When I first started WBY, I was employed at a small non-profit, working closely with street-involved youth. I regularly visited several local shelters where homeless young people could access resources they badly needed.
One of the overwhelmingly prevalent trends in their stories was that of life as a crown ward.
At any given time, the Canadian estimate is that approximately 40% of young people who become homeless “have had some involvement with child protection services, including foster care, group home placements and/or youth detention centres” (read the full report here).
So it’s clear that young people and children without a safe home and family are at much higher risk of youth homelessness - which in turn presents another array of barriers and risks. To me, adoption is one of the most beautiful solutions to this intense social issue: addressing the problem right at its beginning.
Fast-forwarding a few years to early last year, I was facing some serious anxiety around my own growing family. Pregnancy gave me very intense and complicated stress, which was hard to admit, and very tough to find resources for this. After receiving counselling at Beginnings, I was so grateful for their open service, non-judgemental approach, and incredible patience in an emotional situation.
Fast-forwarding another year, here I am: Practicing artist, healthy human, and happy parent.
So I am very excited to leverage my creative work to generate some funds for a unique local organization filling a deep gap here & throughout Ontario. Beginnings is a non-profit, faith-based agency providing pregnancy counselling and adoption services as well as embryo donation services to clients of all ethnic backgrounds, religious affiliations and walks of life. To find out more about Beginnings, you can check out their website.
50% of the revenue from FLORALS will be donated to Beginnings.
Shop FLORALS today!
P.S. For the sake of brevity in this post, I’ve been intentionally concise about the complicated problem of youth homelessness, and my own story. But don’t hesitate to get in touch to chat further.
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