FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
United Way Marks 10th Anniversary of Journey Home Program with MOU signing
SASKATOON, SK – September 19, 2024 – United Way Saskatoon and Area proudly celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Journey Home Program, a collaboration with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (SCIS). United Way has invested over $5 million into Journey Home over the past ten years and is marking this milestone through the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SCIS.
Launched in April 2014, Journey Home was based on the international Housing First model and provides immediate access to housing without barriers for the city’s most vulnerable citizens, who often face complex issues such as mental health and addiction.
“Celebrating 10 years of Journey Home highlights United Way’s commitment to our community. The renewed partnership with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services will continue this vital support for our most vulnerable community members, turning the promise of a home into a reality, and ensuring everyone has opportunities to realize their full potential,” says Sheri Benson, United Way Saskatoon and Area CEO.
Signing the new MOU will ensure the program continues to have capacity to provide comprehensive wrap-around services and extend its reach within the community. Renewing this important partnership further solidifies United Way and SCIS’s commitment to supporting individuals in their journey toward long-term stability.
“Journey Home serves those hardest to house by providing housing, reducing the potential for harm, and delivering services that are trauma informed and culturally competent,” says Tammy MacFarlane, Director of Clinical Services. “We see success when individuals re-connect with family, friends, and culture, stay in their home, have agency over their lives and less interactions with emergency services and policing. Without permanent stable housing none of this is possible.” Tammy MacFarlane, Director of Clinical Services
###
About United Way Saskatoon and Area:
United Way Saskatoon and Area is committed to strengthening our community through support for vital programs and initiatives. For more information, visit www.unitedwaysaskatoon.ca.
About Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service
Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (SCIS) intervenes and manages social, emotional, and psychological emergencies for people experiencing acute and ongoing crisis 24 hours each day, 365 days of the year. Established in 1980, SCIS is a community-based organization that provides crisis intervention services to anyone living in Saskatoon experiencing distress and needing immediate help. Visit saskatooncrisis.ca to learn more.
Topics : News
