Bridging The Gap Halton

Did you know that about 42% of people experiencing homelessness identified as racialized, about 8% of people identified as LGBTQ2S+ and 9% were newcomers? According to Halton Regions Point in Time Count (2021), some of the reasons for housing loss include relationship breakdown (37%), insufficient income ($23%), mental health or substance use issues (14%), landlord and tenant conflict (11%) and others.

Homelessness continues to grow in Halton, what are your thoughts on stopping this?

Read more about housing in Halton from our report “Our Halton 2023: Housing” by clicking on the link in our Linktree (it is in our bio) or use this link https://buff.ly/3GWcgMS for more details!

New dates now available for Coping Skills for Change 2- and 3-session workshops on Mindfulness, Managing Emotional Crisis with Distress Tolerance, and Emotional Regulation. Learn more and register: https://tinyurl.com/226f3ctz

The Children's Aid Foundation of Halton provides resources to help children, youth, and families thrive — including 437 youth aged 16-24 who received outreach services through Bridging the Gap's homeless support program.

🔗Learn more about our impact at cafh.ca!

Check out the schedule for December! Our staff lawyer will be available in the and libraries on alternating Fridays to provide free legal help.

This is a free, drop-in service and appointments do not need to be booked to speak directly to a lawyer. Contact us by phone ( 905-875-2069 ) or on our website at haltonlegal.ca if you have any questions.

Help Kim raise money for participating in Dynamic Prancer, Dancer and Dashers 5K Walk on December 3, 2023 Please help us this holiday season raise funds for Bridging the Gap. This is an incredible organization that helps youths ages 16-18 navigate the system, provide them with housing, foods and educational supports. Amanda has been an amazing advocate to us personally and she has become part of our fam...

Tomorrow night (Thursday, November 23rd) we will be conducting our soft launch of our open evening meals. These meals will be open to anyone who is food insecure, no questions asked. They will be simple easy to make, but we hope that they will make an impact. We will be open for this meal 8:45-10 pm. Our regular overnight program will run as well. For more information, please email [email protected]

Imagine being 16 years old and your parents kick you out. You couch surf for a while, but that friend moves away. Now you’re alone. You’re sleeping on the streets.

Every year, Bridging the Gap, a program supported with funding from the Children’s Aid Foundation of Halton (CAFH) receives 500-plus calls regarding youth (aged 16-24) experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Cassandra, a Transitional Youth Worker with Bridging the Gap explains, “Housing is one of the most important things to give stability. You can’t focus on anything else if you don’t have a safe place to stay.”

Adds Cassandra, “I see all the marks of a traumatic childhood. Young people supress their emotions just to survive. This can come out in behaviours that indicate they’re struggling physically or mentally, such as with addictions. I deal with much more than finding them a place to sleep. I build a connection and keep in touch, at least weekly but often daily.” She also refers her clients to agencies that can support broader challenges.

Cassandra has a special connection to young people who have had difficult childhoods. She came into care herself at the age of three. “If you understand, you don’t give up. I need to have lots of patience because my goal is to be their anchor so they can pull themselves up.”

There’s an appalling lack of housing, and donations are so important to help us provide more resources. “Funding shortages mean we can’t do all they need, and it’s just so terribly hard for them. It puts extraordinary pressure on CAS workers and leads to burnout.”

If you’re interested in making a donation to Bridging the Gap, please feel free to contact CAFH. www.cafh.ca

As a provider of Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP), we offer evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and related approaches for individuals 15 and older to help with depression, anxiety, & anxiety-related conditions. Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/4bnvtsby.

More thanks and proud moments too - here's Austin with the device he has created to assist non-profits in coordinating accurate records of inventory. It was awesome to see our close friends and supporters, you make our work possible every day! Don PangmanMandM Benninger Krista Dietrich

Town of Milton opens first dedicated youth space (Source: InsideHalton, 📷: Town of Milton)

Local teens now have a designated place to call their own.

On Sept. 27, the Town of Milton celebrated the grand opening of the Milton Youth Space for those aged 13 to 18.

Located at Milton Sports Centre (605 Santa Maria Blvd.), the space — open weekdays from 3 to 8:30 p.m. — is open to drop-in visitors, providing a safe, inclusive and supervised place to gather, socialize and study.

