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Two new group homes for Saskatoon’s youth opened this week, giving young people the ingredients they need for success.
The homes will house a total of 10 kids aged 12 to 16, with one dedicated to girls and the other to boys, although there’s some flexibility in age and gender restrictions.
Read more:
- Saskatoon’s point-in-time count identifies 29 per cent more homeless people
- Saskatoon homeless count reveals 22 per cent are children and youths
The project, named Wolf home, was funded in part by the federal government, which provided $400,000 towards construction. Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Social Services contributed $352,000 and the Saskatchewan Health Authority gave $298,000.
Altogether, the project cost over $1.5 million.
The homes are being run by EGADZ, a non-profit dedicated to youth services. They’re drug and alcohol free spaces which will provide 24-hour care, including addictions and mental health resources.
The kitchen of one of the two new homes, both of which are alcohol and drug free. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
Referencing 2024’s Point-in-Time Homelessness Count, where the number of children experiencing homelessness in the city jumped more than 1,000 per cent from 2022, EGADZ Executive Director Don Meikle said a lot of young people who leave care end up in custody or on the street.
So, “you can’t just give them a home and they’re going to be successful. You have to have the support,” he said.
Using the metaphor of baking, Meikle said he looks at these wraparound supports like, “a big mixing bowl, and you have to have all the ingredients and the right ingredients at the right time.”
Recipe for success
One of those making use of these ingredients is 17-year-old Summer. Her last name isn’t included to protect her privacy.
Summer’s been in youth homes run by EGADZ for three years and she’s known by those involved in the organization for her baking.
“I would just start making stuff for the kids without even anyone telling me to,” Summer said.
Then, last year, Miekle offered her a job to make treats for all of the youth homes. She said yes.
“It was just really fun for me to do that and make kids happy by making stuff… that’s better than like the stuff that they make at the drop-in,” Summer said.
Though she doesn’t plan on making a career out of baking, for Summer, crafting sweet treats helps calm her down.
Plus, as her skills grow, so does her confidence.
“I made a giant heart cake for the Valentine’s Day celebration at EGADZ,” she said. It, “looked like really pro. I was really proud of it.”
For Izzabella, being in a youth home hasn’t just improved her attendance, it’s made a difference for her social life, too. “It’s got me into wrestling more,” she said, adding she’s also been able to go out with friends more. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
Then there’s 16-year-old Izzabella, whose last name is also excluded to protect her privacy.
Izzabella came to EGADZ last August. She’d been living with her grandmother who died in December 2024.
“My grandma used to say that if you’re in a group home, you can be a cake or jello,” Izzabella said. “She’s just meaning by that you can get a good job, too. You don’t have to be excluded because of where you are.”
For Izzabella, her grandma’s words have proven true, with her youth home working to have her included —specifically in school.
“I would skip every class and just go to the school, but camp out in the bathroom because I didn’t understand any of the stuff, and I was really annoyed,” she said, noting how she’d racked up 153 absences in one semester.
Yet, no one noticed for months. That was until her group home’s staff called the school and explained what was happening with Izzabella.
“They made a plan, and now I’m doing way better with my classes finally,” she said.
For Izzabella and Summer, the right ingredients came at the right time.
According to Izzabella, she’s now able to go out with friends, “and not worry about going home to bad things.”
Without EGADZ, Summer said she’d probably be, “on the streets somewhere, not in a very good place.”
Although, neither teenager was bystander to her own success.
“It just depends on how you treat the staff, how you go into the home,” Izzabella said.
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