The quilt that each youth helped by the Threshold Housing Society receives carries special meaning.
“The quilt is made by an anonymous quilting group and it’s really a symbol of letting youth know that there is a community out there that supports them, and is basically wrapping them around in warmth and comfort,” said development co-ordinator Jasmine Campbell.
She said one former client, who is now married and doing well, contacted staff to let them know that the Threshold quilt is being put to special use.
“Their beautiful little girl sleeps in the quilt every night.”
Campbell said Threshold has a long history in the region and celebrated its 30th anniversary with a virtual gala Sept. 12. Youth aged 16 to 24 are helped, with at least 150 applying to take part over the past year.
“Our goal at Threshold is to truly prevent homelessness, and that is by providing housing, support services and community to at-risk youth,” she said. “We primarily serve youth who are fleeing violence and abuse in the home, they’re aging out of government care or they’re experiencing homelessness as a result of both of those things.”
An emergency community-support fund grant from the Victoria Foundation has been making a big impact, she said.
“We’re super thankful to the Victoria Foundation for stepping in and providing us with supports due to COVID-19,” Campbell said. “Because when the COVID-19 situation occurred there was a significant reduction to the supports available to at-risk youth within the wider system.
“Many programs that youth rely on weren’t able to operate anymore.”
Funding from the foundation allowed Threshold staff “to adapt and step in beyond their regular rules”, particularly to respond to an increase in mental-health challenges, Campbell said.
“So we created our own remote counselling.”
The funding also allowed Threshold to meet the food needs of more youth, and to help them with short-term financial needs while they were still applying for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB. As well, more staff was hired and more could be done for youth on the wait list for the program.
There has been a record number of application to Threshold during the COVID-19 pandemic, Campbell said. “With this we’re able to reach out and provide outreach support for the youth that out there vulnerable.
“So that looks like helping them with care packages, providing them with food, bus passes — really helping them out while they have nowhere else to go.”
Youth in the Threshold program receive individualized support, with each one having distinct plans that range from emphasis on earning a high-school diploma to receiving more mental-health support.
They are housed in one of the three communal homes or one of 12 apartments Threshold runs. Campbell said the communal residences have someone who stays overnight as well as a support worker during the day, while those in these apartments also have access to a support worker along with like-skills programming.
“We have been able to keep going due to the support from the Victoria Foundation, as well as other individual community members who are supporting us through donations,” she said.
