Helping at-risk youth on Queen West
Up to 70 young people attend Vanauley St. YMCA every day
For young people who need a hand, the YMCA is more than swimming pools and fitness facilities. On Vanauley St., the Y provides a vital service for at-risk youth who would otherwise spend their days roaming the streets.
“It’s a place where you can come in and get some respite from being on the street because it’s difficult to survive there,” says Louise Smith, manager of youth outreach and intervention for YMCA of Greater Toronto. “You can get connected to services and supports and people who can help.”
The Vanauley St. YMCA began operating in early May of last year in response to a need for drop-in services in the Queen St. West area after other similar programs shut down. The YMCA has been running a young men’s emergency shelter in the area since 1986 but wanted to expand its services.
From 2006 to 2009, the number of young people using shelter services grew by 16.2 per cent.
“Given that information, the population seems to be increasing; the service needs are definitely increasing,” Smith says.
Before the YMCA took over the space, 7 Vanauley St. was occupied by another drop-in group that decided to shift its focus to Scarborough. There was some concern among members of the homeless population in the area, who worried about where to access services once the drop-in closed at the end of March 2012.
To alleviate those concerns, the YMCA was able to operate a temporary drop-in service in the base- ment of their nearby shelter while the Vanauley St. location was being prepared.
“We knew there was a . . . subset of people who needed somewhere to go during the day and we needed to be able to provide that,” Smith says.
When it was ready to open its doors about a month later, the focus was on providing necessities such as hot meals, showers and laundry. Since then, the YMCA and the Vanauley St. staff have been working to provide services based on what their visitors need.
“One of the ways that we work is making sure that we involve people who are using the service in deci- sions around the types of supports that are operating there,” Smith says. Visitors can currently take advantage of yoga and meditation, employment placement and self-employment services, and the YMCA’s connection with mental-health service providers, among other things. So far, the response has been positive; between 50 and 70 young people come by each day. “I don’t know what those young people would do if they didn’t have that space,” Smith says. “There aren’t services in this neighbourhood that are similar. People are relieved this service is available.”