“You deserve a village, and the village is here to support you,” said Grace Udodong, executive director of Oasis Youth Care.
A new resource centre for youth and young adults opening this month aims to help young people get the support they need before their challenges turn into crises. The centre offers services like career advice, life skills training, access to technology, housing assistance, and community connections. According to Executive Director Grace Udodong, it was established to fill a gap where many young people and families don’t know where to find help when they need it.
“I really do believe in the beautiful Afrocentric concept of the village,” said Udodong. “The community needs to present a space where young people can be seen and supported, where they can access care, connections, and support to navigate resources.”
Oasis Youth Care’s mission is to create a safe environment for vulnerable youth experiencing homelessness by providing housing and holistic well-being. They will officially celebrate the grand opening of their new centre on Saturday, June 20, from 12 p. m. to 3 p. m.
While Halton has various community supports available, Udodong mentioned that finding those services can be tough for vulnerable youth already facing significant hurdles.
“The resource centre became the idea to help coordinate those connections and make it easier,” she explained. “Young people still value human connection. They feel more reassured when they’re face-to-face with someone who says, ‘We’ll figure this out together.'”
Udodong noted that the idea for this centre came after years of receiving calls from parents, churches, community organizations, and youth seeking guidance on available resources. “If I took a coin for every time someone called me asking where they could find support, that was really the inspiration,” she shared. One recent call highlighted this issue; a long-time Halton resident reached out looking for help for a young person facing homelessness but had no clue about the region’s housing intake services.
“They had no idea that support existed,” she said. “This is somebody who grew up in this community.”
As an organization already providing transitional housing for homeless youth, Oasis frequently works with young individuals in crisis situations. However, Udodong believes many of these issues could have been avoided if earlier assistance had been accessible.
“The more stories I hear from these young people, the more I realize that if they had quicker responses to their barriers, they probably wouldn’t have ended up in crisis,” she stated.
The resource centre represents what Udodong refers to as the preventive aspect of Oasis’ work. “We have 10 beds,” she said. “How about if we avoid 10 other young people from getting to that point?” The focus at the centre will be on helping youth navigate conflicts, connect with mentors, access community resources and build necessary skills before challenges escalate.
Though it’s just now opening its doors, Udodong mentioned that the concept has been developing over several years. “It’s one of those ideas that’s been bubbling in my head for about three years,” she said. After securing funding from multiple partners like the Halton Police Foundation for physical space and Ontario Trillium Foundation for tech upgrades alongside staffing through Canada Summer Jobs program support made it all possible. “Almost every level of government helped in some way,” remarked Udodong. Maintaining funding beyond its first year is crucial as Oasis continues looking for community backing.
The centre will cater to youth aged 16-29 while also allowing parents teachers and community agencies access information and referrals as needed. Udodong hopes every young person entering feels “safe supported seen valued maybe even challenged.” The facility will feature reading corners computer workstations free Wi-Fi printing services meeting spaces along with lounge areas designed for informal gatherings among youth throughout programming such as career exploration academic assistance life-skills training wellness circles friendship-building activities plus social events planned throughout the year.
“Summer can be a very vulnerable period for young people especially now that everyone’s facing financial challenges,” noted Udodong.“Parents probably can’t afford as many summer activities as they used to – I’m hoping that when they come in they’ll see we’re really ready offering an alternative.”
“Summer can be a very vulnerable period for young people especially now that everyone’s facing financial challenges,” noted Udodong.“Parents probably can’t afford as many summer activities as they used to – I’m hoping that when they come in they’ll see we’re really ready offering an alternative.”
Looking ahead Ugodog hopes her center becomes known by youngsters needing prompt assistance long before reaching breaking points.”I want them waking up knowing there’s somewhere supportive readily available” she expressed.
For Udog’s goal concerning her new center ultimately means implementing proven values.’It requires collaboration fostered amongst communities’ isn’t merely anecdotal-it rings true throughout lived experiences surrounding ‘village concepts’ which reflect ideals being actualized within OASIS!
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