We open doors for youth and prevent adult homelessness. We serve at-risk youth experiencing homelessness, aging out of care, or fleeing violence in the home. Young adults who need a place to call home and people who believe in them. We offer safe housing, community and support to help youth make healthy choices and shift toward a brighter future.
OUR VISION A community where all youth thrive.
OUR MISSION Threshold Housing Society works to prevent adult homelessness by providing safe housing, support services, and community to at-risk youth.
Threshold House is a co-ed home, where youth develop community and plan for their future with the support of Threshold staff. As with all THS homes, knowing that they can count on a roof over their heads and on a sense of caring community means that Threshold House youth can concentrate on finding work and finishing school.
Mitchell House is a home where male-identifying youth are given the chance to gain valuable skills and grow towards working or getting an education with the support of Threshold staff. Stability in knowing there’s a roof over their head means they can concentrate on the next steps toward independence.
Holly House is a home where female-identifying youth are able to escape intolerable living circumstances and unhealthy relationships. Here, they are able to get the care and support they need to succeed in work and school while moving towards a bright, independent adulthood.
With the help of our community, the Safe Housing for Youth (SHY) Program connects vulnerable youth with stable and affordable housing.
Colin has a deep-rooted drive for helping people on the margins of our society. Colin has spent his career in the non-profit sector, focusing primarily in the areas of housing, homelessness, and food security. For the past 12+ years Colin has held senior leadership roles in organizations in Calgary and Victoria, including as the Executive Director of the Mustard Seed here in Victoria. Enjoying the ability to add value to the mission of other non-profit organizations, Colin has also worked frequently as a consultant supporting executives and Boards of Directors on projects that include organizational restructuring, strategic planning, and capacity building. He will often share that his first love professionally is housing, as this is where he has seen the greatest ability to impact peoples lives toward brighter futures. For Colin, there are few things in life more inspiring than seeing someone find a safe home, where they can heal and grow after having come from experiences of trauma and homelessness. Colin is passionate about organizational leadership, creating healthy cultures, and highly effective teams. Following this passion led him to Royal Roads University where he graduated with a Master of Arts in Leadership.
In his spare time Colin loves exploring the city and Island with his wife and young daughter. The family loves hanging out at the beach, camping, or enjoying long walks surrounded by the beauty that is Vancouver Island. Colin can also be found golfing, reading, or relaxing at a coffee shop.
Jason has 20 years’ experience working with youth, adults and families through non-profits in Canada. B.A. in Child and Youth Care, Diploma in Community Support Work. Specializing in Mental Health and disabilities. Jason has a passion working with youth who have no advocates, supporting them to find their own voice. Free time is spent with his wife and 6 year old daughter. Jason enjoys playing hockey and curling, and is rarely seen without a cup of coffee.
Hollis was born and raised in Victoria, BC. She graduated from Simon Fraser University with Bachelors in Psychology and Criminology in 2013. Since graduation Hollis has been passionate about working in the non profit sector and has had the amazing opportunity of working in affordable housing sector, supporting families and children in the Greater Victoria area. When Hollis is not at work she is usually spending time at the beach with her fiancé or trying to learn how to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
McKenzie has lived in Victoria since 2013 after moving here from Alberta and is thankful to be a visitor on Coast Salish Land. She completed her Bachelor of Social Work at VIU in June 2019 and after completing her 4th Year practicum here at Threshold, McKenzie knew she wanted to continue working in a non-profit sector! Originally interested in pursuing a career in adoption, McKenzie discovered her passion for supporting at-risk youth to thrive in our marginalized society. She is excited for this incredible opportunity to work at Threshold alongside her amazing and supportive coworkers! Now that she has all this spare time that doesn’t involve studying, McKenzie is exploring new hobbies and re-discovering former interests such as swimming, reading, hanging out with friends, going to the beach, travelling, and re-learning piano. McKenzie loves to cuddle up with her cat, cook, drink lots of tea, and eat too much chocolate. McKenzie is planning to complete her Master’s Degree in a few years.
