smart | city Resource Assistance for Youth breaks down


stereotypes and accepts youth as they are The organization is built around the desires of each individual; they determine what success is for themselves


E


ver wondered why so many homeless people have pets? “Number one, it’s for companionship,” says Alex White, director of communications and development


for Resource Assistance for Youth, Inc. (RaY). But it also comes down to strategic survival tactics for


body heat and safety. Having a sixty-pound dog to sleep with and bear teeth if necessary is a good thing to have in your possession. Tat’s why the basement “shop” at RaY, along with essential food for youth, is overflowing with cat and dog food. Survivor-savvy is one of the main skills the youth at RaY


come equipped with when they walk in. “We live in Win- nipeg. No one decides to live on the streets in Winnipeg,” points out Alex. Surviving the Winnipeg streets is no small feat, so RaY works on “taking those kinds of skills that allow you to survive and transferring them to the mainstream society.” Surprisingly, it isn’t a huge crop of volunteers tending


to the youth at RaY. Instead, the youth are paid to do the jobs that volunteers typically do, like meal prep and meal ordering, which can help them build up work experience and land a job in the outside world. RaY youth also run the forRaY Second Chance Shoppe at 195 Young St. which sells the surplus furniture and houseware donations RaY receives while providing a retail training opportunity. “Te youth that we see have usually been let down by


every single system that was supposed to support them,” says Alex. Because of this, the organization makes sure its services are provided by qualified workers. “Our staff are very well-trained,” says Alex of the 21 full-time employees that work at RaY – and they cater directly to the hopes and dreams of each young person. RaY evolved from an organization that helped return


youth on the street to their homes; then learned that “home was often the worst place for them to go,” says Alex. Moving forward, they asked the youth directly: what do


you need? “We took all the information and grew all our services around that,” says Alex. Now, RaY offers help with addictions, helps find youth


appropriate housing armed with eviction prevention, and helps them find and keep stable work. “We try to keep all the services under one roof,” says Alex. “We all measure success differently.” Last year, RaY helped 145 youth find work. RaY has a


street outreach team that goes out four to five times a week to hand out sandwiches, water, mitts, socks and condoms, etc. as well as share information about its programming. Once youth are in the door, so long as they’re not entirely


Alex White is the spokesman and official tour guide for RaY Inc. It needs donations of warm winter clothing this time of year. Te trouble for RaY is they get outstretched while they’re


disrespectful or disruptive, they are accepted as they are. “Tere’s this real camaraderie that’s in this building,”


says Alex. “We are harm reduction; we will take you as you are.” With access to 13 units in Manitoba Housing complexes,


RaY provides free temporary lodging to some youth as long as they work on any issues with addiction, find work, or attend school. With the recent Social Planning Council of Winnipeg re-


port that found 29 per cent of Manitoba children were living in poverty in 2012, the second worst rate in all of Canada, and with low-income housing at less than one per cent vacancy in Winnipeg, it’s clear that more needs to be done and organizations like RaY will need continued support.


helping: “the more customers we have, the less we have to work with,” explains Alex. At this time of year, RaY requires donations of warm


parkas and winter accessories for the youth they assist. “I think last year we gave out around 90 winter coats, and we needed more,” says Alex. Another thing to keep in mind is who the jackets are for:


“We work with youth, so we need stuff that young people wear,” says Alex. Clothing donations can be dropped off at RaY at 125


Sherbrook St. Call the front desk at 204-783-5617 to ar- range a drop-off. For more information on RaY, visit www. rayinc.ca.


Te only change is in the way its run – Lunch Bell


Bistro measures up to any dining establishment The not-for-profit organization Changes operates a restaurant while training some of its clients


menus have to be tested. As these details are getting ironed out,


O


the Lunch Bell Bistro is also debuting a completely unprecedented training program. Based on the success of the Changes


organization’s person-centred support services, it has branched out into owner- ship of a restaurant, where some of its clients with intellectual and developmen- tal disabilities are being trained in the hospitality industry. “We train them to work in this establish-


ment, but we train them to adapt to any hospitality environment,” says general manager of the Lunch Bell, Josh Marantz. The students of the program spend 10 weeks training in the kitchen and 10 weeks in the front-of-house before making room for new eager trainees and seeking em- ployment elsewhere in the field. Tough still on its first batch of students,


the Lunch Bell has seen tremendous suc- cess with the rollout of the program. “Tey have learned more than I ever


thought possible in a short time. Part of that has to do with their willingness to learn – they’re so eager,” says Josh. “Te students that (Changes) are rec-


ommending for our program have been vetted extensively and the students really want to do it.” The educational component doesn’t mean you have to manage your expec-


6 Smart Biz


pening a new restaurant is tough. Workers need to be trained, peak times need to be determined, and


“Everything from the business people to


the street people… It’s very, very reward- ing, the acceptance of the general public. “As much as you tell yourself it’s the


good thing to do and it’s rewarding, it’s nice to get that validation.” With a concise menu and interior seat-


ing for just 30 people, other streams pri- marily drive business for the Lunch Bell. For instance, its catering service (which comprises food preparation without serv- ing staff) makes up about 70 per cent of its revenue. Te bistro can cater to large organizations, schools, and any size busi- ness lunch, and offers city-wide delivery. Te restaurant also has a grab-and-go


fridge and take-out at its 662 Main St. location, which means zero wait time for busy downtown workers. Worthy of mention is the incredible


From left to right: Lunch Bell executive chef Chris Tascona, hospitality students Sheldon and Eldon, sous chef Bev Villagarcia, and general manager Josh Marantz.


tations before visiting – the Lunch Bell has attentive wait staff, fresh, healthy food options made in-house (it isn’t even equipped with a deep fryer) and speedy kitchen times (usually under 10 minutes for its mainly soups, salads and sand- wiches menu). Even with a tricky location on Main


Street at Higgins Avenue in the Bell Hotel, the bistro has had enthusiastic response since getting the word out after a soft opening in August.


Tough currently funded by the three


levels of government and CentreVenture Corp. (which approached Changes with the idea), the business aims to be self- sufficient by its second year, so it faces the usual challenges of achieving prosperity in the competitive restaurant industry. One thing Josh has found especially


humbling is the respect the establishment has been granted by all of the surround- ing residents, workers and visitors to the neighbourhood.


www.smartbizwpg.com


interior designed by local architect Liane Veness (of Work/Shop) – the long and nar- row restaurant is warmed by a wooden geometric ceiling treatment and bright white tiles encasing the booths. Te white room glistens and has an organic, earthy atmosphere. Even though it doesn’t get by on its


social merit, the Lunch Bell does all the little things right, sending the leftover food at the end of the day on to Changes programs. Lunch Bell Bistro is open Monday to


Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit www. lunchbellbistro.ca for more information on its training program or to view its dine- in/take-out and catering menus.


January 2015


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