Studying youth homelessness in Prescott-Russell $0--&$5 * 7 * 5 r $0..6/ * 5:
MAXIME MYRE maxime.myre@eap.on.ca
When the word homeless is heard, people first think of a lonely vagrant, in an alley, sleeping on cardboard boxes. But some- times, people can have apartments and even houses that are available but that they don’t consider a home. A house is a habitat, a home is somewhere you can reside and live safely. Jodie Densmore of UnitedWay Prescott- Russell, and Julien Castonguay, a researcher from Concordia University, are currently studying youth homelessness in our area. While it is not United Way’s mandate to in- vestigate social issues, the organisation does amass some data fromall of the community groups that it supports, along with testimo- nies from social workers, police officers and volunteers throughout the community. The United Way discovered that some young people in Prescott-Russell are at risk of becoming homeless, were homeless or are homeless now. Getting into a fight with parents, having an alternative lifestyle or be- ing in foster care can lead a youth to couch surf or live with boyfriends and girlfriends. “If you are 15, 16 or 17, you can’t access the services of a food bank because you need proof of address. Imagine the state of vulnerability these kids are in,” replied Densmore when asked why she chose youth homelessness as a cause. According to Densmore, there are not a
Concordia University resarcher Julien Castonguay, and executive director of United Way Prescott-Russell Jodie Densmore, are studying youth homelessness in Prescott-Russell. —photo Maxime Myre
lot of available resources for youth in home- less situations.That is why she is promoting the 211 number, where people in distress can talk to someone and get directed to the right agency or service depending on the issue at hand. Castonguay’s mandate is to collect infor- mation and data to learn how social workers and police officers cope with teens not hav- ing a home, or a home that is not a safe place for them to go back to. By doing this research,
they want to confirm that youth homeless- ness is not only an issue in Prescott-Russell, but that it needs its own set of procedures and tools so that both, police officers and social workers can provide services to youth in homeless situations. This will be an ongoing research that will reveal clues on how to deal with youth homelessness in Prescott-Russell. Out of her small office space onHawkes- bury’s Main Street, Densmoremanages over
$200,000 in funds that are redistributed amongst organizations engaged in fighting poverty and empowering women, youth and the elderly. Saying Densmore runs a small team would be an understatement. But although shemanages most of the day-to-day by her- self, she’s supported by an active adminis- tration board andmany volunteers, such as Castonguay, to push the boundaries of her mandate beyond fundraising.
HELP A YOUTH...
AIDEZ UN JEUNE... Valoris est à la recherche de familles pour accueillir des enfants ou des adolescents pour une durée pouvant se prolonger jusqu’à trois mois. Un jeune admis sous notre responsabilité pourrait bénéficier de ce type de placement, lui offrant une période transitoire en plus de nous permettre d’élaborer un plan qui favorisera son mieux-être et une meilleure intégration dans sa communauté. î 9RXV¬WHVXQLQGLYLGXRXXQFRXSOHELOLQJXHLQFOXDQWDXPRLQVXQDGXOWH UHVSRQVDEOH¢ODPDLVRQ¢SOHLQWHPSV î 9RXVDYH]¢FRHXUODIDPLOOHODFRPPXQDXW«HWOçLQW«JUDWLRQVRFLDOH î 9RXVKDELWH]XQHPDLVRQDYHFGHX[RXWURLVFKDPEUHV¢FRXFKHUOLEUHV î 9RXVDYH]GHOçH[S«ULHQFHDXSUªVGHVHQIDQWVDGROHVFHQWVHWYRXV¬WHV GLVSRV«V¢OHVHQFDGUHUSHQGDQWOHXUV«MRXUFKH]YRXV î 9RXV¬WHVSU¬WV¢WUDYDLOOHUDYHFOHSHUVRQQHOGH9DORULVSRXURIIULUGHVVRLQV GHTXDOLW«HWDLGHUOHVHQIDQWVDGROHVFHQWV¢FKHPLQHU î 6RPPHPHQVXHOOHSRXUUHFRQQD°WUHYRWUHGLVSRQLELOLW«TXRWLGLHQQH î $OORFDWLRQTXRWLGLHQQHSRXUOHVHQIDQWVTXLKDELWHQWFKH]YRXV î 3ULPHSRXUODGLVSRQLELOLW«GçXUJHQFHVHORQXQKRUDLUHSU««WDEOL î 7«O«SKRQHFHOOXODLUH î )RUPDWLRQ î 6RXWLHQRIIHUWSDUXQSHUVRQQHOTXDOLą«HWG«YRX« î /çRFFDVLRQGHIDLUHXQHGLII«UHQFHSRVLWLYHGDQVODYLHGH SOXVLHXUVMHXQHV Êtes-vous admissible? Ce que vous recevrez...
Valoris is looking for families to welcome children or adolescents into their home for a period that may extend up to three months. Youth in our care will benefit from this type of placement, as it provides a transitional period and allows us to develop a plan to promote their well-being and integration in the community. î What you will receive... î $PRQWKO\VXPLQUHFRJQLWLRQRI\RXUDYDLODELOLW\ î 'DLO\DOORZDQFHIRUFKLOGUHQOLYLQJLQ\RXUKRPH î %RQXVIRUVFKHGXOHGHPHUJHQF\DYDLODELOLW\ î 7UDLQLQJ î VXSSRUWRIIHUHGE\TXDOLąHGDQGGHGLFDWHGVWDII î 7KHRSSRUWXQLW\WRPDNHDSRVLWLYHGLIIHUHQFHLQWKH OLIHRI\RXQJSHRSOH For more information, call 1 800 675.6168. Pour plus de précisions, téléphonez au 1 800 675.6168.
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