Youth shelter back in business - http://www.oakbaynews.com/
By Brennan Clarke
Oak Bay News
Nov 01 2006

The Out of the Rain Youth Shelter is back in business.

Sidney-based Beacon Community Services announced Friday it has offered to serve as lead agency for the shelter, filling a void left when the YM-YWCA decided it could no longer afford to run the program.

"We have volunteered to take it on, but it's still up to the board to decide if they want us to," said Beacon Community Services executive director Isobel Mackenzie said Friday.

Mackenzie said the arrangement would likely be formalized at a meeting with the Out of the Rain Youth Shelter society Tuesday, after the Oak Bay News press deadline.

The YM-YWCA informed the society last year that it planned to step back from the operation after nine years as the lead agency, but no one came forward over the summer to take the Y's place.

Two weeks ago, the City of Victoria kicked in $20,000 to help the cash-strapped shelter stay open, as Victoria police predicted at-risk teenagers with no place to spend the cold winter nights would become a law enforcement problem.

In past years, the shelter has received provincial government funding. However, with no lead agency to receive and administer the funds, those grants were put on hold.

Mackenzie expressed confidence sufficient funds will be available to fund the operation.

"There's money from the B.C. Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance, money from the United Way, some foundation grants... you cobble it together from various sources," she said.

"We're accustomed to dealing with a variety of funding sources."

Last winter, an average of 20 youth per night used the shelter and the total number of overnight stays from November to mid-April was 3,210.

Mackenzie said most of the pieces are in place to run the program, including the roster of downtown churches and service organization that provide for the shelter on a rotating basis.

"The key is to hire back as many of the shelter workers as we can," she said. "We could be open as soon as (this) weekend."