Supporting Our Youth (SOY)

Open to all 2SLGBTQ youth and young adults aged 29 and under. It’s all about joy, self-care, and community connection!

Trans Fusion Crew is a weekly drop-in group to explore, learn about and share experiences of gender and everything else. TFC is a welcoming and supportive space for all your different trans and non-binary gender experiences

Discuss what’s on your mind about:

• Gender, (a)sexuality, coming out, different ways of transitioning, race and being trans, finding community, issues with family, your mental/ physical/emotional health, housing, referrals;
• Hear from trans mentors;
• Have low-key outings in the city;
• Participate in our book club

Black Queer Youth (BQY) is a weekly drop-in group where we celebrate Black queer and trans spectrum people’s experiences and accomplishments. It is a space dedicated to your creativity and desires. It is a safer space for you to express your whole self.

Through our program you can:

• Explore what gender or (a)sexuality means to you.
• Connect to Afro-centric health and wellness supports.
• Share skills and talents with peers and group mentors.
• Find support to achieve your short- and long-term goals.

Get your day off to the right start with SOY! Join us for breakfast, community connection, and resource referrals.

Youth in Transition supports 2SLGBTQ youth aged 16 to 24 in or leaving the care of a Children’s Aid Society in Ontario. Our Youth in Transition worker can help you access support and resources for:

• Life skills (e.g., financial management, healthy living)
• Housing
• Income (OW or ODSP)
• Job search and career support
• Education
• Health care and counselling
• Queer and trans peers and mentors
• Legal services

If you are or have been involved in foster care, or receiving support through a Voluntary Youth Service Agreement or Continued Care Support for Youth, and would like assistance in achieving your goals, contact us at gps@sherbourne.on.ca.

Supporting Our Youth’s (SOY) case management program, Goal Planning Service (GPS), has reopened. Staffed by Youth Resource Workers, GPS supports participants one-on-one with goal planning, capacity building, and connecting to resources to meet their goals. The program is ideal for youth ready to agree to a service plan and work towards achieving SMART goals. Referrals are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Please note: we are not intaking new service users until further notice. Please check this space for future intakes.

To learn more, you can reach us at 416-324-5077 or gps@sherbourne.on.ca.

To withdraw from case management, please send us an email at gps@sherbourne.on.ca.

SOY has creatively sought safer housing solutions to combat the over-representation of 2SLGBTQ youth in the homeless population since it’s inception in 1988. In 2004, SOY began partnering to provide stable housing, community connections, and one-on-one support for 2SLGBTQ youth.

As we continually evolve to meet the needs for safer, supportive housing, SOY’s housing partnerships have transitioned to an independent living model. Our Youth Resource Workers, SOY Facilitators, partners, and SOY/Sherbourne Health’s communities collaborate with youth to build knowledge, skills, and relationships for independent living.

We provide:

• Over 20 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units for 2SLGBTQ youth aged 27 and under
• Support for 2SLGBTQ youth to achieve self-identified goals, such as navigating immigration, finding income, pursuing education, seeking employment, exploring gender and sexuality, managing familial relationships, defining health and wellness, and personal growth

For more information please contact SOY’s Internal Housing Program, at gps@sherbourne.on.ca

SOY runs weekly youth community health and well-being groups where mentors are part of the team supporting you during program time. Group mentors share identities with you; have skills, talents and experiences to share; are leaders in our communities; and are trained in anti-racism/anti-oppression practices. They support group meals, provide a listening ear, and offer personal and professional knowledge and experience. SOY looks for 2SLGBTQ mentors with experience in areas such as: budget and meal planning, shopping for groceries, meal preparation, career exploration and networking, career shadowing, job search support, lived experiences of homelessness, poverty, sex work, medical transitioning, and more.

SOY groups with mentorship support are: Black Queer Youth, and Trans Fusion Crew.

One-on-one mentorship involves matching you as a Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning youth (29 years old and under) with a community member who is lTwo Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or queer. They will support you in a regular and intentional way. Mentorship arrangements are tailored to your specific needs.

For more information on SOY one-on-one mentorship, please email peerleadership@sherbourne.on.ca.

SOY Lead is a 20-week peer leadership training program that aims to improve your health and wellbeing, while building your skills in working with others.

This program supports 2SLGBTQ youth 29 and under to develop capacity in the following areas: social justice, trauma-informed support, one-to-one support, health promotion, arts-based programming and evaluation, facilitation, and offers a practicum component to select youth. Please note there will be an extensive supervised practicum experience during their time. Selected participants receive a weekly honorarium, dinner, and TTC fare for each session.

The next intake for SOY LEAD will be announced at a later date.

A mentor is a role model who assists someone with making an important transition, learning a new skill, or facing an unknown challenge. A peer leader is a type of mentor who has learned from experience and has developed skills to successfully guide others like themselves.

Peer Leadership honours the knowledge, resilience and strength each of us brings to our relationships and communities. It supports your self-determined strengths to address systemic inequities and to achieve what you view as success.

Interested in becoming a peer leader? For more information please email peerleadership@sherbourne.on.ca.