The Lloydminster Community Youth Centre just received a big financial boost. Lloydminster’s Home Depot has raised $16,840 for the LCYC through the Orange Door Project, in an effort to combat youth homelessness.
The Home Depot Canada Foundation is committed to ending and preventing youth homelessness across the country. All 182 stores took part in the Orange Door Project to fundraise for this goal. Out of all stores, Lloydminster’s ranked third for fundraising in western Canada and fourth overall. Duane Brown, the newest store manager for the Lloydminster Home Depot, says it shows how much Lloydminster’s values align with the company’s.
“This so fundamentally is part of what we stand for as a company,” says Brown. “Giving back, being part of our community and taking care of the people around us. It’s why we’ve chosen youth homelessness as a national program and I’m thrilled to death to be part of a community that stands this closely together with the values we stand for.”
The Orange Door Project lets customers purchase small orange doors to take home, or make a donation for the cause. The local Home Depot location raised $8,420 which was matched by the foundation. Tom Irvine, assistant manager of the local Home Depot, can hardly put into words what it means to support a local cause this way.
“It’s just amazing the support that we’ve got,” says Irvine. We’ve been working closely with the Interval Home before we partnered with the Youth Centre as well with the Orange Door campaign. We’re just so glad we’re able to do this and support programs in our city.”
The LCYC sees an average of 530 visits every month and serves 6,000 meals per year. The Centre offers a variety of programs to local youth from outreach programs in schools to wellness and support programs, skill development and recreation activities. The LCYC also offers hygiene and formal clothing hampers to youth when necessary.
Angela Rooks-Trotzuk, CEO of the Lloydminster Interval Home Society, says the partnership means much to the Interval Home Society and how it’s recognized as a worthy community organization.
“It’s important to us to be recognized in the community as an organization worth of taking dollars out of the community and repurposing for the community’s better use,” says Rooks-Trotzuk. “We’ve had a longstanding partnership now, over a few years with Home Depot, so we’re always pleased when we get ot work with Tom and the team to get into the community and not only raise funds, but raise awareness about youth issues and youth homeless in the community and surrounding area.”
The Home Depot Canada Foundations says that on a given night, more than 6,000 young people are without a place to call home. Through the Orange Door Project, the HDCF has pledged $50 million by the end of 2022 to improve housing options, support life-skills development programs and invest in research that ensures funding is directed to help youth build brighter futures.