There is a homelessness problem in Yorkton, but it’s not one you can easily see, and the people affected don’t make their troubles well known. Yorkton Transitional Homes for Youth (YTHY) is raising money to help with the Coldest Night of the Year walk.
The event takes place on Feb. 23, 2019 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, registration opening at 4:00 p.m. with the walk itself beginning at 5:00 p.m. After the walk they congregate back at the starting point to warm up with a hot meal after.
This will be the third year that YTHY has participated in the walk, and this is their lone fundraiser each year said Glenda Gascho, organizer of the event.
“We believe that it captures what we do. We deal with a lot of homeless, at-risk youth.”
The goal is to raise around $30,000, the highest goal set for the event in Yorkton. They are happy to accept individuals but also want to recruit teams take part, Gascho said.
The funds raised will go largely towards their outreach program. While their main program is the transitional home, which is funded by province, their outreach program covers a broader range of people.
“We are providing outreach services to anyone who needs it. We are targeting, of course, youth, and under federal guidelines youth are up to age 29. We do have a rooming home that we’re operating on Circlebrooke, and we do offer room and board but they are responsible for all of their own food,” explained Gascho.
Food is another struggle for YTHY. Gascho notes that in the transitional home they have a budget of $9, which doesn’t go far when they have a house filled with teenagers, meaning they inevitably go over-budget.
“Food costs are definitely high, and it is difficult to budget for 5-6 people in one house on $45 a day. I don’t think I could do it in my house!” Gascho said.
While the primary goal of the event is to raise money, they also want people to realize that Yorkton has a homelessness problem that is often kept out of the public eye.
“There is this opinion that Yorkton doesn’t have a homelessness problem, but we do... We’ve got couch surfers all over the place, just staying where they can until they’ve worn out their welcome or what have you. They’re struggling to get to that basic necessity,” said Gascho.
While focused on youth, Gascho notes that there is an increasing issue with area seniors.
“They are really struggling to put food on their own tables. We help whoever is in need, so we have noticed an uptick in that as well. That is where our outreach money is targeted to go... A big piece of that is understanding that they’re out there.”
Another issue in Yorkton is that there can be a lack of options for people who have a sudden need.
“The one thing we don’t have in Yorkton is an emergency shelter for men or boys... That’s a need that we know that we can’t fulfill, but we have come across people who have asked if they can stay in our rooming home just for the night, because they want to stay out of the cold. It is a definitive reality in our area and we certainly don’t want our community members to be under the impression that’s not the case. Homelessness and people struggling to put food on the table is a reality right here in Yorkton, whether you’re a youth or a senior citizen. People are struggling.”
To learn more and sign up, visit http://www.cnoy.org or call the YTHY office at 306-783-2340.
