Supporting Our Youth (SOY) is a community initiative operated by Sherbourne Health. SOY offers free health promotion services and programming centered on supporting the health and well-being goals of 2SLGBTQ youth, many of whom are homeless, racialized and newcomers.
SOY runs groups, programs, and events that support the health and well-being of all queer, trans, and questioning youth. Our programs are free and open to self-identifying queer and trans spectrum (2SLGBTQ) youth, including those questioning their sexual and/or gender identity. They are designed for youth aged 29 and under from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
SOY provides you with goal planning, health and wellness programming through our Youth Resource Workers; mental health and primary care service providers; mentors and peers; dietitians and housing supports; urban and newcomer health services; and community partners and referrals. We are here to support your wellness, along with offering practical assistance with your daily needs, like applying for financial help, securing housing, career coaching, and academic support.
Come find support, especially as:
A racialized/BIPOC youth;
Someone experiencing homelessness;
A youth from another country or small town;
Someone who has been in the child welfare system;
Through SOY’s programs, you can find queer and trans friends, mentors and community, and learn about 2SLGBTQ communities, histories and issues. Come express yourself, build your confidence and leadership skills, celebrate and more.
Weekly Groups
Our weekly drop-in groups are for youth 29 and under who identify as 2SLGBTQ to connect and share in a welcoming place of safety, respect, and fun. With a focus on life and employment skill building, community resourcing, and connection groups are a place you can make friends and get the support and information you need.
All SOY groups provide a snack or meal and TTC tokens for those who need them. Groups take place on Sherbourne Health’s second floor, in a wheelchair-accessible space.
Drop-ins are welcome for these weekly groups, but we encourage registration. Register here, and email soy@sherbourne.on.ca for more information
SOY JOY
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
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
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.
Wellness Mornings
Get your day off to the right start with SOY! Join us for breakfast, community connection, and resource referrals.
SOY’s Programs
These programs provide practical support to youth aged 29 and under with resources, including housing, designed and delivered with the goal of allowing 2SLGBTQ young people with the tools they need to flourish.
Youth In Transition
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.
Goal Planning Services (GPS)
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.
Internal Housing
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
Mentorship and Peer Leadership
SOY’s mentorship programs are tailored to empower marginalized queer and trans youth by guiding them in setting life goals, building meaningful connections with supportive community members, and cultivating skills, experience, and leadership qualities to boost confidence and self-advocacy. Mentorship is a personal developmental relationship where a more experienced individual, often with specific expertise, supports and guides a less experienced who wants to learn. We have two mentorship streams: SOY Group Mentorship and SOY One-on-one Mentorship. For more information about becoming a mentee or mentor, email peerleadership@sherbourne.on.ca, or fill out our online forms to become a mentor or receive mentorship.
SOY Group Mentorship
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.
SOY One-On-One Mentorship
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.
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.
Peer Leadership Program
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.
“The SOY program was a springboard for me to get on my feet in the big city of Toronto! Moving here as a queer and trans teenager on the run from an abusive and transphobic home environment, attending the SOY program when I got into Toronto helped me find community and support. Now a university student, activist, and member of SOY’s Speakers Bureau, I am sure that the relationships, support, and skills I gained through SOY are what helped me put on a positive and healing path” – SOY participant, Markus
Social and Contacts
Looking to get in touch? Stay up to date with our social channels, send an email or give us a call.
Black, Caribbean, African or multiracial queer and trans spectrum youth aged 29 or under who live in Toronto, especially downtown, in the Jane-Finch/Black Creek or Malvern/Scarborough communities.
Trans Fusion Crew is a weekly drop-in group for trans, gender non-binary or genderqueer youth 29 years old or younger. Join TFC to explore, learn about and share experiences of...
Black, Caribbean, African or multiracial queer and trans spectrum youth aged 29 or under who live in Toronto, especially downtown, in the Jane-Finch/Black Creek or Malvern/Scarborough communities.