It is official – the new Toronto LGBTQ Youth Homeless Centre, the Friends of Ruby Home, will be opening on December 1st! This is the culmination of a long process and a lot of hard work by many individuals and business organizations. I am thrilled to have been a co-Chair of the campaign along with Ed Clark and Martha McCain.
Located at 257 Dundas Street East in Toronto, the Friends of Ruby Home will provide much more than a roof over homeless LGBTQ youth’s heads – for many, it will be the first place they experience community. It will house 33 LGBTQI2S youth (aged 16-29) in mostly individual rooms (with a few rooms for couples) along with shared spaces to foster a sense of connection.
As noted, the official opening of the Friends of Ruby Home will take place on December 1, 2020, with staggered move-ins to take place throughout December and January. Keeping health and safety a top-of-mind priority, in-person attendee numbers for the ribbon-cutting will be limited, but all are welcome to join virtually on Tuesday, November 24th at 9:30am EST here.
Friends of Ruby (formerly Egale Youth Service) is a registered charity dedicated to LGBTQI2S youth (aged 16-29) well-being through mental health services, social services and housing. Congratulations to Executive Director Carol Osler and her team. For more details, please visit friendsofruby.ca.
