YOU London logo- source: YOU London Twitter
Executive director of YOU London, Steve Cordes announced that the organization is moving forward with a major project. It is a $15-million project to refurbish three buildings on Richmond Street and turn them into 39 affordable housing units for the local struggling youth.
YOU London just recently held an event to raise money for this project. The event is called “Breakfast for YOU” and it’s in its 13th year. People pay and come listen to a panel full of youth speakers dealing with their own stories of hardship.
Nikitia Carimbocas was one of those speakers. She moved to Canada from Trinidad about two years ago. Being a youth in poverty and an immigrant made it extremely hard to live in Canada.
“A lot of us get ill-treated, a lot of us get put out on the streets, a lot of us become homeless, a lot of us actually never get to finish school. Usually we end up having to go back to our home where we came from.”
Carimbocas is now partnering with YOU London to raise money so youth can have a better life than she did. The organization has raised over $100-thousand just from this years “Breakfast for YOU event.” Carimbocas is thrilled to get projects going and open doors to so many struggling youth.
“Housing in London is getting so expensive. I’m actually super excited and I’m glad to be a part of an organization that wants to help the new upcoming generations like myself.”
Being a youth immigrant in London made the days hard for Carimbocas. Having the strength to continue came from a motto she still lives by today.
“Take it one day at a time. It has to get ugly before it gets pretty. Eventually you will get to where you want to be. Start every new day just knowing that it will get better.”
#LdnOnt gathering over breakfast for the 13h Annual #BreakfastforYOU @YOU_London pic.twitter.com/c24keZVlF6
— London EconDev (@LondonEDC) February 7, 2019
Cordes says the second project YOU London is looking to tackle is the creation of a 30-bed shelter for youth on Clarke Road. YOU has so far raised about $1.3 million of the $5 million needed, but they have an interest in a partnership with the Canada Mortgage Housing Corp. that could allow the project in the spring.
About 1100 attended this year’s event which smashed the attendance record from any previous year.
