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I had a young man come into The Refuge this past week. He was frustrated and angry and it showed as he stormed into the building, which is uncharacteristic for George (not his real name).
When we eventually sat down, George told me that his wallet had been stolen and all his ID (driver's licence, birth certificate, health card) and the cash that he had to use to put towards his rent was now gone. He expressed to me the frustration of making progress in his life only to have it all disappear yet again. For George, this is a reoccurring theme ... making progress only to have the progress sabotaged by poor choices or family members or some other circumstance.
As we talked, I expressed to George that I don't have any solutions or answers but that I was willing to walk with him step by step to start the process once again. We developed one step of a plan together with the goal to meet again in a week to share what we found with this first step. And while I do not have the answers or the solution to his predicament, I do know that my God does know and I asked George if I could pray with him for a solution. Together we prayed that God might provide some answers for him and to direct our paths.
By the end of the time together, George shared with me that he once again felt hope for the future and a desire to continue on.
Without the support of hundreds of people in the community and beyond this type of thing would not be able to happen. As The Refuge does not receive funding from any level of government for operations, the hundreds of individuals, businesses, churches, and organizations effectively keep the doors open and provide a hope for the future for not only George but also for hundreds of different homeless and street youth that come thousands of times to The Refuge each year.
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The Refuge has a new patio sitting area ... courtesy of The Revolution group at The Refuge. The Revolution program of The Refuge seeks to work with the population of youth that have grown up with The Refuge and now find themselves over the age of 24. The Revolution seeks to provide wisdom and opportunities for the youth to grow in their personal development and The Refuge has made a commitment that, if they stick with the program, in a year they will be in a better place than they were when they started.
As a part of the program, the youth were challenged to give back to those that attend The Refuge, those that will attend The Refuge in the future and to the Church by constructing a new patio and putting in place new patio furniture. Thus, they worked hard to lay stone, put together furniture and open a new patio that provides a place of beauty and peace for their fellow youth at The Refuge.
Well done guys!
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Are You In Highschool Civics or Youth in Philanthropy Class?
Each year The Refuge receives many requests from students attending a high school Civics or Youth in Philanthropy class asking many of the same questions. We at The Refuge have made your research task easier by creating a document of commonly asked questions by civics/youth in philanthropy class students. To download a copy of this document please click here. If you find you still want more information, we would be pleased to meet with you. To schedule a meeting please e-mail dave@refugeoutreach.com.
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The Refuge exists to show God's love and compassion to the at-risk and street youth of the Durham Region community in such a manner that will bring about positive life changes in their lives. We accomplish these goals through programs that are focussed on prevention and intervention.
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