“No one thought I would graduate, but I graduated. They said I wasn’t going to get a house, I got a house. Now I have a cat. I have a job, I’m going to school…anybody can change, so give everybody a chance.”
Kailee’s first introduction to Lift was through the Community Resource Centre. She was 18 years old and had been homeless for several years, staying with friends, couch-surfing, or sleeping outside to cope with a volatile home life.
She came to the Community Resource Centre looking for help to access housing. Our staff were able to connect her with supports to get a BC Housing rent supplement so she could find rental housing. It was through the staff at the Community Resource Centre that Kailee learned about the Bladerunners Youth Employment Program that Lift offers.
She signed up for the Winter 2023 cohort. “That’s when I applied to go back to school,” she says. “They helped me with the application process and now I’m starting school in September for a Community Mental Health Worker certificate through VIU.”
It was also while in Bladerunners that Kailee heard about our new Creating Opportunities for Real Employment (CORE) program. Funded through a Health Canada Substance Use and Addictions Program grant, we were hiring at-risk youth to develop a market garden based out of the CRC and qathet Regional Hospital’s garden spaces.
Kailee applied to work in the CORE program and was hired on. She’s been working in the garden since April. “I actually started gardening at home because I love it so much, which I never thought I would do. Every day I come to work and I’m so happy to come to work.” The program’s flexible hours will allow her to continue working while she studies.
Three years after first connecting with the Community Resource Centre, Kailee is amazed at her own accomplishments. “I don’t know how I did it all in so little time, and it was definitely because of Lift helping. They really helped me get back on my feet. And I see them helping so many other people.”
September 2023