ABOUT US
The Portal Youth Centre is a registered non-profit charitable organization that is a resource centre for Annapolis Valley youth age 12-24 who are at risk or currently experiencing homelessness.
Vision
All youth in the Annapolis Valley have a safe, supportive and nurturing home.
Mission
To Reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness in the Annapolis Valley and prevent further youth from becoming homeless.
Supports We Provide
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Drop in space for community building
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Youth & family crisis intervention
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Supportive Counselling
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Programs to build resiliency
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Mentoring
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Advocacy
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Supporting families in transition
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Connection to rapid re-housing
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Recreation Buddies
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Family connect and RE-connect
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Outdoor Discovery
Prevention
Through partnerships that increase family supports and education
Coordination
Accessible
Rapid Re-housing
Integration
Connections to community to understand available resources and community needs. We do this through Community Hubs. Click HERE to read more.
Programming that is youth centred, simple and direct
Via family reunification or client centred supportive living including host homes, supervised apartments and supportive housing
Holistic approach to care using multiple services and supports and integrating this into a care plan individualized for each specific youth
History
The Valley Refuge Association, a non-profit charitable organization, was born in 2008 following concerns raised by individuals through a series of roundtable discussions. The input from a cross section of stakeholders resulted in the identified needs of over 100 homeless individuals in the community, many in Kentville. A great number of these were youth and young adults. Thanks goes to Valley Gate Church for caring enough to start the organization. In 2010, at the invitation of the province, The Portal Youth Centre took on the task of providing outreach support to youth at risk. Now, The Portal plays a significant role in advocating for youth and providing support for youth throughout the Annapolis Valley.
The Centre has effective partnerships with many youth serving government and non-government organizations. The Portal Youth Outreach Program has navigated over 300 youth through the system to access support. Many faced homelessness and the risk of homelessness. The Portal Youth Centre receives partial funding from DCS, Prevention and Early Intervention, Child, Youth and Family Supports (DCS’ Child Welfare program). The program has been in operation since 2012 in communities across Nova Scotia. The aim of the program is improve the immediate and long-term social, economic, educational and health outcomes for youth between the ages of 16 and 19+ facing environmental, social, and family conditions that may impact their safety, hinder their personal development and prevent their transition into adulthood as healthy and productive citizens.