After seeking change from years in hospitality industry, Lindsay made the leap to transitional housing and youth care. As a intake coordinator, Lindsay strives to create a space where all youth that pass through our doors feel like they have a safe space where they are accepted and that they can call home. When not working, Lindsay can be found singing songs, playing tiny guitars on tiny beaches, exploring new parts of the world and all the delicious sausage rolls that they have to offer.
Jesse graduated from CDI in 2016 with a Social Services Honours Diploma in Mental Health and Addictions. Jesse has previously worked as a Residential Support Worker, has experience working with individuals with Cognitive and Physical barriers and spent some time working in Hospital care facilities. Jesse is a strong advocate for Social Justice and Housing First. Jesse’s favorite things are spending time with his amazing wife and cats and riding fixed gear bikes!
Genevieve has a background in social work and social justice. She has been working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector in Calgary, Victoria, and Montreal for several years. Her favorite hobbies include hiking and backcountry camping, but she is happy doing anything that includes her two dogs! In the coming years, Genevieve would like to complete a combined Master’s and Juris Doctor degree at the University of Toronto.
Kelsea has been working with children and youth since she was one herself, in environments ranging from after school care and summer camps to ESL programs and boarding schools. She’s excited to bring her experience to an organization that has such a valuable impact on our community and its youth. Kelsea aims to create a caring, supportive environment for those she works with and is always willing to listen to peoples’ latest life updates. Outside of work, Kelsea can be found taking bike rides, caring for her plants, or spending time on one of Victoria’s amazing beaches.
Shona graduated from the University of Victoria in 2019 with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Criminal Justice Diploma from Camosun College. Shona is passionate about advocating for youth’s voices to be amplified. Shona is thrilled to be a part of the new Supportive Recovery Program where youth are “met where they are at” and given an opportunity to recover and heal at their own pace. When not at work, you can find Shona exploring the beautiful west coast, reading, or listening to a true crime podcast.
Originally from Calgary AB, Maddie moved to Victoria in 2017 to begin her Social Work degree at University of Victoria. After graduating in 2019, Maddie decided to make her permanent home in Victoria, and began supporting youth with substance use issues at another non profit. Maddie is consistently impressed by the hope and resiliency that the youth she works with present, and hopes to continue working in this field in the years to come. Maddie takes a harm reduction approach to most things in life, and values open-mindedness, authenticity, and honesty. In her free time, Maddie loves camping trips with her partner & friends, swimming in any body of water (weather permitting) and watching bad tv with her roommates beloved cat.
Jasmine was born and raised in Victoria, BC. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Social Justice. Jasmine is passionate about advocating for social justice issues and for vulnerable youth! You can find Jasmine drinking coffee, trying a new recipe, or catching some sun.
Andrew Reeve was born and raised in Victoria. He is the Director of Communications & Government Relations for the Trust for Sustainable Development and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Victoria, having studied Political Science and History. He has been involved with many organizations including Amalgamation Yes, Open Victoria, and was a Senior Fellow at the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee. Reeve served as the President of the Liberal Party of Canada in Victoria for two years and as a Liberal Campaign Manager in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford during the 2015 federal election. Aside from politics and the community, he is an avid writer, Canucks fan, movie-buff, and a life-long skier.
Sean Dhillon is a finance professional with CIBC Bank with expertise in residential and construction financing across Canada. Sean is an award winning finance professional and is a long time resident of Victoria. In addition to helping Canadians reaching their financial goals Sean actively volunteers in the community with numerous non-profit agencies. Sean is also trainer and lecturer on Social Media Best Practices and has been recognized for such work by speaking at small and large scale conferences. spare time Sean is a “weekend warrior” whereby he participates in Soccer, Running and Cycling.
Bio coming soon...
Carol has a B.A. from UBC and M.P.A. from University of Victoria, as well as a Certificate in Mediation from the Justice Institute of BC. Over the years, Carol has worked with many Ministries of the Provincial Government both in frontline services and policy development, finance and administration and HR and Strategic Planning. The latter years were spent planning, coordinating and implementing government change initiatives affecting all Ministries. Carol has served on Church Boards at the Congregational, Presbytery and Conference level and community boards focused on housing and support services for youth, as well as an advisory Board for the Regional District on Agricultural Land Reserve applications. Carol has enjoyed past involvement in contributing to the wellbeing of youth and looks forward to this opportunity to serve on the Board of Threshold Society.
