Last year, 170 youth here at Covenant House Vancouver found and maintained employment.
We are very proud of the youth who found and maintained employment during the pandemic!
These numbers represent achievements that go far beyond a pay cheque. Employment is one of the components in the step towards independence; but the process to get to this stage is not linear and not easy. Often when youth come to Covenant House Vancouver, they are in crisis. They have experienced or are experiencing some form of trauma.
The process starts through gaining trust. For some, it may be through outreach or through youth visiting our Drop-In Centre. The next stage is to work through trauma. At CHV, youth who stay in our Crisis Program can stay as long as they wish, because getting through a crisis takes as long as it takes. Here they receive a safe place to sleep, nutritious meals and medical attention, as well as access to services like Registered Clinical Counsellors and social workers. Working with youth to address their trauma is done through a Trauma Informed Approach.
From the Crisis Program, many youth transition into our Rights of Passage program. Here youth receive guidance, structure, and support, on their journeys to independence. They learn life skills, like budgeting, cooking, self-care, and goal setting. CHV provides the support each youth needs in order to succeed, whether that be through an education plan or to help them maintain employment.
Each youth is on their own journey. Each youth is unique and supported as such. It takes courage and hard work for youth to gain control of their lives and we are very proud of all of them. We are also very grateful to all of you who kindly and generously support these brave young people.
Discover more about how your support has made a difference in the lives of youth, over the last year, by reading our 2021 Impact Report.