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.
Supporting Our Youth (SOY) offers free groups, programs, and events for queer, trans, and questioning youth (2SLGBTQ) aged 29 and under from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
SOY provides you with goal planning and health and wellness programming through our Youth Resource Workers. We offer support from mental health and primary care service providers, mentors and peers, and dietitians. We also provide urban and newcomer health services, collaborate with community partners, and offer referrals.
We are here to support your wellness and offer practical assistance with your daily needs, like financial help, securing housing, career coaching, and school support.
Come find support, especially if you are:
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.
Our weekly drop-in groups are for 2SLGBTQ youth 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.
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.
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 communityprograms@sherbourne.on.ca, or fill out our online forms to become a mentor or receive mentorship.
“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
Looking to get in touch? Stay up to date with our social channels, send an email to communityprograms@sherbourne.on.ca or give us a call at (416) 324-4180.
Calling all 2SLGBTQ+ youth (ages 16-21), your favorite night of the year is back! Step into a world where darkness meets sparkle, and dreams come true at Pride Prom 2025:...
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.
Start your day with SOY! Open to all 2SLGBTQ Youth. Breakfast served at 10:30 a.m.
Start your day with SOY! Open to all 2SLGBTQ Youth. Breakfast served at 10:30 a.m.
SOY Presents the Pride Youth Stage! Singers, dancers, drag legends, bands, jugglers and more! This is a free event and everyone is welcome!
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.
Start your day with SOY! Open to all 2SLGBTQ Youth. Breakfast served at 10:30 a.m.
Start your day with SOY! Open to all 2SLGBTQ Youth. Breakfast served at 10:30 a.m.
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...
