Help Save Kelowna's Youth from Homelessness
Tax deductible
  Help Save Kelowna's Youth from Homelessness by bringing The Upstream Project to Kelowna!
Here are some facts about our homeless population in Canada:
- Did you know that youth make up 20% of our homeless population? (Raise the Roof, 2015)
- Did you know that 40.1 % of adults living on the street had their first homeless experience before the age of 16? (City of Kelowna, 2019)
- Did you know that one of the fastest growing populations of homeless people are children and families? (Raise the Roof, 2015)
For those of you who are wondering what a homeless youth is...
“Youth homelessness refers to the situation and experience of young people between the ages of 13 and 24 who are living independently of parents and/or caregivers, but do not have the means or ability to acquire a stable, safe or consistent residence." (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2018)
Anyone that lives in Kelowna knows that we have a lot of homeless people here. Some of them are visible, many are not. Often our homeless population, especially youth, are sleeping in cars, couch-surfing, or have found some other precarious housing option. A Journey Home - Kelowna has been created by several local community partners to address this growing concern together. (City of Kelowna, 2019)
A Journey Home now has a goal to end homelessness in our city by 2023. One of its biggest tasks is to stop it from ever happening again in the first place. One way this can be achieved is by integrating The Upstream Project into our school system. (City of Kelowna, 2019)
What is The Upstream Project Canada?
"The Upstream Project Canada is an innovative initiative aimed to prevent, rather than respond to, youth homelessness in Canada. Using a population-screening tool, the project identifies at-risk youth and connects them to supports that help them remain in school and maintain stable housing.
Ultimately, the goals are to:
1. Improve student’s overall and mental well-being
2. Increase school engagement
3. Decrease youth homelessness
As the project name implies, the best way to address youth homelessness is to work upstream to prevent it from occurring in the first place." (Raising The Roof, 2015)
What can I do to help?
There are lots of ways you can help! You can advocate to your local school board to bring The Upstream Project to your school. You can message me if you would like to help out at one of my fundraisers (that would be awesome!) And you can always make a financial contribution! Once the pilot project here is completed in Kelowna it can be rolled out in other cities across Canada. Wouldn't it be nice to help the next generation of youth from living on the streets and instead fulfilling their future in a healthy and successful way??? By donating to this cause you are helping to bring The Upstream Project here and giving the next generation of youth a better life. Every contribution, large or small, makes an impact.
My decision to climb for change...
So I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, on October 10, 2019. Yes, I want to do something big to support change and advocate for our youth! All the money that I am raising will go directly to help fund The Upstream Project here in School District 23. I chose $6000 as my initial goal to reach for climbing in October, but I would like to raise much more than that!
Who am I?
As for me, I have been living in Kelowna for almost two years now and am proud to call it my home. I am an active member of the community and work in the mental health sector full-time supporting youth and their families. I am passionate about helping others and value the importance of prevention-based work as model for successful change.
I try to be a positive role model myself by pursuing personal growth and enjoying life to the fullest. When I am not at work I am usually signing up for a new fitness challenge, learning a new skill, reading, or spending time with my family and friends. Last year I ran in two 10 km races to raise money for mental health initiatives. This year I am taking up kickboxing and hiking to help prepare me for my Mount Kilimanjaro climb. You may see me around town using some sweet crutches right now as I recently broke my ankle working out. I refuse to let it deter me from my goals however, and am continuing to train and press forward with my community engagements.
Why does my donation say it is going to United Way?
The United Way of Central and South Okanagan/ Similkameen is one of the partners of a Journey Home and is kindly holding on to the funds received at this time. One hundred percent of the donations collected here will be allocated to the Upstream Project. Thank you in advance for your contribution and support.
Is my donation tax deductible?
YES :)
Want to know more?
If you are interested in learning more about my Mount Kilimanjaro climb to end homelessness or want to help please feel free to contact me here or on the email listed below. I am also available to speak at your work or community event to help raise money and awareness for this cause. I will be posting updates on here regularly regarding a Journey Home and my community engagements. I look forward to meeting you all. Thank you in advance for your support.
"We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world."
- Howard Zinn
Sincerely,
Victoria Schermel
[email redacted]
Follow these hashtags!
#ajourneyhomekelowna
#theupstreamproject
#climbforkelowna
#letyourlightshine
Resources
City of Kelowna. (2019) A Journey Home. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://www.kelowna.ca/our-community/addressing-homelessness/journey-home
Raising The Roof (2015) The Upstream Project. Retrieved April 20, 2019, from https://www.raisingtheroof.org/what-we-do/our-initiatives/the-upstream-project/
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2018) The Canadian Definition of Youth Homelessness. Retrieved January, 10, 2019, from https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/what-homelessness
Here are some facts about our homeless population in Canada:
- Did you know that youth make up 20% of our homeless population? (Raise the Roof, 2015)
- Did you know that 40.1 % of adults living on the street had their first homeless experience before the age of 16? (City of Kelowna, 2019)
- Did you know that one of the fastest growing populations of homeless people are children and families? (Raise the Roof, 2015)
For those of you who are wondering what a homeless youth is...
