EDMONTON — Being a teenager is tough enough, but being a homeless teenager is unimaginable for many people. Sadly, it’s a reality for some teens in Edmonton, but the second annual Youth Connect event aimed to change that.
About 120 young people attended Thursday’s event at the Boyle Street Community League at 9538 103A Ave., where they received free food, haircuts, entertainment and health care services.
They had an opportunity to connect with different agencies available to support them, such as the iHuman Youth Society, the Birth Control Centre, the Terra Centre and Youth Empowerment & Support Services. Companies like Kal Tire and McDonald’s were also on site.
One of the attendees, Harry McKenzie, fell on hard times after moving to Edmonton from Saskatchewan about four years ago.
“If Youth Connect wasn’t here, I honestly don’t know where I would be,” said McKenzie.
“I’d probably still be out there, looking through a dumpster for clothes and whatnot. You know, I was struggling to get a meal in my stomach.”
McKenzie said family issues forced him to the streets.
“That really held me back from working because I wasn’t able to hold a steady job, wasn’t able to concentrate on what I was doing, my motives were brought down a lot and I wasn’t really going anywhere.”
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McKenzie learned about Boyle Street Community Services after arriving in Edmonton. He was able to speak with a social worker, get a health care card, find housing and apply for a SIN card.
McKenzie struggled with drugs and alcohol and has had to rely on community agencies for a helping hand.
“When they helped me find my housing, it’s a sober living and when I went there, you pretty much quit everything.”
The 2014 Homeward Trust homeless count report released in February of this year found 2,307 individuals identified as being homeless (The preliminary count in November 2014 found 2,252 people were homeless). At least 335 of the homeless were under the age of 18, which was an increase of about 20 per cent from 2012. The count is done every two years.
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McKenzie said going to Youth Connect opened his eyes as to how much support is out there for homeless kids.
“They actually want to help us. They don’t want us to be on the streets, you know? Streets is no place for youth. No place for someone that’s young.”
Michael Peters, who works at the YMCA of Northern Alberta and was on this year’s Youth Connect steering committee, said instilling confidence and building relationships are a key part of the event.
“Maybe make a connection here with somebody so when they’re going to an agency looking for support, they know, ‘I’ve met John at this event. I now know who John is and when I go to that agency, I feel like I have a connection with John already.'”
“If even one youth can leave knowing that there are people out there who care for them and support them, then we’ve accomplished something here,” said Peters.
Youth Connect was launched last year, after a Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (N.E.T.) social work student saw a young person walking down the street without adequate footwear on a cold winter day in 2013.
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