Homeward Trust Edmonton

7 Cities of Alberta Practitioners’ Workshop to Feature Leading Experts, Highlight Practices

Thursday, May 29 - EDMONTON – Five years into Alberta’s groundbreaking 10 year plan to end homelessness, communities from across Alberta have made significant strides towards ending homelessness.

7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness (7 Cities) is a collaborative forum comprised of representation from the seven major urban cities in Alberta: Edmonton, Calgary, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Grand Prairie.   

Over two days, 200 frontline workers will gather to share learnings and hear from expert practitioners. The two-day event will build further capacity amongst Alberta’s robust social services sector.

Along with the workshops, an awards ceremony will be held on Thursday to recognize frontline workers for the difference they have made in communities across Alberta.  

7 Cities Housing First Practitioners’ Workshop

Radisson Hotel Edmonton South 4440 Gateway Blvd NW 

Thursday, May 29

Workshop sessions: 9am – 5pm.

Awards Night: 5:30-7:30pm.

Friday, May 30

Workshop sessions: 9am – 3pm.

All sessions and events are open to the media.

“The workshop is an opportunity to both support our front line workers in becoming even more effective, and to celebrate the great work they have done over the past five years “ said Susan McGee, Chair of 7 Cities and Chief Executive Officer of Homeward Trust Edmonton. “With in-migration to Alberta, we are feeling pressure in the housing market, shelter system, and other support services. Being able to support frontline workers is one of the most crucial things we can do as a community.”

The overall purpose of 7 Cities is to provide a forum and collective voice to address issues of common interest and concern in the implementation of individual community plans to end homelessness in Alberta. 7 Cities also provides a forum for dialogue with the federal and provincial representatives on housing and homelessness.

The success of the past five years includes the following reduction in homelessness, measured by local homeless counts:

Edmonton: 30% decrease from 2008 to 2012

Fort McMurray: 42% decrease 2008 to 2010

Lethbridge: 64% decrease in overall homelessness and 93% reduction in street homelessness since 2008

Medicine Hat: 40% reduction in shelter use 2008 to 2011

Collectively, Housing First clients served across 7 Cities have experienced significant reductions in public system usage:

84% fewer days in jail

64% fewer days in hospital

61% fewer interactions with EMS

59% fewer interactions with police

56% fewer emergency room visits

For more information, please visit 7cities.ca.

Infographic Wednesday - Preventing the Tragedy of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness 

This week’s infographic was created by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign. It points to a severe overrepresentation of LGBTQ (or LGBT) youth in the homeless population. While only 10% of American youth are LGBT, they comprise between 20-40% of all homeless youth in the nation. In the United States "nearly 3 million young Americans are homeless." 

... learn more

Register online today!

7 Cities of Alberta invites you to this Housing First Practitioners Workshop and Awards for service providers in the Housing First program working towards ending homelessness in Alberta. Sessions will encourage peer-to-peer knowledge sharing of best practices and innovation, and include presentations from engaging experts. For the first time we will recognize exceptional individuals at an Awards reception on Thursday night. Please nominate your peers for awards!

This workshop will highlight topics such as:

Self-Care

Meaningful Daily Activities

Tackling a Tightening Housing Market

Leadership Development

Eviction Prevention

Graduation Process

Please RSVP by Monday, 19 May 2014.

Awards Reception 

The 7 Cities of Alberta is hosting a province wide Housing First Practitioners Workshop. For the first time we will be recognizing and honouring outstanding front line workers across the 7 Cities in service delivery within the Housing First Program. Individual tickets are available for you to attend the Awards Reception on May 29 at the Radisson Hotel Edmonton South.

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, May 29, 2014 Time: 5:30 – 8:30pm Venue: Jubilee Hall A/B, Radisson Hotel Edmonton South (4440 Gateway Blvd NW)

Keynote Sessions

Via homelesshub: Infographic Wednesday: Mental Health of Homeless Youth

- Pants - Jeans - NEW Underwear - NEW Socks - Shoes - Shirts - Work boots - Rubber Boots - Children’s clothes - Hats & Toques - Gloves - Coveralls Please drop off donations by Thursday, April 3rd and mark with: “Homeless Connect”. CENTRAL Bissell Thrift Shoppe 11817 80 Street Mon-Sat 10am to 5pm Hope Mission 9908 106 Avenue Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm SOUTHWEST Bissell Centre 5120-122 Street Mon-Sat 9am to 4pm Thank you for your support!

Coming of Age: Reimagining the Response to Youth Homelessness in Canada

via homelesshub

Thank you SO MUCH Edmonton!

On Toque Tuesday, we raised more than $8,400! This is an increase of 25% from last year, and our biggest Toque Tuesday yet!

Older than America director, writer and actor Georgina Lightning will be joined by Truth and Reconciliation Chair Chief Wilton Littlechild to present her film, discuss residential schools and intergenerational trauma and have a question & answer session after the film on Thursday, February 27. 

Reception: 5:15 pm Program: 6:15 pm  Film Screening: 6:30 pm

Homeward Trust Edmonton is proud to present the film screening of Older than America. This event is happening in conjuction with the National Aboriginal Workshop on Housing First.

Writer, director and actor, Georgina Lightening, will introduce the film with TRC Commissioner Chief Wilton Littlechild.

About the film:

A woman's haunting visions reveal a Catholic priest's sinister plot to silence her mother from speaking the truth about the atrocities that took place at her Native American boarding school. A contemporary drama of suspense, Older Than America delves into the lasting impact of the cultural genocide and loss of identity that occurred at these institutions across the United States and Canada.

Staring: Adam Beach Bradly Cooper Georgina Lightning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Edmonton, February 4, 2014 – Today is Toque Tuesday in Canada and Homeward Trust Edmonton staff, volunteers and community partners are hitting the streets and LRT stations to sell toques in support of youth homelessness.

Specially designed toques will be sold across Edmonton for a minimum donation of 10 dollars raise funds for long-term solutions to youth homelessness.

"The causes of homelessness, which are varied and complex, can be remedied," said Mayor Don Iveson. "Toque Tuesday is an easy way to participate in a solution to youth homelessness and I encourage all Edmontonians to give whatever they can to this great initiative."

80 per cent of net proceeds from Edmonton toque sells will go towards the Bredin Centre for Learning’s Foyer Project, which is an innovative transitional housing support model for youth. The remaining 20 per cent of net proceeds funds national Raising the Roof initiatives that contribute to long-term solutions to homelessness.

“This is the seventh year we have been a proud partner in the Raising the Roof campaign,” said Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton. “Our community has identified ending youth homelessness as a priority, and the funds raised through this campaign are another step towards that goal”.

Last year Edmonton’s Raising the Roof campaign sold over 1,200 toques and raised over 16,000 dollars for youth initiatives in Edmonton.

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For details on the individual sales locations, please refer to the accompanying backgrounder.

For more information:

Edmonton, February 3, 2014 – Tomorrow is Toque Tuesday in Canada, and Homeward Trust Edmonton staff, volunteers and community partners will hit the streets and LRT stations to sell toques in support of youth homelessness.

Specially designed toques will be sold across Edmonton for a minimum donation of $10.00 to raise funds for long-term solutions to youth homelessness.

Mayor Don Iveson will be joined by Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton, Ken Franczek, General Manager, Crystal Glass and Raising the Roof board member; and Albert Pol, Regional Business Development Manager, Intact Financial.

When: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 8:00 am Presentation & Media Interviews 

Where: City Room, City Hall