News from HELP YOUTH CANADA & PROJECT BACKPACK

“Fabulous! Thank you! Such a rewarding and important experience for the kids…and me too!” 
– High School Teacher

“I am proud to say that I was involved with a cause that put smiles on people’s faces, & makes living a little easier for homeless youth.”
– Student

“Volunteering with Project Backpack has reaffirmed my belief in the power of compassion and community to create positive change.” 
– Volunteer

We are thrilled to be heading into our 19^th year of helping unhoused & at-risk youth. The community is our backbone, & our compassionate partners continue to work alongside us to help these vulnerable youth, through both Project Backpack/PBP & our bursary program.

Since inception, PBP has facilitated the donation, stuffing & delivery of thousands of packs to many youth shelters. Thousands of students & homeless youth both give & receive in this hands-on mission that has deep community roots.

Our focus on Youth Helping Youth remains a truly powerful thing & the essence of PBP.  Whether a student/school chooses to fill one backpack or 100, both make a huge impact. Through stuffing a backpack, a student gives items to homeless youth to help them survive. It gives students a hands-on way to help those less fortunate & it also gives the homeless youth the gift of compassion, to show the community cares.

Although youth homelessness continues to grow it is our mission to highlight the human component,  to ensure that these vulnerable youth are seen as human beings first, not just a label or a statistic. They are young people who deserve our compassion & understanding.

How does PROJECT BACKPACK Make a difference?

We’re often asked how PBP makes a difference. Here’s how:
• it provides backpacks filled with essential life supplies, to help homeless youth survive on the streets.• it educates local students (both junior & high school) about the youth homeless crisis in Greater Vancouver.
• it brings front-line workers (social & outreach workers) into the schools to speak to the students, including:
– how youth end up on the street.
– the dangers they can face there.
– exit strategies for leaving the street.
– what facilities are available to assist these youth.
– why stuffing a backpack can make a huge difference in a youth’s life.
• these packs are often the entry-point for a caseworker to engage in meaningful dialogue with a youth about exiting the street.
• youth shelters don’t have the budgets to buy these items that PBP donates to them.
• the PBP campaign lets homeless youth know that the community cares about them.
• PBP believes that if we can help a youth exit the street, then they stand a greater chance of not becoming street entrenched.

Project Backpack Helps Change Lives for the Better

Schools

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS WHO PARTNERED WITH US THIS PAST YEAR.

L’Ecole Cleveland, Highlands Elementary Mulgrave School, West Point Grey Academy, University Transition Program, Southridge Senior and Junior Schools, Handsworth Secondary, Ridgeway Elementary, Queensbury Elementary, Mountainside, Lord Selkirk Elementary.

Youth Centres

Our partnerships with local youth centres remain strong, & we thank Directions Youth Centre (Family Services of Greater Vancouver) Hollyburn Community Services & Covenant House for all the work that they do.  These partners are crucial to our mission; their reach, expertise & impact stretches deep into the at-risk community.

Testimonials

What students, teachers, volunteers & youth centres said about the 18^th PBP Campaign:

Student Testimonials:

“This event drew the entire student body together.  It makes such a significant difference in the lives of the (homeless)youths. My teachers and peers marked this initiative as an enormous success, and I’m very happy they want to turn “Project Backpack” into an annual tradition.”

“It was a dream to work with the Project Backpack team; they are supportive, helpful, kind, and generous.”

“PBP made me realize how fortunate I really am & how we sometimes take things for granted.”

