After twenty years of street work, Thrive’s demand is greater than ever

St. John’s-based youth outreach organization Thrive is marking the 20th anniversary of its outreach program and celebrated the milestone Saturday with a fundraiser.

The event was part of the annual Ride for Refuge, which raises money for charities throughout the country with a bike ride or walk.

With more than $12,000 raised, Thrive had reached more than half of its $20,000 fundraising goal as of Sunday. That money is crucial to the organization’s Street Reach program, said director Angela Crockwell.

“Especially this year because we’ve seen our numbers increase substantially. So our costs are going up, especially our food costs have more than doubled,” she said.

“This money will really ensure that we have the resources to help the large numbers of people coming in for support.”

Street Reach supports around 1,500 people each year, providing drop-in services for people to access food, clothing and harm reduction supplies, as well as street outreach services and one-to-one support in housing, food security and mental health.

When the program started in 2004, Crockwell said, it had one employee and a budget of $7,000, and outreach work was offered only on a part-time basis. While the program has since grown to four staff members and more than forty volunteers, it has also seen a significant increase in demand for its services, increasing by 116 percent between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 alone.

“Since the pandemic, the number of people has really increased dramatically,” she said. “We’re now seeing people we’ve never seen before, and considering we’ve been doing this for 20 years, you feel like we know everyone.”

LOOK | This fundraiser supports an outreach program that is becoming crucial for more and more people:

Thrive’s Street Reach program has been around for 20 years and is seeing more demand than ever

Started in 2004, the program has grown significantly over the past twenty years. But so does the number of people turning to St. John’s youth services organization for help, says director Angela Crockwell.

Crockwell believes declines in people’s mental and physical health since the pandemic began are factors in this trend, but so is the province’s ongoing housing crisis.

“The depth of poverty means that people who might have been able to survive until now are really struggling to meet their basic needs,” she said.

‘We also saw families who could have managed, perhaps people with a low income. Suddenly the costs of rent, the costs of energy, the costs of groceries can no longer be met. “

Street Reach, says Crockwell, provides an “incredibly important” service to vulnerable people in the city – something she often hears from participants.

“What Street Reach has really done… is create a safe space and a bit of community for people who may have felt a little left out or forgotten,” she said.

“They can come every day and feel safe, they feel connected. And they know someone there who really cares about them and will do everything they can to help them.”

Jacintha Penney hears that too.

“People appreciate that Street Reach, Thrive is a very safe place where they are going to be supported and helped no matter what, and that is crucial at different points in their lives,” Penney said.

“They are treated with respect and received warmly. And everyone does their utmost to help them live the best life possible.”

Penney, one of about 40 volunteers in the Street Reach program, got involved in January after seeing firsthand Thrive’s positive impact in her healthcare job and being approached by a friend about volunteering. Since then, Penney has put together harm reduction kits and helped in the dining room.

“The staff and volunteers are so committed and committed. And again, that just reinforces my respect for the important work this organization does,” she said.

“I’m here on Saturday. I got up early to come… and I called my family and friends for some donations. So that’s just a testament to how much I believe in this cause.”

A cause that Crockwell hopes will soon reduce demand again. Over the next five years, she wants to see new ideas to tackle poverty and the housing crisis.

“If I could make one wish, it would be that we wouldn’t need a street outreach program,” Crockwell said.

“We’re really committed to working with our partners to try to come up with creative solutions because there are just way too many people hurting. And we, as service providers, government and community, I think we have to work together. and be really innovative to figure this out.”

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