Sudbury resident Dave Raymond knows full well the benefits of social agencies that focus on youth-related issues such as homelessness.

Raymond, now 23 years old, has spent the majority of his life as a Crown ward under the care of the Children's Aid Society. He spent his youth in foster homes, because of an incident at home that sent him and his siblings into the care of CAS.

When he turned 21, he moved to Sudbury with nothing more than $800 in his pocket. Needless to say, that money didn't go far. It quickly vanished through such expenses as rent. Raymond found himself in dire straights, but found hope in the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (SACY).

For the past three years, Raymond has been on a path to recovery, and he said he owes a lot of that to SACY.

“When I saw SACY in the phone book, I hesitated, but I'm glad I went, because I've learned a lot,” he said. “It took about a month for me to finally walk through the doors, but then I knew this was the best place to be, because it helped me with a lot of my issues, and it keeps making me a better person.”

Likewise, Cody Lavallee, 21, found himself searching for a place to stay after leaving home. He spent a lot of time couch-surfing, and he even slept outside once, when he wasn't able to find somewhere warm to stay.

“I found SACY through friends, and they've provided a lot,” he said.

Both Lavallee and Raymond are now peer mentors with SACY, and they strive to help others who are going through what they did.

Everyone who walks through the doors of SACY has a different story, but they are all just as important as the next, Ken Wallenius, executive director of the centre, said.

“We act as the support they don't have – many of the youth who come to the centre are trying to make it on their own, but don't have anyone to fall back on,” he said. “The centre is a non-judgmental place where they can come and access computers, talk to staff or just hang out and play pool or grab a hot meal every night – it's completely up to them how much they want to get involved.”

Youth homelessness is difficult to track, he added, “but it is an issue that people in the community need to be talking about. These youth could be anyone's children. There are great supports in place throughout the city, but what it will take is the community starting to realize there is an issue and coming up with ways to address it and keep youth moving forward.”

In the past two years, about 500 youth have registered at the centre, of which about 140 were homeless at the time of registration, Wallenius said. Youth are homeless not by choice; rather, most come from unstable housing situations and unsafe family or guardian circumstances.

In a report entitled Youth Homelessness in Canada: The Road to Solution, released by Raising the Roof, 68 per cent of youth interviewed had previously been in foster care or in group home placements. Most youth end up homeless because of family issues such as poverty, violence, physical, psychological and sexual abuse and sexual and gender identity.

It's for this reason that ongoing fundraising efforts are needed to provide the many programs delivered to those who utilize the centre's services. That's where Toque Tuesday comes into play. SACY was joined by Greater Sudbury Police Service and the City of Greater Sudbury in proclaiming Feb. 7 as Toque Tuesday.

The annual campaign raises funds and awareness in the fight against youth homelessness in Canada. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the campaign, but it's only the first year SACY has been involved, Wallenius said. Since 1997, the campaign has generated about $3.3 million to 145 community agencies.

The campaign was launched in Sudbury on Nov. 22, Wallenius said., and it runs until the end of February.

“Toques make perfect sense, because the campaign is held throughout the winter,” he said. “We've sold more than 340 toques as of Feb. 7. We're really just learning this year, but we're really happy with the way things are going.”

Raymond also used the public venue as a chance to deliver a message to anyone who might find themselves in the same situation he was: “There's help out there, there is hope, so don't give up.”

Every $10 toque sold will cover the cost of a bus pass or some clothing for a youth who needs to attend an all-important job interview; 10 toques will provide a hot meal for 15 youth.

For more information, visit www.sacy.ca.

Posted by Arron Pickard