Dr. Alan Andrew is a Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine physician who lives and works in Victoria. He is also a clinical instructor at the UBC Faculty of Medicine and an examiner with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. On a professional level, Alan understands the direct link between stable youth housing and positive long term health outcomes. On a personal level, Alan and his wife Stephanie work to grow Victoria into a city which thrives economically and socially so that one day their two children chose to remain here to live and work themselves.
Clayton was an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy for 20 years, serving in a wide variety of roles in ships, as an instructor to junior officers, and with a scientific organization. This was followed by a second career as a business and technology consultant, specializing in data analytics. He has an MSc in management sciences. Clayton's focus on the board is to help THS achieve certification of internationally recognized standards that demonstrate the quality of services our society provides to youth. Clayton grew up in Winnipeg. He and his wife Evelyn have lived in Victoria since the mid-1990's, and they have three adult children. Clayton enjoys sailing, and learning to play piano.
Rachel Perkins is Métis of Scottish, Cree and Coast Salish descent. She is a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia and an active member of the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria. Her family has lived on beautiful Lekwungen territory since before Fort Victoria was built; her grandmothers rooted on this land since time immemorial. Educated at UVIC, RRU and UBC, Rachel’s professional career has led her from accounting and tourism in the private sector, to Indigenous entrepreneurship and small business in the public sector. She currently works in Indigenous language and culture revitalization throughout BC. Her passion and advocacy for Indigenous youth led her to the Board of Threshold Housing, to ensure they have a voice and are included in every aspect of THS’s plans, policies and programs.
Rao Wandawasi is an audit professional with over 20 years of experience. Rao has worked extensively in North America and has also performed select tasks in Europe and Asia. Having worked in multiple industries Rao currently resides in Victoria, BC and works for one of the Crown Corporation as a Director, Internal Audit, Planning and Risk. His current responsibilities include Internal Audit (IA), Planning and Risk Management (PRM), Corporate Performance Management (CPM), Continuous Improvement (CI) and Business Advisory Service (BAS). Rao’s qualifications are Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certificate in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
Guy has spent 35 years working in Ottawa in the Child Welfare and Youth Justice Fields, and teaching at Algonquin College in the Police Foundations Program. In Child Welfare, Guy worked for the Children’s Aid Society as a youth worker, a principal Child Abuse Investigative Social Worker and a program supervisor for youth and transitional residences. In Youth Justice, Guy worked one on one with high risk criminally involved young persons at the Easter Ontario Youth Justice Agency and later became Executive Director. While working in Youth Justice, Guy accepted a part-time teaching position at Algonquin College. Finally, Guy is a trained mediator / facilitator and enjoy volunteering with Restorative Justice Victoria. Guy has a BA in Psychology from Ottawa University and an incomplete MA in Pastoral Counselling from St-Paul’s University, in Ottawa. While studying at UofO, Guy played with the GEE-GEEs football team and won the Vanier Cup. His 1975 team was also inducted in the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. Guy has been enjoying his retirement since 2009.
Don is a social worker retired from private practise in the Employment Assistance field. Prior to opening his own practise he was employed by the South Vancouver Island Counselling and Assessment Service in Duncan, was a partner in Kelly Luttmer and Associates in Calgary, Vice-President for Children’s Services for Catholic Charities in Edmonton, and Executive Director of the Family Service Association in Edmonton. Don has served on many boards in Victoria, British Columbia and Alberta and Nationally. He was awarded an Order of Canada in 2008 for his extensive volunteer activity. Don’s interests are in social justice, housing, and interconnectedness of social services. He is a member of Lutheran Church of the Cross, Our Place Society and the Shelbourne Community Kitchen. He and his wife (Dr. Janet Storch) have lived in Victoria for over 20 years. They have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren.