We are excited to share that Covenant House Vancouver has received $50,000 through the Emergency Community Support Fund which is funded by the Government of Canada and administered by the United Way of the Lower Mainland.
The funds will go towards our Mental Health and Substance Misuse Program which will provide youth who are either at-risk or are experiencing homelessness the tools to improve their mental health, better manage their substance misuse issues and achieve healthy independence away from the streets.
For the first time, because of COVID-19, program participants will include both the youth and the staff whose job it is to serve and care for them. It’s been identified that due to the pandemic, there is an increase in fear and anxiety. In order to continue providing the best possible care to the youth in our care, it’s important that Frontline staff who personally carry the daily weight and anxieties brought on by COVID-19 are also cared for. With a mentally strong Frontline staff to care for the youth, even more can be helped in a trauma-informed way.
Thank you to both the Government of Canada and the United Way of the Lower Mainland for investing in the lives of these deserving youth during the COVID-19 crisis.