As construction progresses on Chilliwack’s newest second stage housing complex for youth, the technology that will soon help these at-risk youth update their resumes, find jobs and look for permanent housing has already been purchased thanks to a grant from the Envision Financial Community Endowment.

 

The endowment, which is housed with the First West Foundation, provided $9,957 to Chilliwack Community Services (CCS) to help outfit the new housing project with 16 computers and a server.

 

According to CCS’s Director of Community Relations Heather Rollins, the computers are a critical component of the organization’s overall mission to help at-risk youth in the Chilliwack area. “This project will provide stable housing to youth who are in the process of resolving other issues in their lives, whether it’s unemployment, addictions, or just trying to graduate from high school. In today’s high-tech world, young people need a place where they can do their homework, update a resume or look for a job. Having access to this technology and the Internet will really improve their chances for success in life.”

 

Rollins adds that the computers will also enable staff to adequately track clients, draft session summaries and record case notes and referrals. Goals and outcomes can easily be documented and shared, while staff will also have the ability to conduct client satisfaction surveys.

 

Currently, the availability of subsidized housing in Chilliwack is extremely limited—in fact, the last non-seniors subsidized housing project that was built in the area was 15 years ago, and supply has long ago lost pace with demand.

 

Recognizing the need for a solution to one of Chilliwack’s most pressing social issues, CCS partnered with the Creative Centre Society, B.C. Housing and the City of Chilliwack to build a 33-unit, 35,000 square foot second-stage housing complex. Once completed in April 2011, the first floor will contain office space for the youth services staff and volunteers, as well as a common space for tenants of the building. The second floor will house 11 self-contained independent living units for youth between the ages of 15 and 20 who are at risk of homelessness, while the third and fourth floors will be third-stage housing for low-income individuals and adults with mental health issues.

 

“Envision Financial has a long history in the Chilliwack area, and we know affordable housing is an issue our members and the general public care about,” explains Seline Kutan, executive director of the First West Foundation. “This grant forms part of a larger initiative to provide resources and assistance to youth in need, so the Foundation is very proud to be part of the solution.”

 

Established in 1928, Chilliwack Community Services provides social services and support to at-risk individuals in the community. The organization currently offers more than 45 programs for children, families, youth and seniors, and logs over 20,000 participant visits and client contacts each year. Youth services provided by CCS include youth and family counseling to address family conflicts and adolescent issues, school-based prevention to support youth at risk of dropping out or expulsion, education for youth on probation, as well as a host of other programs aimed at developing life skills and achieving independence. For more information about CCS and the programs and services it offers, visit www.comserv.bc.ca.