Attention, shoppers: You now have an opportunity to help local youth when you get to the cash register.
Home Depot in Orillia has launched its annual Orange Door Project in support of the Orillia Youth Centre. Shoppers are asked at the checkout if they want to donate $2 or more to the initiative, which aims to support some of the most vulnerable young residents in the area.
All of the money raised will go to the centre, helping it support homeless youth and those at risk of becoming homeless.
“The youth centre sees youth of all walks of life come through our doors,” said youth centre director Kevin Gangloff. “The (focus) over the last couple of years has been to capture youth before they become marginalized. The success rate goes up.”
An information card at the checkout informs shoppers the money is going to support “homeless youth.” That alone might be an eye opener for some, but the problem is real and it affects people in towns and cities of all sizes, Gangloff explained.
“It isn’t as pervasive as it is in the city, but just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” he said.
There are various ways someone can be considered homeless. It could be someone who has nowhere to go, or someone who is couch surfing. Gangloff has received calls from people who have noticed youth sleeping on park benches or, in one case, in a resident’s shed.
If the Orange Door Project helps shed a light on the complexity of the issue, that can only help, Gangloff said.
“It’s about raising awareness around the issues, too, which is key. It’s about educating people.”
The campaign started Nov. 29 and will run until Dec. 16. Those interested in donating don’t have to go to Home Depot to do so. Donations can also be made online by clicking here and choosing the Orillia store in the drop-down menu.
The Orange Door Project is run by the Home Depot Canada Foundation. It has been raising money for the Orillia Youth Centre for almost four years.
“The support we’ve had in the community with this has been unbelievable,” Gangloff said, noting Home Depot has, through grants and fundraisers, contributed more than $80,000 to the local cause. “That’s staggering.”
