“All of the positives in my life have begun with one step.” – Jason
The DOORWAY in Calgary, AB, provides community support for youth who are making self-directed changes to move their life experience from street dependency to mainstream sustainability. The DOORWAY is an alternative for long term street youth who are out of options, or who feel that their current options are not working for them. Fundamentally, it is where young people learn confidence and experience trust in taking control of their own life management.
The initiative:
The Doorway: Cultural Integration for Street Dependent Young People invests in youth who are developing and pursuing their own life goals related to housing, employment, legal, health, leadership, identification, finances, drug and alcohol use, education and volunteering. The Doorway provides a bridge for youth who have developed knowledge of how to survive on the streets who then need to develop knowledge and strategies for surviving in different mainstream environments, such as workplaces or with family.
Impact for youth:
- Provides a safe and legal means of income through financial incentives available to youth making achievable steps in their plans and/or who contribute to the Doorway’s qualitative database and monthly self assessment opportunities
- Fosters a change of personal patterns leading to healthier and safer lifestyles
- Supports youth in taking steps towards housing and employment as well as goals in other life domains
- Members of the mainstream community learn how to foster the social inclusion of street dependent young people in mainstream culture
Replication:
Part of the Doorway’s organizational goals have been to develop a transferability process to replicate The Doorway in other communities in Canada. They are currently in final stages of consolidating their knowledge base of theory, method, and curriculum. Also, they are close to completing the life planning software (MyPlan) used at The Doorway. This combination forms their current capacity to further our strategic direction and consider realistic and feasible opportunities to replicate The Doorway in other Canadian communities.