As part of its new regional initiatives support fund, the Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ is proud to support Maison Marie-Frédéric, in Quebec City, with $22,000 in funding that will help youths aged 18 to 30, who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, to achieve housing stability.
Maison Marie-Frédéric serves youths in different ways and receives more than sixty youths in need every day. Short-term housing, transitional housing as part of a self-help process and supportive housing. Each step of Maison Marie-Frédéric’s offering is a step towards housing independence for youths who have had a difficult life.
Maison Marie-Frédéric not only provides rooms and housing, but also offers a personal development and psychosocial support program. The program has five steps for helping youths become independent and to develop a social, community and professional network. The Fondation’s funding will provide these youths with psychosocial support service.
We need to provide very close follow-up care, especially for youths from the DYP. When they arrive at Maison Marie-Frédéric, the suffering and trauma often come out and it can become very intense. The pandemic put enormous pressure on these youths. The service we offer is crucial to helping them get back on their feet.
More than sixty housing units and transitional housing spots are available to youths. Housing is spread out over different neighbourhoods in Quebec City to promote social diversity. Youths can be housed for a single day or up to 14 months, depending on their needs.
As the occupancy rate for such housing is steady at 90%, it shows there is always a great need.
Maison Marie-Frédéric’s intervention program is impressive. The quality of services they provide makes a huge difference in helping these youths to get a second chance. We’re very pleased to be able to support critical projects such as this one!
Psychosocial follow-up care is provided as follows: the initial phases allow the youths to acclimate to their new surrounding, to get to know each other and to draw up a life plan. Then they set their plan in motion and test it out. The last step is outside follow-up care that can last up to two years, depending on their needs.
The Fondation’s contribution allows us to provide follow-up care by a psychosocial worker who will support the youths. This care is essential to helping with their progress.”
Every year, nearly 160 youths benefit from these services, which give them a chance to rebuild their lives.
I was asked to come here… I agreed and I feel as if I’m really helping myself. I make an effort and make progress by participating in the workshops. I meet really cool people.
The youths have access to several types of workshops that cover topics such as sexuality, toxic relationships, grief, self-awareness and values.
The workers are really there to help us and we can feel that they want us to pull through. I really enjoyed the self-awareness workshops and the art projects for representing our emotions.