Mental health concerns and addiction are some of the most complex challenges facing youth in Canada today, but only 1 in 5 who need help actually receive it. Without adequate and timely support, youth are vulnerable to increased mental health challenges, difficulties in school, and homelessness.

Alex*, a youth client, explains. “The anxiety around entering both the mental health system and the world as a young adult was daunting. My mental illness often seems like a full-time job, so much so that finishing high school and going into my dream college program felt unachievable.”

LOFT’s Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Program, which supports 16-26 year olds, provides housing and holistic support for youth with complex mental health and addiction challenges. Our aim is to provide a place where clients like Alex can feel at home as they navigate their recovery journey. Once our youth are safely housed, we work with them to stabilize their health and help them on their path to education and employment.

“After being connected with LOFT, I had the privilege of having LOFT staff walk alongside both my treatment journey and my school success. My life became less of a fear, and I was able to work towards living the life I actually wanted.”

We were able to strengthen TAY’s education services through the support of the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation. Their generous $50,000 donation enabled us to provide continued education for at-risk youth experiencing mental health and addiction challenges.

Alyse Bernbaum, Executive Director of the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation, welcomes their partnership with LOFT. “We see education as a right. As such, we’re proud to support the TAY Program. Through this program, youth complete their high school diploma in a stable and secure environment that enables them to pursue employment opportunities or higher education that will set them up for success in their futures.” Thank you to the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation for their support.

Learn more about our partnership with the Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation.

One of LOFT’s core commitments is to walk alongside our clients for as long as they need us.

To make that possible, we rely on generous supporters to help meet unmet needs and care for our clients. Your gift will help LOFT provide basic needs, like food. With costs continuing to rise, we anticipate needing more than $1 million to provide food to our clients in 2022, making your support more important than ever.