ROOF Agency

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ROOF services and programs are based on unconditional positive regard and the harm reduction model.

Our objectives are:

1. To maintain the health and safety of street youth. We achieve this objective by providing hot meals, food hampers, clothing, hygiene products, and advocacy to the youth that frequent our drop-in. We also maintain health and safety by means of ‘connective outreach’. Our outreach workers are literally on the streets daily “meeting the youth where they are at”. In the evenings, our drop-in facility provides an environment for people to challenge and change their values systems. Here, youth are given the support they need to understand their options, and determine to take the steps necessary to break the cycle of homelessness.
2. To support and enable youth to get off the streets by providing resources and services needed to inform and educate. ROOF provides life skills training, anger management, recreational and sports opportunities, crisis counseling and referrals, therapeutic craft/art work, education groups, advocacy, family mediation, substance abuse education/referral/treatment/aftercare, and emergency shelter referrals.
3. To educate the public regarding homelessness, street youth, street life, and related issues. This educational and prevention component is provided by way of community forums, public speaking engagements, media relations, and the dissemination of relevant research.
4. To carry out prevention work targeted at youth, particularly those in junior and senior high school levels. ROOF staff frequent the local high schools and provide Reality Check sessions to at-risk youth and youth in general. This program informs youth about the reality of homelessness, dis-spells the myths often associated with life on the streets, and affords us the opportunity to link with youth who are imminent risk of homelessness due to family strife.
5. To provide an opportunity for youth to gain access to medical attention and treatment. Often street

   

   entrenched youth are without the means to secure health cards and/or various forms of identification. The ROOF facility provides an on-site nurse who offers weekly appointments to youth suffering from various medical conditions and/or in need of medical treatment. It is imperative that homeless youth

   receive immediate attention when wounds are sustained or illnesses occur.

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