Minister Judy Darcy shares a special video on Threshold Housing’s 30th Anniversary.
Minister Judy Darcy shares a special video on Threshold Housing’s 30th Anniversary.
Safe housing, while a luxury for some, is something more than 150 youth in the region don’t have access to with not enough shelter beds and an affordable housing crisis exacerbating the issue.
“Safe housing is a place where you can have some privacy, separation from the outside world as you desire, and avoidance of things like overcrowding and being around behaviour or activities that make you feel unsafe,” said Colin Tessier, executive director of Threshold Housing Society, a Victoria organization that aims to support youth and help them find safe housing. “It’s a place where a young person feels they have support and healing and can grow from.”
Tessier said many of the youth experiencing homelessness in the region, and those who work with the organization, come from precarious and often dangerous or unhealthy situations. They’ve likely been through a lot of transitions in their life and even find themselves in situations where they’re being abused. Their at-home situations become so dire that they start to search for other options to avoid being traumatized any further.
“There are youth who sleep on our streets every night and it’s more than a couple. It’s a hidden homeless scenario but they’re just trying to find a place to rest their head at night,” Tessier said.
We are so happy to announce that our 30th Anniversary celebrations are going virtual! Join us from the comfort of your own home with a gala in a box. Purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/threshold-housings-30th-anniver….
❤️Thank you so much Peninsula Co-op for sponsoring this event! ❤️
Did you know? Research shows that LGBTQ2S+ youth are more likely to say that violence or abuse made them leave home, compared to hetereosexual cisgender youth.
One of the most common reasons youth experience homelessness is due to family violence and conflict. Where youth flee their homes to protect themselves. Studies show that there is an over representation of LGBTQ2S+ youth in those fleeing from violence and abuse in their home and experiencing homelessness. At Threshold, this is the narrative we find to be true among the youth we serve. This is why we are dedicating July to September 30th, 2020 to highlighting the detrimental impact violence and abuse in the home can have on youth, especially on their ability to build healthy habits, continue to their education, and have a positive self-image. At Threshold, we truly believe in providing youth with a safe place to call home that celebrates their diverse identities. Because all youth deserve to find a safe home with pride. 💙❤️💚💛🌈
Since April 1st, we have been highlighting the ongoing issue of youth aging out of government care at 19 years old. Why? Because youth age out of care, whether they are ready or not! At an age that is often already challenging and stressful.
-Aging out of care without appropriate supports in place is often cited as risk factor that leads to experiences of homelessness.
-In 2018, the B.C. Coroners Service report found youth leaving government care died at five times the rate of the general population of young people in British Columbia.
– There is an over representation of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness, which can be directly linked to the over representation of Indigenous youth in government care. This is an outcome resulting from the ongoing legacy of colonialism.
Read our Summer Newsletter here – Threshold Housing Summer Newsletter 2020
Join Threshold Housing Society on June 23rd, 2020, for a virtual screening of the documentary 19 and homeless by Brighter Future Films.
This documentary captures two years in the lives of a group of former foster youth as they age out of care and transition into adulthood. This documentary includes a Threshold graduate’s journey from aging out of foster care to being supported by the Threshold program. This film captures youth navigating their challenges, barriers, their trauma, as well as their moments of joy.
Happy #MeetTheTeamMonday! This week we asked the newest member of our team, Bryanda, some fun questions to get to know her!
⭐️Do you lean more towards being an introvert or an extrovert?
I’m a equal part extrovert and introvert. Ambivert I guess you’d say. Depends on the day and the situation.
⭐️If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
I’d be a green… a green that you’d find in the forest. A calm, natural, nurturing green.
⭐️What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?
First I know this may sound pretentious, but to be honest if it was my choice, wouldn’t go to Starbucks, because I adore local coffee shops, haha, so I’d probably pick my favourite place, Township coffee and meet with Brené Browne.
Happy #MeetTheTeamMonday! For this week, we asked Sydney some fun questions to get to know her.
⭐️Do you lean more towards being an introvert or an extrovert? Definitely more introverted although I strongly value connection with others to help keep me sane haha.
⭐️If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? A sparkly royal blue.