For the ninth year in a row, YEG Youth Connect has helped vulnerable youth in Edmonton. The Canadian Business Journal

EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 5, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After a two-year hiatus, YEG Youth Connect returns to the Boyle Street Plaza YMCA on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. This important event is in the Edmonton area that helps address the needs of homeless youth.

Young people identify themselves as nearly 18% of those experiencing homelessness in Edmonton. We recognize that a larger proportion of young people are at risk of losing their homes and do not know where to go to connect them to the resources and support they need.

YEG Youth Connect is an annual one-day event that helps meet that need. By bringing together housing and service organizations under one roof, YEG Youth Connect will serve as a primary resource for young people aged 13 to 29 who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Connect and ensure permanent, safe and healthy housing. The event also helps address life’s other needs, including employment, education, self-care, and mental health support.

Each participating youth will be supported through local agents, housing options, access to healthy eating, haircuts, clothing, essential care kits, and most importantly, connections to their culture and community. Create what will be your first link to a better future in a safe and welcoming setting, this event aims to see the young people who attend succeed.

“Honestly, I don’t know where I would be if Youth Connect wasn’t here,” said a YEG Youth Connect guest.

“Young people can connect with someone here, so when they go to that agency for support, they know, ‘I met John at this event.’ Now they know who John is.” I know, and when I go to that agency, I feel like I already have a connection with John,” explained Michael Peters, general manager of the Northern Alberta YMCA and current chair of the YEG Youth Connect Steering Committee. To do.

Now in its ninth year, YEG Youth Connect continues the success of its ‘grassroots’ approach. The Steering Committee of Edmonton Area Youth Service Agencies works with community partners to bring the most needed and appropriate services and resources to each event. The Commission looks forward to hosting another year’s in-person event welcoming young people and service providers to the Boyle Street Plaza YMCA at 9538 103A Avenue in Edmonton.

For more information, please visit http://www.yegyouthconnect.com/.

CBJ Newsmaker