The Niagara Resource Service for Youth

What is Youth Reconnect?
- This service is designed to help youth without secure housing access services and supports within their own community. By helping youth remain in their home communities these young people can give back both socially and economically. In the past, housing support services were not available in the community and at-risk youth often found themselves forced to leave their community to secure housing.
Who is the target population?
- The RAFT focuses on supporting high-risk youth who are: without stable family, peer or community supports; experiencing difficulty accessing current community support services; homeless or at risk of becoming homeless; In danger of dropping out of school; engaging in unhealthy lifestyle choices including drug abuse, addiction and criminal behaviour.
What does a Youth Reconnect Worker do?
- A Youth Reconnect Worker: coordinates access to services to ensure basic individual needs of youth are met; links individual youth to appropriate services locally and regionally and supports youth in transitional housing.
What is the role of the Youth Without Secure Housing Committee?
- The Youth Without Secure Housing Committee is a Regional Committee comprised of service providers from across Niagara. The committee coordinates the youth reconnection services across the Region and is committed to ensuring that youth have the right to access safe and appropriate housing and support services in their own communities.

Youth Reconnect Programs are available in Fort Erie,Port Colborne, Grimsby,West Niagara, St.Catharines and Welland and act as portals to the supports and services offered in each home communities. The Youth Reconnect Programs bring all of the services and assistance of the RAFT to these communities. The programs also work to connect individuals with the services they need as well as provide advocacy when it is needed.

For more information contact: lindsay@theraft.ca or call 905-984-4365

Niagara Resource Service for Youth
17 Centre Street
St. Catharines, ON
L2R 3A6

Ph: 905-984-4365

Fax: 905-984-3480

Email: info@theraft.ca