Street Outreach Services

LOFT Community Services
Street Outreach Services
Co-op House Improvement Project

The Funding Network - Toronto Grant Report

March 26, 2008

In July, 2007, The Funding Network-Toronto generously provided a grant of $13,257.24 to enable Street Outreach Services, a program of LOFT Community Services, to make improvements to its co-op house. The improvements included purchasing new furnishings, most importantly new beds, for all five bedrooms, and building a new and larger deck at the back of the house.

The work has now been completed and the project met with no significant challenges other than the unusually cold and snowy winter.

Street Outreach Services offers support and a range of services to assist youth under the age of 25, who are at risk, or already involved in prostitution, by offering alternatives to the streets. The co-op house provides a safe living situation where youth can take a break from the street and refocus their lives. We do our best, on a minimal budget to keep the house in good repair, but the furnishings were getting old, and the back yard was in very poor shape.

Our goal in making these improvements was to help our residents feel themselves to be worthwhile individuals, by showing them that they are worth this investment and worthy of having something new. These upgrades would then carry through to future residents who would also benefit from improved surroundings.

At the beginning of the project, the five co-op residents were invited to come together to identify their priorities and discuss their hoped-for outcomes. SOS staff was struck by the nature of the initial discussion.

In discussing the deck, rather than focusing solely on the improvement to the appearance of the year, the co-op residents talked about what it would be like to have a comfortable and welcoming place where they could do things together. The only communal space in the house is in the basement, and although it is certainly functional, it is a bit dark. They were very excited about the prospect of this great communal space outside the house to make up for the indoor deficit. This enthusiasm resulted in a modification in the plans to include a large octagonal picnic table to provide a focused place for socializing.

As soon as the weather warms up, we are planning a barbeque for residents, staff and supporters to officially inaugurate the deck

The new beds prompted a discussion about health and the importance of sleep to physical health and overall wellbeing. In the sex trade youth had stayed up during the night and slept in the daytime. The beds led to discussion of the need to “normalize” routines and the challenge of doing so, as well as the benefits: both social and in terms of physical health.

The new furnishings were purchased in the late summer of 2007, soon after the grant was received. We have always known that how a young person feels about themselves and their home can be greatly influenced by their physical surroundings. Although we have not typically had problems with vandalism in the co-op, it is noteworthy that there has been much less damage in the house since the new furniture arrived last summer. Clearly people are taking much greater care of their surroundings. They are showing pride in their rooms and wanting to show off their environment.

Planning for the project has helped the residents of the co-op to think about, and articulate what is important to them in their physical environment, and has helped them understand that they value their surroundings. The staff has also learned that the environment of the house is much more than that. A bed, for example is not just about sleeping, but about a healthy, “normal” lifestyle. Perhaps one of the most interesting learning for everyone was the value of community, and the importance of having a place to be together with others who have shared your experiences.