Infinity Project Recognized for Outstanding Work with Homeless Youth

The Street Youth Planning Collaborative (SYPC) is comprised of directors from five Hamilton organizations who are mandated to work directly with homeless youth. The members represent Good Shepherd Youth Services, Living Rock Ministries, Wesley Urban Ministries, Catholic Family Services, and Alternatives for Youth. The Social Planning and Research Council provides community development support to SYPC. The collaborative also encompasses two critical reference groups - the Street-Involved Youth Network (comprised of front-line workers) and the Street Youth Involvement Committee (comprised of youth).

The goal of SYPC is to develop a seamless and comprehensive continuum of services to address the needs of street-involved youth in Hamilton. Over the past five years this collaborative has completed a needs assessment, obtained funding, and developed programs to build an effective system for street-involved youth. The initiative has been successful in launching ten pilot projects, including two transitional housing projects - one for street-involved youth and one for young mothers and their babies.

What is innovative about this initiative is its success in fostering a new collaborative way of working. SYPC members focus on what is best for youth and the community's network of services, rather than what is best for their individual agencies. They work together to obtain funding for program development and allow that funding to go to the agency best suited for the task. Instead of competing for resources, they are united in their common goal of developing and coordinating a comprehensive service system for street-involved youth. The group meets monthly and communicates regularly between meetings.

Wesley Urban Ministries, in particular our Youth Housing Program, is enthused to be part of such an innovative collaborative, uniquely addressing the needs of street-involved, homeless and at-risk youth in our community!