Every year, tens of thousands of Canadians head outside and raise money for local charities helping those struggling with homelessness with The Coldest Night of the Year fundraising event. Check out Coady’s Learn More

Innovative Automation (IA) Inc. in Barrie leads by example. This high tech company has been a sponsor of Youth Haven’s Coldest Night of the Year since 2016. IA employs 140 Learn More

Birthday celebrations and fundraisers go hand-in-hand for Kaitlyn McKnight. When she was a youngster, Kaitlyn’s birthday parties always included a fundraiser. As Kaitlyn grew older, she had fewer parties, but Learn More

In a year that was challenging for all of us, Youth Haven is grateful to the generosity of so many individuals, service clubs, businesses, and schools that contributed to our Learn More

  EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Due to public health protocols during the COVID-19 Ontario lockdown, Youth Haven will be accepting monetary donations only. The ban on other donated items( food, hygiene products, Learn More

Stephen Fox, branch manager of FirstOnSite Restoration in Barrie, spent part of his Tuesday dropping off donated coats to various charities including Youth Haven. The firm held a coat drive Learn More

Southern Ontario will enter a lockdown effective Saturday, December 26 for a 28-day period. During this time, the shelter will be staffed on: Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to Learn More

Hawerchuk Strong is a new initiative supporting important causes close to the heart of Dale and the Hawerchuk Family. Youth Haven is honoured to be selected as one of the Learn More

Our friends at Peak Powersports & Indian Motorcycle of Barrie have once again stepped up for our youth who are experiencing homelessness in our community with a generation donation of Learn More

Tis’ the Season for Giving! As part of R Cottage‘s BUY ONE, FEED ONE campaign, every “Prime Rib Special’ order purchased on the Sundays of December 13 & 20, a Learn More

During these challenging times, having something to look forward to is so important. At Youth Haven, we can’t wait for Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) 2021 (#cnoy21) on February Learn More

Sylvia Grant and her two children, Judah and Elizabeth, dropped by the Youth Haven to drop off some wonderful donations! Sylvia is a part of The Garden – Outreach Initiatives, Learn More

Youth Haven’s Executive Director, Lucy Gowers, was interviewed on Sunday, November 15th by Jason D’Souza, interim host of CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air. The focus of the discussion was caring Learn More

Christmas is around the corner and Youth Haven is hoping the community will once again choose to #bethedifference in the lives of youth who are experiencing or at risk of Learn More

A HUGE thank you to all of the heroes out there, and Lowe’s Canada for supporting us during this year’s #HeroesCampaign! With your support, you helped Youth Haven raise $6,470.17! Learn More

On September 25th, 2020, Klassic Car Wash raised $2350 for our shelter! It’s an honour to be their charity of choice. When speaking with the staff, they expressed excitement and Learn More

We are so grateful for the support you have shown to our youth with your kind donations, in particular during these challenging times presented by COVID-19. As the pandemic continues Learn More

As this pandemic continues, Youth Haven continues to #StayStrong because of the generous support from our community. Thanks to your care, support, and kindness, our youths have brighter futures ahead Learn More

Youth Haven expresses our deepest condolences on the passing of former Chairman of the Youth Haven Board of Directors, Mr. Don Acheson. Donald Russell Acheson, of Barrie, Ontario passed away Learn More

Did you know Youth Haven has outreach teams in communities across Simcoe County? In Orillia, collaboration is key, as Youth Haven works closely with other local organizations to assist the Learn More

Youth Haven is one of the organizations in Canada selected for the annual Lowe’s Canada Heroes Campaign! Home & Garden RONA / Barrie, located at 61 Mapleview Drive East, is a part Learn More

Klassic Car Wash is once again doing a charity car wash with proceeds going to Youth Haven! Both Klassic Car Wash locations in Barrie, 129 Anne Street and 560 Yonge Learn More

Youth Haven welcomes the $7.5 million in funding over five years announced by the Ontario government on August 24th to frontline victims services organizations for specialized services to support human Learn More

