People to sleep on flattened cardboard to support Nanaimo area youth

“It’ll bring that humanizing aspect to it and people will want to be inclined to help out and make a difference for those youth that are on the streets where he have individuals as young as 13 on the streets.”

More than $50,000 was raised during the inaugural Roughing It event in 2022, with Worth optimistic the figure can be equaled this time around to allow NYSA to proceed with build another housing complex for their clients.

“We’re really just looking to provide that housing piece that’s missing for so many youth,” she said, who noted NYSA has identified a south Nanaimo lot it intends to purchase.

While only 33 people under the age of 24 were identified as homeless in Nanaimo in a 2023 census, Worth noted nearly 100 people reported first experiencing homelessness as a youth.

She said young people are more prone to couch surfing and avoiding mainstream social agencies.

“They’re a little more hidden, they’re not as visible, which is why there is the ‘We don’t have a youth homeless problem’ mentality in Nanaimo.”

Serving in excess of 300 youths and young adults annually, Worth said NYSA provides much more than housing.

“We’re providing them with opportunities to get job training, take driver training, teach them how to cook, do laundry, how to budget their money so that they are successful when they transition out of our housing.”

Worth said NYSA has identified land in south Nanaimo that it intends to purchase and establish a third supportive housing environment for young people.

The public is welcome to donate on site at Roughing It, which includes a silent auction offering.

Donations to NYSA can also be made online here.

‘NYSA has had a huge impact on me’
Involved with NYSA since he was about 13-years-old, Nanaimo’s Matt ‘Sirreal’ Dunae said the non-profit agency helped forge a positive future in his life.

Mired in a childhood featuring poverty and living in foster care environments, Dunae accessed multiple NYSA programs, which he said gave him invaluable skills.

Dunae landed his first job thanks to NYSA, who credited the agency with giving him the skills to formulate his first resume.

“NYSA has had a huge impact on me…It’s that one-stop-shop for helping people know where to look for a job and get foot in the door towards a career,” Dunae told NanaimoNewsNOW.

An established hip-hop artist, Dunae will perform Friday night at Roughing It

He said disadvantaged youth at risk of going down the wrong path often require support in the way of programs and professionals, but also lean on the support of like-minded people.

“Meeting people that are in the same job search and journey as you is always a little more reassuring that you’re not the only one going through it. Being involved in a peer connected network is very important,” he said.

Sirreal is scheduled to perform on the evening of Friday, Sept. 20 as part of the Roughing It fundraisers for Nanaimo Youth Services Association. (Angela Woods)

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

People to sleep on flattened cardboard to support Nanaimo area youth

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