Light Patrol is a program of Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC), a Christian agency, and provides outreach to Toronto's street youth. Light Patrol realizes that homelessness is not just about lacking physical shelter, but encompasses breakdowns in relationships as well. Light Patrol’s vision is that youth experiencing homelessness would know the peace of having a home as well as a place of belonging within a supportive Christian community. Through weekly outreaches, Light Patrol staff and volunteers go to where youth experiencing homelessness are: under bridges, on street corners, public parks, and even shelters. The goal is to build relationships with these youth, providing care and support to help them realize their goals and exit the street, with the ultimate aim that the youth we meet will experience the love and grace of Christ, in whom only can we be made whole.
-----------------------------------------------
The Light Patrol Youth Outreach Worker will be a key member of our Light Patrol team. This person will work alongside the other members of the team as well as building into our volunteers as together they seek to fulfill our vision of seeing young lives transformed by God.
Key Responsibilities
- Build relationships with youth experiencing homelessness
- Provide whole-person support for the target population: spiritual,
- emotional, relational, intellectual, and social
- Regularly participate in evening outreach 1x per week and one to one
- visits
- Liaise with, and make referrals to, other agencies, participating in
- multidisciplinary networks and meetings as needed
- Provide support and input to the rest of the Light Patrol team
- Participate in team fundraisers and events
Key Requirements
- Strong Christian faith with consistent spiritual practices; connected to and actively participating in a faith community
- A deep commitment to a holistic approach to proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and God’s Kingdom, comfortable sharing the gospel in context and audience-appropriate ways
- Experience working with youth and young adults, particularly from marginalized communities; ideally will have experience working with youth and young adults experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness
- Able to work at least one evening a week in order to participate in evening outreach
- Strong interpersonal skills, especially re: conflict resolution and de-escalation
- Able to work with youth and volunteers from diverse backgrounds
- Familiarity with various social services available in Toronto, particularly as it relates to housing supports an asset
- Knowledge of case management and trauma informed approaches to care an asset
- Experience working with individuals living with an addiction or mental illness an asset
This is a full-time position (30-44 hours/week). The salary of this staff position is determined on a scale based on education and experience and is funded on a missionary basis – requiring the successful applicant to fundraise and gather a personal support team for a portion of their salary.
Please submit a resumé and cover letter to yuadmin@yugta.ca. Your resumé should note (1) your employment experience; (2) your ministry experience, whether volunteer or paid; and (3) any relevant certification. Your cover letter should include a description of (1) How you would integrate your faith with this role and (2) your heart for youth and (3) any experience you have working with homeless and street-involved youth. (Each response should be 150 - 200 words).
If you have any further questions, please contact Elim at yuadmin@yugta.ca or (416) 383-1477. Only those applicants chosen for an interview will be contacted.