Thank you to everyone who helped make these nights memorable. With your help, we raised $2,425.00 going towards providing supportive services for youth who are experiencing homelessness within our community. Learn More

Camping is a great way to get outside with family and friends. As our communities start to open up, you can go camping in many campgrounds, parks, or even in Learn More

  Liam Rothwell is an 18 year old Barrie resident who, in the midst of COVID-19, was diagnosed with bone cancer. He is a bright, funny, young man who has Learn More

Nathan Taylor from OrilliaMatters.com, shares the story of local students from Orillia Secondary School that made a pitch for financial support for local charities, including Youth Haven! We received $1,250 thanks Learn More

  We are receiving $20,000 from the Government of Canada and Barrie Community Foundation to help support our Counselling, Outreach, Transitional Support and Continuing Care. Youth Haven is grateful for Learn More

Ian MacLennan, our Communications Director for Youth Haven, shares a story that happened to him at a local Tim Hortons on Fairview Road last week. “I ordered two dozen donuts Learn More

We are very thankful for 10 year old, Mason Bailey, for his support to Youth Haven. Mason is a third-year Cub Scout and a member of the 1st Barrie Foresters Learn More

Our very own Barrie Colts prepared and donated a total of 37,500 meals to those in need in our region since the pandemic hit. Youth Haven was one of the many Learn More

    Sending a heartfelt thank you to the Innisfil Community Foundation for their generous donation to Youth Haven through their Community Crisis Fund. We are very grateful for your Learn More

Sending a heartfelt thank you to the Barrie Community Foundation for their generous donation to Youth Haven through their Community Crisis Fund. We are very grateful for your support, and Learn More

Youth Haven has been working hard to minimize the risk of COVID-19, and made the decision back in March, to move our youth to a local motel. At this time, Learn More

Thank you to our amazing team of frontline workers such as our Shelter staff and Outreach program operators who have been more than vital in helping care for some of Learn More

Thank you very much to Cicco’s Ristorante who helped bring in $470 survival dollars to our shelter! Thank you for choosing to #bethedifference.

According to the Homeless Hub, youth who identify as LGBTQ2S make up 25-40% of the youth experiencing homelessness in Canada. We are standing together to support equality and inclusion. At Youth Learn More

  The Breakfast House is serving up a PICK-UP BREAKFAST SPECIAL just for you while supporting our shelter. With the special pick-up order, you get: 14 Scrambled Eggs, 8 Pieces Learn More

We are grateful to organizations like the Barrie and District Association of Realtors (BDAR) for thinking about the vulnerable youth in our community during this COVID-19 pandemic. BDAR made a donation Learn More

With many high school proms and graduations delayed or cancelled because of COVID-19, a Barrie photographer has trained her focus on graduates and youth who are experiencing homelessness. Louise Jones, Learn More

Youth Haven is grateful to the owners of R Cottage restaurant in Washago for launching the Feed A Friend/Feed A Family program which provides meals to vulnerable persons in the Orillia-area during Learn More

Three local companies teamed up to deliver fresh, nutritious meals to our staff and youth today! Our friend and supporter, Jim Lowe, recently contacted Salim Bardai from Freshii in Barrie’s Learn More

  Jake and Jorden Mathias of the local band The Straits founded‘ Barrie’s Live Music Show'(BLMS) in early April, which allows people of all ages, representing all types of music, Learn More

Check it out! Our friends at Cicco’s Ristorante have an amazing deal to fill your stomach with great food AND support Youth Haven! Click on the image above or call Learn More

  April 22, 2020, To Our Volunteers: This is National Volunteer Week in Canada. The theme of National Volunteer Week 2020 is: It’s time to applaud this country’s volunteers. During Learn More

Check out this wonderful update from Youth Haven Executive Director Lucy Gowers. On Sunday, I worked at the hotel where our youth are currently staying to help cover a shift. Learn More

April 6, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE To our community, At this time, all residents of Youth Haven have moved to a motel for their health and safety and for our staff. Programs and Learn More

