For
the sixth year running, Congregation Emanu-El will provide weekly night shelter at our
synagogue to our city’s homeless youth. From October to April, our wonderful
volunteers produce hot, nutritious meals for youth as part of the Out of the
Rain Youth Shelter program. Two trained youth workers staff the shelter each
night.
In
1997, a group of downtown outreach workers, frustrated at the lack of sheltering
services for street youth in Victoria, were determined to find a place for
Victoria’s street youth to sleep at night. These workers, in collaboration with
a group of youth, began asking around downtown Victoria for places willing to
open their doors to house the youth. A coalition of community and faith-based
organizations was formed and the Out of the Rain Youth Shelter was born. At
their inception the purpose was simple: to provide a warm, safe place to sleep
for homeless youth throughout the coldest months of the year. The doors opened
in the winter of 1998 for six months. They have been open every winter season
since.” (www.outoftherainvictoria.ca/)
Out
of the Rain
is the first and the longest-standing program in which Avodah participated. This
youth shelter program has very strong support from the congregation, and an
excellent ongoing relationship between Avodah, Beacon Community Services and
the coalition of faith groups co-ordinating the program.
This
is one of the programs you are supporting when you to donate to Avodah
