THE SAY INITIATIVE

Sponsor A Youth

What is SAY?

At oneROOF Youth Services, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to move forward—toward stability, independence, and a future they’re proud of.

SAY (Sponsor A Youth) is a unique giving initiative that connects donors directly to meaningful, real-life opportunities for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Instead of general donations, SAY allows you to fund a specific goal for a specific young person—creating immediate, tangible impact.

What You’re Supporting:

SAY removes barriers by supporting practical, achievable steps that can change the course of a young person’s life.

  • Job training or certification programs

  • Course or exam fees

  • Workplace essentials (like uniforms or PPE)

  • Transportation to employment or training

  • Tools or materials needed to start working

How It Works:

1. Youth Are Nominated: Our frontline staff identify youth who are ready to take the next step and would benefit from short-term financial support.

2. Opportunities Are Shared: Approved opportunities are posted anonymously above, outlining the goal and funding needed.

3. You Choose Who to Support: Browse available opportunities and sponsor one that resonates with you.

4. We Make It Happen: Our team ensures funds are used exactly as intended—purchasing the course, equipment, or training directly.

5. You See the Impact: We share updates so you can see the difference you made.

SAY vs. General Donations

Sponsor A Youth: Directly fund a specific opportunity for a young person. Support here is tied to a clear, achievable goal that you’re one-time donation makes possible.

General Donations: Provide flexible funding that supports the broader needs of youth across our programs, allowing us to respond urgent and important needs as they arise.

Both make a difference! SAY creates targeted impact, while general donations help us continue our day-to-day work.

SAY Candidates

SAY Youth #008: 3 Month Gym Membership

Category: Mental and Physical Health

Funding Request: $128

Youth Description: Several of our youth have expressed great interest in a gym membership, with the primary goals being to support their health. Not only will this help our youth's physical health, but it will also help their mental wellness. Having a place to be and move their bodies without judgement or being seen as a nuisance will make more space for youth to focus on other goals. The improved physical and mental health that comes with consistent training will help create a basis for our youth to work towards housing, employment, education, and their mental health journey.

Opportunity: Contributing to our gym membership fund that will purchase youth a 3 month gym membership at Crunch Fitness

SAY Youth #009: Smart Serve Certification

Category: Earning a Certification

Funding Request: $55

Youth Description: This youth is a very strongly motivated individual who is determined to gain employment. Her goal is to attend post-secondary and wants to work part-time to pay for her fees. She wants to apply for her Smart Serve certification to open doors to job opportunities.

Opportunity: These funds would cover the cost of this youth applying for their Smart Serve certification. This would help them with their future employment endeavours, which will put them on the path of saving for post-secondary applications and fees.