  MARCH 24th, 2020, UPDATE: To our community, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at this time we can no longer accept donations of clothing or homemade meals. Donations of pre-packaged Learn More

To the Barrie-area and Simcoe County community, thank you for choosing to #bethedifference. Look at the numbers and take a bow. With your support, Youth Haven’s Coldest Night of the Learn More

A record-setting amount of money was raised during this year’s Coldest Night of the Year walk held on February 22, 2020! We exceeded the target of $50,000 thanks to the Learn More

Here are some of the highlights from our 2020 Coldest Night Of the Year walk in Barrie, Ontario! We had 209 participants, 39 teams and 60 volunteers. We raised more Learn More

On February 15th, Lion’s Gate Banquet Centre transformed into a party to celebrate and raise awareness about youth homelessness in our communities. Karen Zinn and her husband Vanz know how Learn More

Giving hope to people in need can make a difference in their lives. In our podcast, Voices of Youth Haven, we share the stories of young men and women that Learn More

Joshua Doersken from Sproutwise produced this AMAZING promo video about the annual “Coldest Night of the Year”. Learn what to expect at this Epic Youth Haven Fundraising Event proudly presented Learn More

Kimberley Peacock from Sacred Soul Yoga and Wellness Studio gathered a few of Barrie’s Healing Energy Practitioners to help give back to our community in support of Youth Haven. The Learn More

The Campaign for 2019 Boxes of Hope is a huge success! You helped raise over $17,000 that went to Christmas gifts, hygiene products, toiletries, bus tokens, items of clothing, food Learn More

Multi-Tech Audio Visual will be kicking off the annual fundraising campaign, 2020 Coldest Night of the Year with their 1st annual CNOY Kick-Off Party! Join us for an evening in Learn More

Kids That Give and their supporters have collected headphones for Youth Haven’s outreach programs this holiday season. An amazing 75 pairs of headphones or earbuds were donated to Youth Haven! Learn More

Did you know Youth Haven has outreach offices across Simcoe County? Recently, our outreach team in Orillia accepted a donation of 3,300 units of new clothes from YM Inc. You Learn More

Barrie Advance reporter, Janis Ramsay, visited Youth Haven, and talked with our Executive Director, Lucy Gowers, to discuss our Boxes of Hope fundraiser. Money raised through Boxes of Hope helps Learn More

Peak Powersports in Barrie and the Indian Motorcycle Rider’s Group, Barrie Chapter #1916, presented Youth Haven with a large Christmas donation and a cheque for $1,000.  The backpacks are filled Learn More

Sex trafficking is the latest scourge in our community.  Youth Haven is on the forefront, working with others, to combat this growing problem. One of our social workers shares her Learn More

A Grade 9 Family Studies class at Twin Lakes Secondary School in Orillia is helping bring awareness to bullying in various ways throughout their school.  Last week, they hosted a “Haters Learn More

Ian McInroy of BarrieToday.com has a great article about the impact of Youth Haven creating positive futures for youth experiencing homelessness. https://www.barrietoday.com/rooted/youth-haven-is-much-more-than-a-shelter-for-young-people-1846897

Thank you to the Athena Flute Trio for hosting a concert at Burton Avenue United Church in Barrie on Saturday, November 16th, and selecting YouthHavenCanada as the charity of choice. Well over $1,000 was raised! Thank Learn More

Youth Haven is excited to be partnering with the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka as part of the 100 Reasons Y capital campaign to build a new Barrie Y facility downtown. When completed in Learn More

Did you know Youth Haven has outreach programs across Simcoe County, including in Orillia? Our staff offer an art therapy workshop for youth. In a recent class,  12 people attended.  Learn More

In August, Deb Bobechko of Barrie climbed 5, 895 m to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro,  the tallest mountain in Africa,  as part of a campaign to raise funds for Learn More

What a fantastic weekend (October 5/6) at the south end Walmart in Barrie! We met so many wonderful people, those who made donations both financial and/or food,  and donations of clothing including Learn More

