In 2021 Covenant House Toronto began the process of developing a new five-year strategic plan.
We reviewed our existing goals and strategic priorities as well as lessons learned from the pandemic. We completed a comprehensive environmental scan and analysis of other local, national and international youth-serving agencies.
Many partners and stakeholders provided input on our strategic direction, including Board members, donors, staff, youth, volunteers, service agencies and other constituents. Throughout this process we were encouraged to provide leadership in bringing communities, donors and governments together to help develop sustainable plans to address youth homelessness and trafficking.
The result is a bold vision that builds upon our previous work, is grounded in best practices and uses a holistic approach to help reduce the number of young people experiencing homelessness and sex trafficking.
Five strategic priorities (2023 - 2027)
Shelter & Emergency Services
Reimagine the shelter and emergency services to produce the best outcomes for youth.
Our shelter and emergency services help youth regain control over their lives by moving them out of survival mode and directing their focus to the future. We will redevelop our main site, with greater capacity and updated spaces for the shelter and program areas. We will continue to expand, enhance and deliver evidence-based programs and services, using the best, most current and promising practices that meet the increasingly complex needs of youth.
Transition, Community Housing & Supports
Ensure young people remain stably housed and thrive with housing and supports.
Stable housing is critical to all health outcomes and a vital component of solving homelessness and supporting young people in leaving trafficking. We will engage in partnerships and advocacy to increase options and access to housing and supports for young people. We will expand and deliver best practices and evidence-based programs and services to help young people better transition from shelter to the community.
Prevention
Work upstream to prevent more youth from experiencing homelessness and sex trafficking.
Prevention is key to stopping youth homelessness and trafficking before they begin. We will pilot and implement upstream prevention and intervention programs and expand our community awareness and education initiatives to address the needs of young people before there is a crisis, preventing them from ever experiencing homelessness or trafficking.
People & Workplace
Create an innovative and mission-focused workplace and become an employer of choice.
Our staff and volunteers are passionate about our work and committed to helping the young people who come to us achieve their goals. We want to build on this strong foundation to ensure that Covenant House is a place where our people feel valued and supported to make meaningful contributions.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
Build an equitable, diverse and inclusive organization that fosters a sense of belonging for all staff and youth.
Nurturing equity, diversity and inclusion for youth, staff, senior leadership, volunteers and the Board is a top priority for our agency. We will implement an EDI strategy that starts with better understanding the current state of the agency and advancing practices that acknowledge and address areas for improvement.