OUTpost offers LGBTQ2S+ youth a safe space
Support C.H.E.W. Project by buying a Raising the Roof toque, hat or mask HERE.
By Jasmine Salazar
Raising the Roof provides national leadership on long-term solutions to homelessness through partnership and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, investment in local communities, and public education. One of their awareness and fundraising campaigns is Toque Tuesday. For 13 years, Edmonton has participated in this national campaign by selling toques and hats with a partner agency who receives the proceeds. This year’s Charity of Choice for the Edmonton Toque Tuesday campaign is the C.H.E.W. Project.
The Community Health Empowerment & Wellness (C.H.E.W) Project, a community-based initiative created by the University of Alberta’s Institute for Sexual Minority Studies & Services (iSMSS). C.H.E.W. offers frontline service provisions, resources, and education for LGBTQ2SA+ youth and young adults aged 14-29 who are facing a variety of barriers.
For vulnerable LGBTQ2S+ youth experiencing homelessness in Edmonton, the OUTpost is home. The OUTpost is a new drop-in centre designed specifically for LGBTQ2S+ youth where they can sleep, eat, shower, or simply hang out in a warm and safe environment. Created by the Community Health Empowerment & Wellness (C.H.E.W) Project, a community-based initiative created by the University of Alberta’s Institute for Sexual Minority Studies & Services (iSMSS), the OUTpost offers them a judgement-free space where they can be themselves.
Before CHEW and the OUTpost, there were limited resources and supports available for displaced LGBTQ2SA+ youth.
“Working in the inner city, I noticed there was a huge population of youth that identified as LGBTQ2SA+ that had nowhere to go,” says Corey Wyness, Project Coordinator and Community Mental Health Worker at CHEW. “They could not access services or resources specifically for them, especially around mental health and addiction.”
Initially CHEW was created with the purpose of providing sexual health education to queer youth, but it was soon discovered that they had limited access to resources and supports surrounding mental health, substance use, survival sex, basic needs (e.g. clean drinking water, food, and clothing) and homelessness.
“We knew we had to shift our programming towards the social service side of things to provide mental health supports, housing and basic needs,” explains Wyness.
In response, CHEW evolved to provide frontline wraparound services and opened an outreach office on Jasper Avenue and 117 Street. Their newest space, called the OUTpost, opened in October 2019 thanks to the generous donations of Edmontonians who donated more than $30,000 over three days on a GoFundMe page Wyness set up. The OUTpost is outfitted to provide youth a safe space where they can sleep, eat, shower, do laundry, play board games, watch TV or just relax.
“There really wasn’t a space for just them,” he says. “The OUTpost is their home. It’s their space.”
Wyness explains that LGBTQ2S+ youth are at a higher risk of sleeping rough due to homophobia and transphobia in shelters. That discrimination can result in violence or harassment so LGBTQ2+ will avoid accessing shelters out fear of harassment or getting beat up due to transphobia or homophobia.
In a research project conducted by Andre P. Grace, PhD, with assistance from CJ Bishop, Jeffrey R. Hankey, Emily Pynoo and Wyness, 56% of youth did not feel safe going to a shelter.
The OUTpost isn’t a shelter—Wyness notes that this a long-term goal—and currently operates as a daytime drop-in centre. However, it does have cots, showers and a kitchen for youth to use during their visit. In addition, youth have inclusive and confidential access to: sexual health supplies (e.g. condoms, dental dams), STI testing, harm reduction supplies (e.g. needle exchange, naloxone kits), personal hygiene products, clothing, food, crisis intervention, counselling services, and traditional smudge supplies in a warm and safe environment.
At this time, Wyness is the only full-time staff member working at the OUTpost with help from two part-time employees who work 10 hours a week. As a result, the hours are a bit erratic, but Wyness hopes to introduce some volunteer opportunities and offer regular extended hours.
In the meantime, Wyness has been working day in and day out to secure additional funding in order to get the youth the support and services they need.
Wyness hasn’t lost hope, though, noting that the donations from GoFundMe and money raised from a campaign at Lillian Osborne High School, which collected $32,000 through its annual “Rock-a-thon”, are clear indications that Edmontonians care.
Half of the proceeds from Edmonton’s Raising the Roof Toque Tuesday campaign and 100% of donations received during the campaign will go directly to CHEW. This funding will help create programming for the kids such as bringing a housing intake worker there to kickstart their housing applications and also develop some music workshops.
“I want Edmontonians to know that these youth exist,” says Wyness. “I often hear that people didn’t know that these youth are out there and faced so many barriers. These are incredible youth who are resilient, artistic, musical, poetic. They are incredible given the chance to flourish, but they lack one very big thing—basic needs like a home, food and water. Beyond all of that, there is a lot of hope and I hope this centre gives them hope and a chance to be healthy and happy.”