Jessica Owen of BarrieToday.com has an update on the regional hub project slated to be built on the former Barrie Central Collegiate site in downtown Barrie. https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/ymca-wins-25m-commitment-from-county-to-build-regional-hub-downtown-1713204 The new building, Learn More

Only several months into his job as Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner,  Thomas Carrique continued his outreach into the community with a visit to Youth Haven on Monday, August 19. The Learn More

Give your vehicle a wash and shine on Saturday, September 21 (last weekend of summer), while choosing to #BeTheDifference for #YouthHaven! Thank you Klassic Car Wash, the Barrie Police Association, andMoffatt’s Learn More

Community Leaders Needed! 2-5 hours per month Board Responsibility: Establishing strategic and policy direction Commitment to the strategic plan, vision, mission, and values of Youth Haven Providing for excellent governance Learn More

All proceeds from the silent auction will be provided to Youth Haven!

Aren’t we pretty? The slogan on the shirts of Lowe’s employees that visited Youth Haven to spruce up our front yard says it all “Hands On.  Hearts In.” The team Learn More

She did it! Debra Bobechko of Barrie reached the summit of Mount #Kilimanjaro today, at 5,730 m(19,340 feet), the highest point on the African continent. The day began at approximately Learn More

Deb Bobecheko arrived in Tanzania last week, admittedly nervous and pumped about climbing Africa’s highest mountain, 19,340 feet high. Her trek began on the weekend, with the climb up and Learn More

On Saturday, August 17th, 2019, Youth Haven participated in the Barrie Pride parade. This was an opportunity to show our support for LGBTQ2+ youth in our community.  More than 25-40 Learn More

The RCMP Veterans’ Association – Georgian Bay Division has selected Youth Haven as the designated charity for its 16th Annual Charity Golf Tournament! This year’s tournament takes place on Thursday, Learn More

Youth Haven was at Kempenfest along Barrie’s waterfront August 3-5,  as volunteers, staff and board members had the opportunity to meet with many people who paid a visit to our Learn More

Check out this Barrie360 about the inspiring Debra Bobechko and our #PushYourLimits campaign! To donate, please click here!

Check out this awesome gallery of photos from our #TimeToShine prom! https://barrie.snapd.com/events/view/1256044

A recent article in Orillia Matters reviewed the funding that local organizations like Youth Haven are set to receive. https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/homelessness-funding-freeze-trickles-down-to-county-coffers-1542523

Deb was recently interviewed by Charles Adler of Global News Radio! Check out the interview here!

Debra Bobechko hopes to reach new heights this August while raising funds for Youth Haven, as she attempts to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest point on the African Learn More

Well that’s a wrap! Youth Haven’s “Time to Shine” Prom was a huge success. On June 6th, 2019, our youth arrived at Ferndale Banquet Hall where they were dressed into Learn More

Thank you to Peak Powersports & Indian Motorcycle of Barrie ( 22 Commerce Park Drive) for choosing to #bethedifference and hosting a bbq fundraiser and information day on behalf of Youth Haven. Learn More

This is National Volunteer Week in Canada.  On behalf of our community, our staff, and the youth in need who we serve, we want to thank the many amazing volunteers who Learn More

Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness representatives shared the results of the 2018 Simcoe County Homelessness Enumeration Report during a Barrie council meeting April 8.  Simcoe.com’s Chris Simon looked behind Learn More

Earlier this week, Steve Arsenault of Barrie’s One More Bid Auctions stopped by Youth Haven.   One More Bid Auctions provides a mutually beneficial service to buyers and sellers through Learn More

“When I first got to Barrie and people would ask where I live, I would just give a general location. I didn’t want to feel worthless.” – Blake Laface We Learn More

  Last week, Joshua, a student at Ardargh Bluffs School, turned 9.  While most kids Joshua’s age would have been asking for toys, video games, or movies, he wanted something Learn More

BarrieToday.com’s Shawn Gibson recently sat down with our Director of Services, Nicole Barkley, to discuss Coldest Night of the Year 2019. The Coldest Night of the Year takes place Saturday, Learn More

