People First Media program archive
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How many youth will be living on the streets in Canada this winter?

November 10th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on How many youth will be living on the streets in Canada this winter?)

Family conflict often underlies youth homelessness, and many homeless youth are fleeing abuse or leaving the care of child welfare services

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Many different terms are used to describe young people who are homeless, including including street youth, street kids, runaways, homeless youth, etc. According to The Homeless Hub, youth homelessness refers to young people between the ages of 13 and 24 who are living independently of parents and/or caregivers, and importantly, lack many of the social supports deemed necessary for the transition from childhood to adulthood.

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National study supports scattered social housing

June 27th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on National study supports scattered social housing)

Participants with mental illness, addictions thrive after being given apartments: five-year national study

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VANCOUVER—A five-year study that housed people with mental illness and drug addictions in apartments scattered throughout Vancouver found most participants stabilized their lives and coexisted peacefully with their neighbours. The findings mean residents should not be afraid of social housing mixed into neighbourhoods throughout the city, concluded the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s final report into the Vancouver At Home/Chez Soi research project.  Read the rest of this story at the Vancouver Sun…

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New supportive housing is on the way in Nanaimo

June 25th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on New supportive housing is on the way in Nanaimo)

Project involves a partnership between three nonprofits and will offer 41 individual units, 24/7 support presence

picture 556Construction will begin this summer on a supportive housing project in Nanaimo to be jointly operated by Columbian Centre, Haven Society, and Nanaimo Affordable Housing. Nanaimo Affordable Housing will build, own and maintain the building, Columbian Centre will provide 24-hour housing support workers and Haven will provide an additional layer of services on the floor of the building dedicated to women fleeing violent situations (more at Nanaimo News Bulletin).

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Society offers successful temporary housing

February 5th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Society offers successful temporary housing)

On our February 6, 2014 People First Radio broadcast, we will be talking about the Victoria Human Exchange Society and their two houses in Nanaimo.  Mary Gordon House was just opened in December of 2013.  The name of the society is taken from a quote by Thomas Merton: “Every meeting of persons is an exchange of life’s gifts”.

Both houses in Nanaimo offer a temporary home for men recovering from addiction or other difficult periods in their lives. Residents must have 3 months clean and sober before moving into the house and attend sobriety meetings while in residence.  Originally started in Victoria, the Society now has houses for men or for women in Victoria, Nanaimo, Saltspring Island and other locations on Vancouver Island.

We spoke with Debbie Scott, a Victoria Human Exchange Society volunteer during this weeks People First Radio broadcast.

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Image: Richard Carlton, left, chops up vegetables for dinner while fellow Mary Gordon House resident Mitch checks messages on his smart phone. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)

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Testing housing first for chronic alcoholics

January 22nd, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Testing housing first for chronic alcoholics)

A new study shows that non-abstinence based housing does not enable alcohol use, but actually decreases it.

picture 481A controversial project using a housing-first approach with chronically alcoholic homeless people in Seattle has been shown to decrease overall alcohol consumption levels.

The program, which is funded by the City of Seattle, allows homeless shelter residents to continue to use alcohol, with an overall goal to reduce both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.

Now a study has found that the approach results in “across-the-board decreases in alcohol consumption and problems”, according to lead researcher Susan Collins. We speak with Susan Collins, a research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at University of Washington in a rebroadcast from February 17, 2012.

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Island Crisis Society Speaks with People First Radio

January 8th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Island Crisis Society Speaks with People First Radio)

Thursday January 9th and Monday January 13th on People First Radio…

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 Samaritan House Launches Campaign

Nanaimo’s Samaritan House in is operated by the Island Crisis Care Society. It has been in operation since 1989 and is badly in need of upgrades and expansion. Rezoning approval was received late in 2013 and now the ICCS is looking forward to a major building campaign to raise the funds required. On Thursday, January 9, 2014, we will be speaking with Violet Hayes, ICCS’ Executive Director and Ronell Bosman, Director of Samaritan House Emergency Shelter and of the Samaritan House Transition Units. We will be exploring both their dreams and plans for Samaritan House and the role and contribution of faith based non-profits in the delivery of mental health and addictions recovery programs.

Hear the interview here 307_January_9_2014

Also on Thursday, we heard a rebroadcast from People First Radio, first aired on December 8, 2011 about Ruth Ruth Stackhouse, award winning mental health activist.  Ruth is a proud member of the psychiatric survivor community and a long-standing social and health activist.  Her extensive community work includes organizing Mad Pride, establishing The Friendly Spike Theatre Band, working with anti-violence education, and academic research work on a project about the exploitation of mental hospital patient labour called Out From Under.  Ruth Ruth has been named this year’s recipient of the City of Toronto’s Access Award for Disability Issues, which recognizes a person or an organization whose efforts have significantly contributed to improving access for people with disabilities in Toronto.

Listen to that interview here 366_december_08_2011_sm

To see all previous People First Radio segments, visit our archives by clicking here.

Join our “people first radio” broadcast
Listen Thursdays and Mondays at noon on 101.7 FM from Nanaimo and streaming online at the CHLY website.
Listen again on demand and visit us online at the Columbian Centre website.

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