The TELUS Communications Company stands by their word. On November 1st, the company donated to the Safe Housing for Youth Program (SHY).
Ms. Gina Peccorelli, the Senior Manager, Community Affairs, for TELUS, hands a cheque to Tara Skobel, the SHY Program Coordinator.
The TELUS Victoria Community Board was launched in May 2007 and is led by Mr. Mel Cooper. For 2012, the annual donation budget for the many non-profits they support is $350,000. The basis of their community investment initiatives is twofold, first that it does ‘good’ in the communities that TELUS serve; second, that the initiative educate and empower youth to improve their quality of life and to enable them to reach their full potential. This is exactly what the SHY program attempts to do by providing safe, long-term stable housing for at-risk youth in order that they can finish high school, gain employment experience as well as learn the necessary life-skills to become independent. The SHY program houses youth at risk of homelessness as soon as possible with support and supervision. In only four months, in negotiating with adult housing subsidized housing providers in our region, the program has been able to house 5 youth with several more units on the way. This program is innovative and dynamic in that it accesses housing already existing in the community but providing the necessary supports to youth who need assistance. Currently, the program is funded entirely by corporate donors who understand the necessity of investing in the future! Thank you TELUS for believing in youth and giving at-risk youth a chance to find their dreams and to become contributing members of our wonderful community.
