F.E began in 2020, expanding our resources for homeless youth beyond The Barbara Weider House. The program assists youth wherever they are living, and is aimed at providing meals, hygiene products, tents, blankets, clothing, help to access community resources, mental health support and much more to homeless youth in our communities. Learn more about the program here.