Mission accomplished: New youth room at venerable agency

By Eric Morse –

Facilitator Anne (centre) with young people at the Friday night drop-in in the new Youth Room at Yonge St Mission’s Gerrard and Parliament facility.

The Yonge Street Mission, serving Torontonians in need since 1896 and located at the corner of Gerrard and Parliament since the 1960s, is dedicating a new suite of rooms for its youth and children’s programs.

According to community services director Claire Barcik, the facility will serve about 60 youth and 100 children, mainly from Regent Park, with some coming also from Moss Park and St James Town.

The youth room (seen here) and kitchen, in the Mission’s basement, will provide a warm and welcoming home for the Mission’s breakfast, homework, sports and computer clubs for children, and a fine drop-in centre for young teens.

The renovations were subsidized by donations from World Vision Canada, St. Andrew’s United Church, the James H. Cummings Foundation, the State Street Trust Company Canada, the Dewdney Family Charitable Foundation, and other private donors.

YSM’s president Rick Tobias will be on hand for the Oct. 1 official opening.