Together we can cross the finish line and end youth homelessness in Edmonton.

Our cause is to help youth become their best selves. To achieve this, the first step is meeting basic needs for all youth – shelter, food, safety, love.

The Homeward Walk|Run raises funds that go directly to programs aimed at helping youth experiencing homelessness. First by meeting those basic needs, but also by running programs that empower youth to reach their full potential.

In the 5th year of this event, the Homeward Walk-Run will attract more runners, more volunteers, and raise more funds and greater awareness in the quest to end youth homelessness.

In the first four years of the event, we have raised approximately $100,000 with funds going towards a variety of initiatives supporting those experiencing homelessness. It’s a great start and more and more people are becoming aware and involved in the cause. But youth homelessness still exists, and this is unacceptable. Therefore in 2017, together we will make this the biggest Homeward Walk|Run event yet.

Every dollar raised by the Homeward Walk|Run will support the programs and services run by the partner agencies to move youth from high-risk situations to positive futures. These initiatives include:

• housing programs
• support services
• arts and creative outlet programs
• education and employment training
• basic needs support
• mental health and harm reduction programs

Every dollar raised is shared equally among the four partner agencies. It is the most powerful way to support the end of youth homelessness in our community.

*based on 2016 Homeless Count

Partner Agencies

e4c is a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for people to become self-supporting and leads in the growth of inclusive and caring communities. e4c’s service delivery approach aligns with best practices to support positive outcomes and goal achievement for homeless and vulnerable persons. The agency has been practicing harm reduction and offering safe space to youth, indigenous persons and LGBTQ2+ individuals for more than 20 years, and has been meeting the basic needs of homeless women and female youth for over 40 years.

Edmonton John Howard Society is more than a service provider. To our clients, we are the family many of them never had. People come to us when the world doesn’t seem to welcome them or when the path forward is hidden in fear, self-doubt, and closed doors. Our door is always open. Just like a family, we provide a home to some and safe shelter to all. We listen, we care, we reach out, and we support. We celebrate with our clients when they succeed, and we welcome them back when they stumble.

At Edmonton John Howard Society, we serve young people without support systems, people impacted by family violence, and men and women at risk or involved with the justice system. All find a warm welcome and the help they need to discover hope in their lives. We also work to build understanding about the causes and consequences of crime and to prevent crime in our communities through public education.

Utilizing a harm reduction approach, iHuman Youth Society engages young people between the ages of 12-24 years who are often labeled high risk. Our trauma-informed model builds on trust, offering caring, creative and authentic programs and services which led the young person to make positive social change. We are a youth-driven charitable organization that develops programs solely for youth, responding to their changing needs and using the arts as a positive engagement tool. We promote the reconnection of youth to the community through arts mentorship, crisis intervention, and empowerment programming.

YESS is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth who experience difficult realities. YESS assists youth who may be struggling with family conflict, addiction, mental illness, trauma, victimization, involvement in the justice system, and barriers to employment and homelessness. Founded in 1978, YESS provides shelter, support programs and individual guidance through nonjudgmental, relationship based approaches. Youth who access YESS are between the ages of 15 and 25, most of whom have experienced overwhelming trauma.