Several community members, including some city councillors, will be camping out in cardboard boxes this Friday night, December 14.
It’s part of Camp out to End Youth Homelessness Week – December 9 to December 14 – and they’ll be trying to raise money for youth homelessness programs.
Katherine McParland, the Executive Director of A Way Home Kamloops, says they have at least 60 people registered so far.
“A Way Home Kamloops has been working towards Safe Suites since 2015,” she said. “This is low barrier housing for young people experiencing homelessness.”
“We want to provide youth with safety and housing first, because we know if we provide youth with their basic needs, they’ll naturally want to do better and move forward.”
She adds Kamloops has raised enough money to open the doors for Safe Suites, but it’s still not yet sustainable.
“They may have grown up in the foster care system or they are fleeing abusive situations,” said McParland. “And so, Safe Suites provides them that safety first, and tries to recreate that family privilege.”
“It’s so that every young person has those opportunities to succeed.”
If you’re still hoping to register, you can head to Mastermind Studios at 5:00 PM this Friday night.
McParland is hoping for a hundred registrations for Friday night.