A shelter from life’s storms
Pictou County youth homeless shelter hopes for strong response to fundraising event
With much of the county in the dark, Stacey Dlamini drove from Pictou to Roots for Youth in New Glasgow, where the power had just been restored.
Quickly, the house was filling with youth, on this Thursday afternoon, Nov. 29, when power outages were wreaking havoc. Whether it’s stormy or clear skies, Roots for Youth has become a shelter that young people depend on in Pictou County. It offers emergency shelter for people between the ages of 16 and 24 as well as daily drop-in sessions from 4:30 to 8 p.m. It’s a place they can get a meal, go online, do laundry for free, and find a supportive adult to talk to.
A young woman was enjoying a hot cup of coffee during the storm.
She says without Roots for Youth she wouldn’t be in school right now and would more than likely be on the streets. Instead she’s nearing completion of her Grade 12 year with good marks and a brighter future.
“Roots has helped me through a lot,” she said, asking her name not be used. “I’ve been here twice, and they’ve helped me both times. If they weren’t here, I would have lived on the streets.”
She’s just one of the many success stories Roots for Youth has had in recent years. In 2018, executive director Stacey Dlamini said they’ve helped 27 young people end their homelessness. For some it’s meant repairing relationships with their families and going home. Others have found apartments; some have found another safe adult they could stay with.
On a regular basis the four-bed shelter has two or three people staying every night. At times they’ve had as many as five. The average stay is about 10 weeks and during that time, Dlamini said youth workers try to connect the young people with services that can help them best.
Success looks different for each individual, she said. For some it’s getting help with a mental health issue.
For others it’s finding a job or going back to school.
“If people are making progress against their stated goals, we consider that success,” she said.
There are times, things don’t work out the way Dlamini hopes. Some youth break the rules and they have to sever ties with them. But she said it’s the successes — like the young woman who is doing well in school now — that make them proud.