Over the years, one tradition that has taken hold at Threshold surrounds the gift of a hand-stitched quilt given to each young resident who leaves our houses. The program was started by a group of quilters who felt it important that youth in transition have a tangible object that would represent care, hope and the need for a sanctuary.
Lorette Dickson took one year to complete this stunning quilt
During its 2013 Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors released a 5-Year strategic plan charting Threshold’s path into the future.
At the level of program delivery the plan responds to an overwhelming cry from the community for more youth housing. As a result, the plan calls for Threshold to supply a total of 50 units of youth supervised housing by 2018.
This plan was formulated after an extensive environmental scan of youth services in the community was undertaken by Board Members. Over a four month period, Board Members consulted with over two dozen services agencies, including provincial agencies and non-profits, in hopes of understanding better the needs of the community and gaps in services to at-risk youth.
This is the first strategic plan to be tabled by the Board in many years. It speaks to the changing nature of youth services and the non-profits whose mission it is to assist youth. The plan emphasizes growth in the Western communities of the CRD, namely, Colwood and Langford. These municipalities are among the fastest growing in BC, if not Canada. Serving as the bedroom communities of Victoria, social problems like youth in crisis are expected. In 2012, two reports were released by the West Shore Task Force on Youth Housing calling for the establishment of both youth shelters and transitional housing.
To all those who may be interested, the Threshold Housing Society will be holding its AGM on September 25, 2013.
Soroptimist International is an international organization for business and professional women who volunteer in order to improve the lives of women and girls in their communities and throughout the world.
In June of this year, Soroptimist International Victoria Westshore celebrated the grand opening of Anney’s Closet for young women in need. For a recent article on this wonderful resource for at-risk young women, read the article from the Times Colonist.
Anney’s Closet will be a free store where young women referred by social agencies can select furniture and household items that will transform their first apartments into functional and comfortable homes. In accessing Anney’s Closet, young women will not impact their Youth Agreement stipend. This is a much needed resource in the Westshore and congratulations to Anna Harvey for pulling the support of many organizations and funders to make this possible.
Oh!, if you RVSP by June 6th, you are eligible for a $15o gift certificate from Sante Spa at Bear Mountain. RVSP anneyscloset@gmail.com
Starting May 30th through to July 3, 2013, you can help support housing at-risk youth in the Victoria region by supporting The Buy a Hammer, Build Our Community in-store fundraising campaign with The Home Depot Canada Foundation.
Threshold is happy to be sponsored this year by the Home Depot’s Victoria Saanich store located at 3986 Shelbourne near the intersection of McKenzie and Shelbourne.
To help support Threshold, the process is simple. For a $2 donation, customers can purchase a ‘Paper Hammer’ from the checkout of the above The Home Depot store.
Congratulations to the Harbourside Rotary Club for offering to build a storage shed in the backyard of Holly House.
Cement Pad 7:30am May 11, 2013
Rotarian Robin Cushing was instrumental in rounding up volunteers who did a marvelous job in first constructing a large cement pad and then actually constructing the shed.
Building the shed was important because the only other storage available was in an attached garage which made storing lawnmowers, gasoline and other appliances a real safety issue. Now that the garage has been cleared, we are hoping to use it for a meeting room.
Team Awesome is one of several teams working under the auspices of Leadership Victoria to hone their leadership and skill sets for their professional lives. Last year five members of Team Awesome approached Threshold Housing Society and asked how they could contribute to the problem of youth housing and at-risk youth in general.
Right from the beginning this energetic and enthusiastic group made the youth in both the housing and SHY program complete participants. During a “dot-mocracy” night at Mitchell House, the youth were invited to dream big and think of what activity, if they had a chance, would they like to do. It was a difficult process because so many of the youth had never dreamed they be able to try something like scuba diving or archery. However, once the votes were in, Team Awesome went about looking for sponsors and trying to organize a special day that would encompass the wishes of the youth plus encourage the values of participation, community, self-realization and increase the profile of Threshold in the community; see post below on Zone 91.3.
Such organization was no easy task as at-risk youth have a general mistrust of adults, may not know what it is to have activities just for fun, and don’t like to be challenged to go beyond their comfort zone.
An estimated 65,000 youth in Canada were reported homeless or living in emergency shelters in 2009. The 2011 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count found 397 unaccompanied youth under the age of 25. These findings amounted to the highest number of homeless youth ever found in the region, a nine per cent increase from 2008 and a 34 per cent increase from 2005.
What is surprising is that many youth who have been in provincial care end-up homeless, estimates are as high as 40%. About half of teens who leave the system apply for social assistance within six months of turning 19.
Every year about 1,100 youth "age out" from care of the Crown on their 19th birthday. The prospects are poorest for those who are aboriginal or Metis. (Image from "Lighting up the Darkness," an illustrated short story about aboriginal youth in care by Steven Keewatin Sanderson. Courtesy The Healthy Aboriginal Network.)
Spring is normally the time for things to start afresh, from grass to trees awakening from their winter slumber. Awash in bright colours, spring is a miraculous time as we see everything take on new life.
The Vancouver Island Stagers, Stylists and Re-designers (VISSR) took this spring magic to heart and put their professional expertise to work rejuvenating Holly House.
After a tour in late December, the VISSR decided that Holly House would be chosen as its special “Hands Up” project for 2013.
The VISSR Team starting at the top: Tracey, Stacey, Pauline,Dana, Melanie, Josee, Diana and Valerie (and where is Murray?)
Thanks to the initiative of some very hard working professionals undergoing training through Leadership Victoria, Threshold was given an hour of radio time on the show “My Turn,” on The Zone @ 91.3 Modern Rock on March 21, from 3:00 to 4:00pm.
While this entire team of young pros, appropriately called “Team Awesome,” are indeed awe
some, Rebecca Scott was able to have Threshold’s Executive Director, a House Mentor and a youth from Mitchell House moderate an entire hour of radio time.
The long playlist was put together by all the youth living under a Threshold roof. During the show, special emphasis was put on searching for landlords for our SHY program (press red button in right column of website) and drumming up support a special events day organized by Team Awesome. To listen to this awesome broadcast, listen here!