PeelYouthVillage, a unique facility that couples transitional housing and supports for homeless youth with community programs and recreational facilities was one of three winners of the 2008 Eva's Initiatives Award for Innovation, presented by CIBC and Eva's Initiatives.

"PeelYouthVillage is a unique approach to homelessness and community services," said Regional Councillor Frank Dale. "This facility not only provides a safe place for at-risk youth to live temporarily, but provides the surrounding Acorn community with recreational and employment programs."

PeelYouthVillage opened its doors in the fall of 2005, and to date has helped 191 youth get off the streets and back on their feet.  It is a four-storey residence designed to house and assist 48 youths at a time, aged 16 to 30.  In addition, the facility includes a gymnasium, employment resource centre, meeting rooms and program space, all open to residents of the Acorn community.

"Residents of PeelYouthVillage are required to actively participate with staff, set personal goals and work to develop life skills," continued Councillor Dale.  "This helps keeps our residents on track and ensures they are well-prepared for the world beyond PeelYouthVillage."

Owned by the Region of Peel's Ontario Works division and operated by YMCA of Greater Toronto, PeelYouthVillage is also a great example of collaboration between government and non-profit sectors.

"We are very proud of the work done by our Ontario Works staff, in collaboration with YMCA of Greater Toronto," said Keith Ward, Commissioner of Human Services and General Manager of Peel Living for the Region of Peel.  "It is a partnership in every way. Without either, PeelYouthVillage would simply not exist."

Eva's Initiatives Award for Innovation has been offered for three years.  There were 52 applications entered for the 2008 Award, from organizations working with homeless youth in 10 provinces and territories.  The seven-member review panel consisted of individuals from across Canada who are knowledgeable about services for homeless youth.  The panel was responsible for reviewing the applications and selecting three winners.  The panel was extremely impressed with the quality and range of work being done by communities across Canada, large and small, to address youth homelessness.  In addition to PeelYouthVillage, SIDA/AIDS Moncton for the Youth Asset Program (Moncton, N.B.) and the Coming Home Society for Young Wolves Lodge (Vancouver, B.C.) both received 2008 Eva's Initiatives Award for Innovation.  For more information on Eva's Initiatives Award for Innovation, please visit www.evasinitiatives.com.

Serving over 400,000 members at more than 240 program sites throughout the GTA, The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a charity focused on community support and development. By making connections, collaborating, and mirroring our region's diversity, the YMCA believes it can become the network that binds many neighbourhoods into one city, one country, and one world.  For more information, please visit www.ymcatoronto.org.

The Human Services department, established in June 2007, provides services that support full participation by all residents in the economic, social and cultural life of the Region, in particular by providing a continuum of supports for vulnerable or at-risk members of the community. The department's divisions include Ontario Works, Children's Services, Early Years Integration, Social Housing (Peel Living), and Social Housing Policy and Programs.

The Regional Municipality of Peel was incorporated in 1974 on the principle that certain community and infrastructure services are most cost-effectively administered over a larger geographic area. The Region of Peel serves more than one million residents in the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton and the Town of Caledon.

For more information on the Region of Peel, please call 905-791-7800 or visit www.peelregion.ca.