Ray of Hope, a Christian non-profit organization, offers support and resources to those struggling with addiction, mental health, food insecurity, and homelessness. Ray of Hope has four core program areas.
The Ray of Hope Community Centre offers a safe place where those struggling can get a meal, have a hot shower, and enjoy a worship service (held every Monday evening). Ray of Hope’s Youth Support Services include community, day, and residential treatment and caregiver support. Also offered are the Youth Justice Program, and Employment Services which is a program that helps provides education, counselling, practical life skills, and on-the-job training.
The focus of this article is the Youth Support Program. To date, more than 4,300 youth have requested support from Ray of Hope’s youth program, and the organization has helped over 2,700 families.
More than 90 per cent of who asked for assistance were admitted into the assessment program, 74 per cent of whom progressed to a treatment program (the others were referred elsewhere or determined not to be a fit for Ray of Hope programming). Eighty-five per cent of clients self reported meeting or making significant progress towards one or more of their treatment goals.
Clearly, Ray of Hope has a measurable impact in the community, but that does not mean the organization is free from challenges of its own – and few challenges could rival the issues caused by the COVID pandemic.
“As with so many organizations, COVID meant we had to pivot quickly,” says Don Plant, Program Director. “At the time we did not have virtual programming as everything was done in-person and by written consent. We had to go virtual to accommodate both guests and team members, make sure the team had up-to-date devices, and set up online signatures and agreements.”
Plant recalls that the staff worked incredible hours to continue to support youth during the pandemic. The residential program’s restrictions were similar to those of long-term care; team members had to choose which location they would work from and daily temperature checks and health questionnaires became the norm. Those that used up sick time were graciously treated by Ray of Hope, who gave extra time to the staff where possible.
“The staff was amazing!” confirms Plant. “They all worked very hard to continue providing exceptional service despite the circumstances.”
“Youth,” he continues, “also struggled as many did not find the virtual programs sufficient to meet their needs. Lots of youth would tune out of the Zoom sessions, turn off their screens, and disappear.”
Despite the setbacks, Ray of Hope used the lessons learned during those trying years to create better solutions for the future.
“We learned a lot of valuable lessons through this for in person and virtual programming. Those lessons allowed us to expand our area of engagement.”
There were other positives too. During that time, Ray of Hope moved to a larger facility.
“The move was from a Victorian-style house downtown to what used to be Ray of Hope’s open custody facility,” explains Plant. “It had more room, but the layout was a little institutional. So, we remodelled. There is new paint and wall treatments, new flooring, upgraded common areas, and even a sports pad. We turned it into a cozy dwelling. The new facility has been very well received so far.”
No matter the circumstances, Ray of Hope will always continue to find paths forward for their organization and for the families they serve. The team, along with the 1,350 volunteers who served more than 17,500 hours last year, look forward to helping those in need find viable solutions that lead to long-term success.
Learn more about Ray of Hope online, and on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Support the cause by donating, volunteering, or hosting and attending events.