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Habitat ReStore and YES in exciting new partnership

Posted on November 24, 2020 in YES Stories, Current News

The YES Shelter for Youth and Families and the Habitat for Humanity Restore are partnering to help ensure youth and families experiencing homelessness have basic needs met while in shelter, and when they move into new housing.

Great big thanks to all who have given to youth and families over the years

In the past, YES has been able to help meet basic clothing and houseware needs of youth and families in the Emergency Shelter by accepting donations of used items from community members. We are so grateful to all who have supported us over the years in this way. 

Donations of used clothing can now go to the ReStore and still help youth and families who are struggling

As the demand for YES’ services has been increasing, and YES has been expanding programs, YES no longer has the space or human resources available to manage incoming donations of used items. To help with this issue, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region has agreed to supply us with basic clothing and housewares from the selection of used items that can be found at the Habitat ReStore.

You can now give your used items to the ReStore, and this will help YES clients

This means that, if you have used clothing, furniture or housewares that you think could be useful to youth and families who are struggling, you can donate those things to the Habitat ReStore in Peterborough and the youth and families that YES serves will benefit from your donation.

YES has seen significant increases in the number of youth and families needing our support. YES remains laser focused on supporting people through a crisis, and we know the only way to ensure they have everything they need is through working together with the community. YES is grateful for this new partnership with Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region. Our relationship with Habitat is longstanding, we’ve even had past YES clients move into affordable home ownership with Habitat. Together, our organizations will continue to work towards every youth and family having what they need, as we both work on the affordable housing crisis that our community faces.

-Meagan Hennekam, Executive Director, YES Shelter for Youth and Families

It’s no secret that our community has an affordable housing crisis. At Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, we believe that the only way that we can ensure that everyone has a decent place to live is through innovative and creative partnerships like this one. By working together with like-minded organizations, we can help to bridge the gap between social housing and decent, affordable homeownership. Which is why we’re so thrilled to further build on our longstanding history of collaboration with YES, to provide youth and families with much-needed clothing and housewares items from the Habitat ReStore.

                               – Sarah Budd, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region

YES still needs your direct support! Check out our wishlist at www.yesshelter.ca/wishlist

Since the beginning of COVID-19 in Peterborough, YES has not been able to take donations of used items or prepared foods. Our new partnership allows us to meet the tangible needs of our clients, through COVID-19 and beyond. But we still need your help!

YES needs and gratefully accepts monetary support (none of our programs could run without you – including our Emergency Shelter), and donations of new toiletries and all non-perishable foods at our Emergency Shelter location – 196 Brock Street.  We have a wish list online that is kept up to date with items we need to help the youth and families we serve.