Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/398704
Youth Homelessness Initiative Youth Advisory Circle p a g e 2 0 I V a n c o u v e r F o u n d a t i o n l F a l l 2 0 1 4 Finding themselves suddenly in a support vacuum, many former foster kids gravitate to "groups," which may teach life skills and can also provide street-connected youth with a sense of belonging as well as adult guidance. Sedgemore volunteers with a cooking group, and blogs for Directions Youth Services Centre, an organization that works with street-connected youth. Gaffney has been speaking at several LGBTQ groups since she was 15. She currently works with Youth For A Change, an advocacy group for LGBTQ youth in Surrey. Sedgemore and Gaffney's involvement with these action- oriented groups led each separately to Archie, who was known to be actively recruiting youth and wanted to talk about making the tran- sition process better. "ey were talking about youth homelessness," Sedgemore says of the reason he signed up with YAC. "I wasn't angry. It was more of a passion for voicing my opinions about transitioning out of care. About how a lot of times homelessness is linked. I thought I had vital input about it." After attending a few meetings, Sedgemore found he also rel- ished conducting and reviewing research. He found that citing evi- dence can be more effective in swaying public opinion than recounting traumatic parts of his own story. "Research is really important when you're giving presentations. It shows that the system doesn't work and the gaps when you're tran- sitioning out of care. You need evidence when you're presenting to the public." A self-described data geek and lover of new words, Sedgemore explains how YAC has affected him personally. "YAC has really built up my confidence in who I am. It's built up my people skills and even the way I talk." Improved communication skills helped Sedgemore land a co-researcher position with the McCreary Centre Society. "It's based on the [McCreary-conducted] Homeless and Street Involved Youth Survey. I'm really excited about that." Gaffney joined YAC because she believes in the power of group activism to drive change. "I got into public speaking [on LGBTQ issues] because I wanted to see change. And YAC is for change as well. I don't think I'd be able to do speeches otherwise." Gaffney plans to continue to accrue more volunteer hours work- ing with youth to meet prerequisites for a college program. "I want to be some sort of outreach worker for LGBTQ youth that are home- less." Her experiences and discussions as a member of YAC have inspired an even stronger drive for activism than she had before. She has seen firsthand how new positive narratives allow youth to bond more comfortably with one another and form partnerships with adult allies. And she wants to tell more of these truths. If you would like to support young people as they age out of government care, contact Calvin in Development & Donor Services at Vancouver Foundation at 604.629.5357. To learn more about Vancouver Foundation's Youth Homelessness Initiative, go to vancouverfoundation.ca/yhi Youth Homelessness Initiative One of Vancouver Foundation's priorities over the next few years is to break the cycle of youth homelessness among young people aging out of government care. Through our Youth Homelessness Initiative, we are working to strengthen community services to support vulnerable youth, engage young people to identify transition strategies for individuals aging out of care, and to raise public awareness about the critical need to invest in solutions that help youth leave the streets behind. "I got into public speaking [on LGBTQ issues] because I wanted to see change. And YAC is for change as well." —Shawnee Gaffney, 20