“Youth homelessness refers to the situation and experience of young people between the ages of 13 and 24 who are living independently of parents and/or caregivers, but do not have the means or ability to acquire a stable, safe or consistent residence." (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2018)
Anyone that lives in Kelowna knows that we have a lot of homeless people here. Some of them are visible, many are not. Often our homeless population, especially youth, are sleeping in cars, couch-surfing, or have found some other precarious housing option. A Journey Home - Kelowna has been created by several local community partners to address this growing concern together. (City of Kelowna, 2019)
A Journey Home now has a goal to end homelessness in our city by 2023. One of its biggest tasks is to stop it from ever happening again in the first place. One way this can be achieved is by integrating The Upstream Project into our school system. (City of Kelowna, 2019)
What is The Upstream Project Canada?
"The Upstream Project Canada is an innovative initiative aimed to prevent, rather than respond to, youth homelessness in Canada. Using a population-screening tool, the project identifies at-risk youth and connects them to supports that help them remain in school and maintain stable housing.
Ultimately, the goals are to:
1. Improve student’s overall and mental well-being
2. Increase school engagement
3. Decrease youth homelessness
As the project name implies, the best way to address youth homelessness is to work upstream to prevent it from occurring in the first place." (Raising The Roof, 2015)
What can I do to help?
There are lots of ways you can help! You can advocate to your local school board to bring The Upstream Project to your school. You can message me if you would like to help out at one of my fundraisers (that would be awesome!) And you can always make a financial contribution! Once the pilot project here is completed in Kelowna it can be rolled out in other cities across Canada. Wouldn't it be nice to help the next generation of youth from living on the streets and instead fulfilling their future in a healthy and successful way??? By donating to this cause you are helping to bring The Upstream Project here and giving the next generation of youth a better life. Every contribution, large or small, makes an impact.
My decision to climb for change...
So I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, on October 10, 2019. Yes, I want to do something big to support change and advocate for our youth! All the money that I am raising will go directly to help fund The Upstream Project here in School District 23. I chose $6000 as my initial goal to reach for climbing in October, but I would like to raise much more than that!
Who am I?
As for me, I have been living in Kelowna for almost two years now and am proud to call it my home. I am an active member of the community and work in the mental health sector full-time supporting youth and their families. I am passionate about helping others and value the importance of prevention-based work as model for successful change.
I try to be a positive role model myself by pursuing personal growth and enjoying life to the fullest. When I am not at work I am usually signing up for a new fitness challenge, learning a new skill, reading, or spending time with my family and friends. Last year I ran in two 10 km races to raise money for mental health initiatives. This year I am taking up kickboxing and hiking to help prepare me for my Mount Kilimanjaro climb. You may see me around town using some sweet crutches right now as I recently broke my ankle working out. I refuse to let it deter me from my goals however, and am continuing to train and press forward with my community engagements.
Why does my donation say it is going to United Way?
The United Way of Central and South Okanagan/ Similkameen is one of the partners of a Journey Home and is kindly holding on to the funds received at this time. One hundred percent of the donations collected here will be allocated to the Upstream Project. Thank you in advance for your contribution and support.
Is my donation tax deductible?
YES :)
Want to know more?
If you are interested in learning more about my Mount Kilimanjaro climb to end homelessness or want to help please feel free to contact me here or on the email listed below. I am also available to speak at your work or community event to help raise money and awareness for this cause. I will be posting updates on here regularly regarding a Journey Home and my community engagements. I look forward to meeting you all. Thank you in advance for your support.
"We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world."
- Howard Zinn
Sincerely,
Victoria Schermel
[email redacted]
Follow these hashtags!
#ajourneyhomekelowna
#theupstreamproject
#climbforkelowna
#letyourlightshine
Resources
City of Kelowna. (2019) A Journey Home. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://www.kelowna.ca/our-community/addressing-homelessness/journey-home
Raising The Roof (2015) The Upstream Project. Retrieved April 20, 2019, from https://www.raisingtheroof.org/what-we-do/our-initiatives/the-upstream-project/
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. (2018) The Canadian Definition of Youth Homelessness. Retrieved January, 10, 2019, from https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/what-homelessness
Organizer
Victoria Catharine
Organizer
UNITED WAY OF THE CENTRAL & SOUTH OKANAGAN/SIMILKAMEEN
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically tax deductible in Canada.
