HOUSING AGAIN • Bulletin
Number 98 February 1, 2007
The Housing Again Bulletin, sponsored by Raising the Roof
as a partner
in Housing Again.
A monthly electronic bulletin highlighting what people are doing to
put
housing back on the public agenda in Ontario, across Canada and
around the
world.
Our web sites are:
Housing Again
http://www.housingagain.web.net
Shared Learnings on Homelessness
http://www.sharedlearnings.org
Raising the Roof
http://www.raisingtheroof.org/
If you have any tips for the Bulletin please
e-mail:
annemarie.aikins@gmail.com or
---------------------------------------------------
In
this Issue:
Feature: Eva’s Learning
Community
Community Profile: Peel Youth
Village
News Briefs: Workable National Strategy to End Poverty,
New on Raising the Roof’s Shared Learnings on
Homelessness
-----------------------------------------------
Feature:
Eva’s Learning Community
A new, unique initiative was launched in November 2006 that plans to develop a “community of practice” to help improve the work done across Canada to help homeless youth achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. Led by Eva’s Initiatives in Toronto, the national “Learning Community” brought 12 leading youth serving organization from across Canada together for a 2-day discussion to collaborate with each other, share promising program approaches and work on other issues of common interest.
Since the inception of Eva’s Initiatives, staff and volunteers have been committed to sharing the lessons learned through trial and error—with no road map—with other organizations struggling to do similar work. Through the National Initiative Program, Eva’s has successfully continued its innovative work by helping to shape how employment and shelter services are delivered to homeless youth across Canada.
“There is a common desire to do some collaborative work,” said Eva’s Initiatives Director of National Initiatives Jennifer Morris. “We should have tangible results within the next year.”
Eva’s brought together members from The Back Door (Calgary), Broadway Youth Resource Centre (Vancouver), Choices for Youth (St. John’s), McMan Youth Family and Community Services Association (Calgary), Meres et Monde (Quebec City), Ndinawe Youth Resource Centre (Winnipeg), Pathways for Children, Youth and Families (York Region), Peel Youth Village (Mississauga), Phoenix Youth Program (Halifax), YMCA of Greater Toronto and Raising the Roof.
After first spending sometime getting to know each other, the members broke into three working groups: staff development, evaluation and youth engagement, Morris said. Following the meeting, an online work space was created to assist the working groups in developing work plans.
The groups have already come up with a number of innovative ideas such as a staff exchange program and defining outcomes in a way that reflects the accomplishments of youth and addresses funders’ requirements. In the fall, the groups will get together again, Morris said.
Eva’s is grateful to the Hamilton Community Foundation, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, CIBC, Raising the Roof, Deutsche Bank and other generous funders that have allowed Eva’s to undertake this important work.
For more information contact Jennifer Morris, Director of National Initiatives at 416-977-4487, ext. 127.
-------------------------------------------------
|
NEWS
BRIEFS:
Workable National Strategy to End Poverty
The National Council of Welfare has issued a new report advising Canadian governments that a workable solution to poverty is within their reach and that Canada can have the kind of success that other countries are achieving. The report, Solving Poverty: Four cornerstones of a workable national strategy for Canada, is available online here.
New on Raising the Roof’s Shared Learnings
on Homelessness Web site
In 2003, Raising the Roof launched an interactive, bilingual Web site called Shared Learnings on Homelessness. With major funding from partners Direct Energy and RBC Foundation, Shared Learnings provides a directory listing of services and initiatives for homeless and at-risk individuals as well as resources to assist frontline staff, managers and volunteers working to address the problem of homelessness in their communities. Use this site to find out more about what is happening in cities, towns and rural areas across Canada. Link to others working within the homelessness sector, share your experiences and learn from theirs.
Recent additions to the site include:
The Lifeskills Program of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society (DEYAS) of Vancouver, British Columbia offers life skills and employment training to street-involved youth. http://www.sharedlearnings.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Prof.dspProfile&profilesid=93f3cdb2-5f5a-4404-9004-82f56e87df6c
The Street Outreach London East Project (SOUL) of The London Coffee House Program, in London, Ontario assists people experiencing difficulty obtaining and keeping housing.
How to Develop a Report Card on Homelessness: the First Report Card on Homelessness in Ottawa. This resource outlines the development of the First Report Card on Homelessness in Ottawa as a public awareness document that portrays the homeless situation clearly, actively and effectively.
http://www.sharedlearnings.org/res-det.cfm?resourcesid=3e3f9d4c-3634-4a90-a173-bdb878c353fc
---------------------------------------------------
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE:
The Housing Again e-bulletin is distributed by e-mail free of
charge
monthly. To subscribe or unsubscribe, log onto the main page at
http://www.housingagain.web.net/You'll
see the Bulletin's
subscribe/unsubscribe box at the bottom right hand of the
page.
Please circulate this e-bulletin to your friends and colleagues.
---------------------------------------------------