FCT faces off against youth homelessness in Mississauga, Ontario
FCT, along with our friends and family, recently participated in Hockey Helps the Homeless, a hockey tournament to benefit a national charity that’s dedicated to long-term solutions to homelessness, Raising the Roof.
In order to participate in this exciting all-day event, every team member had to raise funds for Raising the Roof. On event day, we had the opportunity to play alongside former NHL pro, Gilbert Dionne, as we faced four challenging opponents. We met that challenge and ended up not only winning the tournament, but also raising over $10,000 for the charity. This money was used to help build a youth home in the community.
We continue to support initiatives to benefit youth across Canada. To learn more, visit fct.ca.
with Ryan Baillie Executive Director, Hockey Helps the Homeless
Why is the Hockey Helps the Homeless tournament such an important event?
An estimated 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness every year, and what better way to be a part of the solution than through the great game of hockey. Tournaments like ours are significant to communities like Mississauga because not only do we provide a fun and interactive way to give back for players, volunteers, and sponsors, but we create real, life changing results for those in need.
Since 1996, Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH) tournaments have granted over $16 million locally to our 45+ partner agencies who provide a variety of services including emergency shelter, transitional housing, mentorship programs, and many more. Our mission is for every Canadian to have a safe place to call home, and we rely heavily on companies like FCT to help us achieve this goal.
How did the funds raised from this event impact homeless youth in the community?
100% of net proceeds have been granted to our tournament partner, Raising the Roof and their RESIDE program, which aims to re-purpose and renovate vacant homes. It gives old and broken-down properties new life, while also providing affordable housing to those struggling to find a permanent place to live.
Through this program, the Cedar Mains Project was funded and is expected to open in September 2019. It will be home to intellectually challenged youth who will live independently with support from their community partner agencies. In addition to this already great project, the renovations have provided an opportunity for vulnerable youth to gain skills in the trade and help build job experience.
