Covenant House Vancouver extends services to 7 days a week

Covenant House Vancouver will now be operating seven days a week starting Sunday, Dec. 17. as the weather gets colder.

The organization says in a release that “vulnerable and homeless youth will have access to critical services through [their] outreach and drop-in centre as part of [their] Community Support Services Program.”

Its services will be operating Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

It says its expansion is to increase the support available for vulnerable youth in Metro Vancouver during a dire time when shelter capacity becomes limited.

“Faced with the seasonal weather changes, these supports are more valuable than ever to youth who are at risk of, or who are experiencing, homelessness,” it adds.

The Covenant House says that the need for this service has never been higher. Drop-in services are a “crucial sanctuary for young people to decompress safely, evidenced by the very high rate of drop-in clients to the number of successful connections [they] have seen in 2023,” it said.

Chelsea Minhas, Covenant House Vancouver’s chief programs officer, said that young people will have access to food, warm showers, harm-reduction supplies, and a team of committed youth workers every day.

“Our drop-in numbers have reached historic rates and we are ready to meet these young folks where they are at and let them know that we see them and they matter. The youth in our community are worth it,” she explains.