In the first episode of #VoicesOfYouthHaven, our youth dispel some common myths about what puts youth at risk of experiencing homelessness. Please have a listen and share it with your Learn More

Across the region, shelters are packed, with some overcapacity as an extreme cold warnings effect Simcoe County. Check out this story by CTV News Barrie, including a great comment from Learn More

Youth Haven Executive Director, Lucy Gowers, recently attended a fundraiser for Youth Haven. The Barrie Trojan Swim Club, a non-profit organization that has been operating in Barrie since 1983 held Learn More

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman, councillors Sergio Morales(Ward 9) and Natalie Harris (Ward 6), as well as former councillor Arif Khan dropped by Youth Haven to support to the Boxes of Learn More

When we launched our #BoxesOfHope2018, our plans were to wrap up the campaign on Giving Tuesday…so we did!  A funny thing happened the next day – we received a couple Learn More

On Monday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 7 p.m, Wimpy’s Diner in Orillia will hold theirr second annual Christmas dinner. They will be serving over 300 Christmas dinners to the Learn More

Our youth had a hauntingly good time as Youth Haven was transformed into a haunted house on Halloween night.   Staff and youth decorated the house and then welcomed more than Learn More

Boxes of Hope – #BeTheDifference Update We have now sold 47 Boxes of Hope!  We have 8 days to meet our goal by Giving Tuesday.  Won’t you #BeTheDifference? In case Learn More

Thank you so much to the incredible team at Lice Squad.com for their donation of $1,300 to Youth Haven!  Lice Squad.com raised the money through customer appreciation events and donations.  We Learn More

There’s no place like home for the holidays. Not every youth in Simcoe County has a place they can call home. Youth Haven has launched its annual online Boxes of Learn More

Face Your Fear this weekend at a spooky Haunted House & Halloween Maze in Barrie! This is a FREE all ages Halloween party with games, prizes food, and a haunted Learn More

This dinner is just like I remember my grandma used to make. – Comment from one of our Youth in attendance. A Thanksgiving feast at Youth Haven for over 20 youth, Learn More

The Youth Haven team was thrilled to be part of last week’s Lions Club of Barrie Open House. The Lions Club hosted the event to help make the public aware Learn More

The smell wafting from the kitchen at Youth Haven in Barrie is the sweet smell of success. Four volunteers (Ed Suptin, Dean Smith, Colin Campbell, Tony Everson) donated their skills Learn More

Check out the amazing donation that Youth Haven received in Midland from the incredible Tori St. Amant! Tori, a student at Georgian Bay District Secondary School, first contacted our Midland Outreach team Learn More

Jump for Justin at Skydive Toronto in Cookstown last month (July 14) raised over $15,000 ($15,740.95) for Youth Haven, Simcoe County’s only residential emergency shelter for youth who are experiencing Learn More

Thank you to Barrie Today and CTV Barrie for their amazing coverage of this past weekend’s Ride For Youth Haven. Check out CTV’s “Hundreds went hog wild today to help put an Learn More

Thank you to Barrie Today and snapd Barrie for their amazing coverage of this past weekend’s Jump for Justin Fundraiser. snapd Barrie has a full gallery of photos online at Learn More

Who will advance to the final 12? The Simcoe Rising Star semi-finals are this weekend!  Head over to the Ferndale Banquet Hall between 10 AM and 6 PM on Sunday, Learn More

Janette Boyter is taking quite a plunge to honour her son. The Barrie resident is organizing the Jump for Justin skydive fundraiser in memory of Justin Keogh, who died in Learn More

Justin Keogh was preparing for his 19th birthday and on his wish list was skydiving. Five years ago, just three days before the celebration, Keogh and two teenaged friends were killed in Learn More

When Carleton University’s Isabel Alonso Vilarino applied to work at Youth Haven this summer, the last thing she expected to be doing was jumping out of an airplane flying at 10,000 feet! Learn More

On May 11th, Youth Haven held our first annual prom night.  “From This Moment” was a night that our youth will never forget.  Many of the youth that we assist were Learn More

Youth Haven celebrated diversity by taking part in the Barrie Pride Parade on Sunday, June 10, 2018. Between 20-40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness in Canada identify as LGBTQ2S.  The Learn More

Meet Kennedy Durrell-VanderMeulen Her story of generosity will inspire you! Kennedy was a winner in an essay writing contest, organized by the City of Waterloo, that her school participated in.  Learn More

A shout out to the Ontario Provincial Police and Barrie Police, current and past, for organizing a baseball game and bbq for our youth.  An opportunity to build understanding.