Teachers Testimonials: 

“Fabulous! Thank you! Such a rewarding and important experience for the kids…and me too! Enjoy your summer and we will be in touch next school year 🙂”

PBP is more than a fundraising drive, it’s an opportunity to teach our students that not all youth have safe homes, enough food, and a place to lay their heads. Being reminded that not all youth have the ideal home life is a humbling thought for many of our students. Getting to ask questions and get straight forward answers is instrumental in helping them become more engaged citizens. PBP is an initiative that we are happy to support each year, and hopefully, with more awareness, more schools will get involved!”
– Vanessa Mani, Enhanced Services, Lord Selkirk Elementary

Social & Case Worker’s Testimonials:

“As a Social Worker I have had the opportunity to work in partnership with ‘Help Youth Canada’ for 10 years. I have witnessed their flexibility, unwavering support and commitment to young people in crisis. As I progressed through my career and worked with more partners, I realized how unique the supports were offered by ‘Help’ and want everyone to know about the huge difference they make in the young peoples lives we work with.”
– Social Worker, Louisa Brett, Mgr of Complex Care & Clinical Services, Cov House, July’24

“Whether it’s for someone who needs a hot shower for their job interview… or someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to change their socks in weeks, the impact of being able to say “yes’ to these youth goes a long way in helping them, and in building rapport, trust and the chance to do more impactful work with them.”
– Social Worker

“Directions Youth Services, a division of Family Services of Greater Vancouver, has been a grateful recipient of Project Backpack donations for many years. As BC’s only low-barrier, 24/7/365 youth drop-in centre, we deliver uninterrupted, reliable services to some of the region’s most vulnerable young people. Community partnerships like Project Backpack and the basic-needs items donated are absolutely critical to our ability to do this. When we provide youth with the necessities they need to stabilize, we’re able to better help them get to where they want to be.”
– Mgr, Directions Youth Centre

PBP Volunteer-Coordinator Testimonial:

“Volunteering with Help Youth Canada’s Project Backpack has been an eye-opening experience, particularly in realizing the critical support the organization provides to vulnerable youth in our community. As a recent graduate, I wanted to give back to the youth in my community and share with young students the power they have in making a difference in people’s lives. Having had my own impactful experience with project backpack as a younger student, I wanted to help current students see the impact of their own participation.

Helping in Project Backpack’s efforts has been a humbling experience for me.. I was moved by the compassion and dedication the classrooms we visited had while being a part of Project Backpack.

Working alongside such a passionate organization was extremely impactful for me. I am honored to have been part of an organization that recognizes the unique challenges faced by unhoused youth and strives to make a meaningful difference in their lives. Volunteering with Project Backpack has reaffirmed my belief in the power of compassion and community to create positive change. I encourage anyone passionate about making a difference to join them in their mission to support vulnerable youth and their path to a better future.”
– Volunteer

HELP YOUTH CANADA BURSARY YOUTH UPDATE

Five HYC bursary youth will continue pursuing their educational dreams this fall in Nursing, Computer Science, Social Work, Early Childhood Education & Veterinary Technology.  These amazing youth continue to persevere & dream of a better life. They’re all smart, hardworking & very close to fulfilling their dreams.

A huge Congratulations goes out to one of our bursary youth who, after a tremendous effort, has completed their B.Sc. in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University. Way to go, D!!! We are so proud of you.

“I am deeply grateful to HYC for the financial support they have provided me in my educational journey. They believed in my potential, even in the face of challenges, and their constant encouragement was crucial to my success. Their unwavering support always propelled me towards my educational goals, which I knew would give me a brighter future. Without the HYC support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. This degree is the foundation of my professional journey, which will help me pursue a career in nursing”.  
– DS, Bursary Recipient grad.  

Corporate & Community Support:

Our success depends on the generosity of the community. We do not receive any government funding. Instead, we rely on the generosity of individuals, private businesses & corporations. And we are deeply thankful we continue to have this support. Nothing is possible without it.

Earlston Investments Corp. has been a long-time partner of Help Youth Canada in many ways. Thank you!!

Lastly, thank you to everyone in the community:  students, teachers, donors, caseworkers, volunteers & the marginalized individuals we strive to help – thanks for believing in us.  

The HYC Board of Directors is intregal to the success of our mission. They are all incredible!

Please follow us on Instagram. @helpprojectbackpack

Donations are always appreciated. Official tax receipts will be provided.