It features a kitchenette (snacks stocked in part by Food for Life), TV, gaming console, lounge chairs, ping pong table, individual seating for studying, games, charging station (sponsored by Milton Hydro) and a food bank and clothing exchange.

The space will feature programming and events tailored to youth interests, with funding from Tandia Financial Credit Union (Milton Branch) and access to key support networks in the community.

The Milton Youth Space was designed with input from local youth, including the Milton Youth Task Force, who guided space design and programming.

More information about the Milton Youth Space can be found at milton.ca/YouthSpace.

Check out the schedule for October 2023! Please note our last day outdoors is October 6, and we'll be moving to the Halton Hills Public Libraries starting October 13.

You can still find us in Acton & Georgetown on alternating Fridays, where you can get free legal help! Stop by to speak directly with a lawyer, no appointment needed.

We're excited to launch our new Family-to-Family education program for caregivers! The first session kicks off October 18 and runs for 8 weeks via Zoom. Email us at [email protected] if you are interested in participating and we will follow up.

We are in the planning process for our next year of operation. We will be announcing dates for information nights that will be open to those interested in volunteering and anyone from the community that would like to know about the program. You can reach us at [email protected]

Registration for our fall Coping Skills for Change 12-week DBT skills group is now open! 3 sessions to choose from for September to December. Register by September 1. Info and registration: https://tinyurl.com/3vt6542b

Reminder...we are now scheduling appointments for our Call-In Counselling service. Please call 289-291-5396 to schedule a session.

Changing the Path of Homeless Youth - The Home Depot Canada Foundation Learn more about The Home Depot Canada Foundation: http://bit.ly/3k2eEJZ

Housing is a Human Right.

What does that really mean in Canada?

For the first time in 2019, the federal government committed to implementing Canada’s obligation under international human rights law, as described in the National Housing Strategy, “to progressively implement the right of every Canadian to access adequate housing.” The government also promised to adopt legislation that would create an obligation on future governments to maintain a rights-based housing strategy.

Does this mean the government has to provide housing for all Canadians?

According to the National Right to Housing Network, "The right to housing under international human rights law does not mean that the government must provide everyone with housing. It recognizes that all people have the “right to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity” and that governments must implement reasonable policies and programs which will ensure that everyone has access to adequate housing by one means or another, as soon as this can be achieved within available resources. The NHS Act affirms that that this commitment must guide housing policy and programs, prioritizing those in the greatest need.”

Raising the Roof believes that all Canadians deserve a safe and stable place to call home and work towards this goal every day.

To learn more about housing in Canada visit: housingrights.ca

DREAM Auction 2023 | Powered by Givergy Bid on exclusive money can't buy items & experiences with Tina Halton. Enter into one of our charity auctions, prize draws or buy exclusive items now.

The is back outside! Check out our May schedule, we are still visiting the same communities but many of our locations have shifted.

This project is funded by The Law Foundation of Ontario.

Township of Wellington North Town of Minto Town of Erin Township of Centre Wellington Town of Halton Hills Halton Region County of Wellington

Harriston Legion Br. 296 Harriston Food Bank CMHA Waterloo Wellington Upper Grand Family Health Team 2nd Chance Employment Counselling Mount Forest Family Health Team East Wellington C S Stonehenge Therapeutic Community Community Resource Centre East Wellington Family Health Team The Grove Palmerston The Grove Hubs - Fergus The Grove Hubs Agilec Agilec Centre Wellington Food Bank Georgetown Bread Basket Acton Foodshare Halton Community Legal Services Halton Hills Public Library

Check out our May calendar of virtual and in-person Peer Support Groups: https://halton.cmha.ca/peer-support/

New dates for Coping Skills for Change 2 or 3-session workshops! Learn mindfulness, emotional/stress management, communication skills to improve relationships, and strategies to improve overall mental health/wellness. Learn more & register: https://tinyurl.com/226f3ctz

Are you a creative Canadian high school student in grades 9-12? We are having a tote design contest and would love to see your work. Head to our website for all the details www.raisingtheroof.org/tote or email directly [email protected] for any questions.

The Drop returns today! Come check it out at Glen Abbey Community Centre, beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Click the link below to view the activities and register!

Details: https://www.oakville.ca/parks-recreation-culture/programs-activities/youth-services/