Our First Annual Prom Night is only days away and it will be a night that our youth – and one amazing performer – will never forget. Alphabreff (Zain Campbell), is Learn More

Our First Annual Prom Night is only days away and it will be a night that our youth will never forget! Many of our youth were unable to attend a Learn More

Barrie MPP Ann Hoggarth announced on Friday that Ontario is providing more than a $1 million in funding for Barrie’s rental housing market. Hoggarth says the rebates are just one Learn More

This is National Volunteer Week in Canada.  On behalf of our community, our staff, and the youth in need who we serve, we want to thank the many amazing volunteers who Learn More

CTV Barrie News Videographer, Mike Arsalides, recently interviewed Youth Haven’s Ian MacLennan as part of his investigation into the homelessness crisis in Barrie. Watch the full story below.

Chris Simon of Simcoe.com recently stopped by Youth Haven to speak to one of our residents and learn more about the significant increase in guests that we experienced this year. Learn More

As Canadians, we like to take pride in our universal health-care system, in our social safety net. We like to believe that we’ve evolved into a democracy that does not Learn More

Haydn Watters of CBC News recently investigated the unprecedented demand on local homeless shelters this winter.  He stopped by Youth Haven to discuss the impact on homeless youth with our Learn More

107.5 Kool FM and Rock 95 listeners heard a powerful story from reporter Brett Glover yesterday about his recent visit to Youth Haven. Glover was struck by how much the home Learn More

The 2018 Coldest Night of the Year took place in Barrie on Saturday, February 24th.  221 walkers (and 72 dedicated volunteers) walked the streets of Downtown Barrie, raising an incredible Learn More

The Coldest Night of the Year is a super-fun, family-friendly fundraiser for hungry, homeless, and hurting individuals and families across Canada.  In the past three years,  corporate and individual participants have Learn More

Every year teens and young adults die alone on the streets of our cities. Some leave home due to violence, addictions in the house, or sexual and mental abuse. Youth Learn More

Youth Haven Executive Director Lucy Gowers dropped by Barrie City Hall yesterday with a special delivery – and challenge – for Mayor Jeff Lehman and the 10 City Councillors.  Lucy Learn More

Youth Haven Executive Director Lucy Gowers and Board Member Ian MacLennan recently sat down with the amazing Deb James to discuss February 24th’s Coldest Night of the Year (#CNOY) even. They Learn More

Youth Haven Barrie is pleased to announce that BarrieToday.com has come onboard as a media sponsor of the 2018 Coldest Night of the Year. The Coldest Night of the Year is Learn More

Join the Coldest Night of the Year walk on Feb 24, 2018. If you aren’t sure if you should Register a team and raise funds for Youth Haven leading up Learn More

Lucy’s interview on “Off the Record with Deb James“ has been moved from today to Wednesday, February 7th at 5:20 PM. Lucy will be dropping by the studio to talk about Learn More

Breaking news!  Tune into Barrie’s BIG FM this Wednesday, February 7th at 5:20 PM to hear Youth Haven Executive Director Lucy Gowers ROCK THE AIRWAVES!  Lucy will be a guest on Learn More

Youth Haven Barrie is pleased to announce Rock 95, 107.5 KOOL FM,  Fresh Radio 93.1 and Big 101.1 FM as sponsors of the 2018 Coldest Night of the Year. The Learn More

Our CNOY walk is on Feb. 24th!! Huge thank you to the 16 teams, 39 walkers and 8 volunteers already signed up! This event is awesome because of the people Learn More