Winnipeg drop-in centre funding a drop in bucket for at-risk youth

The Manitoba government and the City of Winnipeg are helping a drop-in centre for at-risk youth extend its hours.

But some advocates for youth who have been sexually exploited said it's a drop in the bucket compared to what vulnerable young people in the city need.

The two levels of government are contributing $300,000 to Ndinawe's Youth Resource Centre.

The North End drop-in will now stay open 24 hours on weekends, school in-service days and summer breaks, but it's just a pilot project.

Youth at risk of being sexually exploited are a focus of the centre.

Alaya McIvor said the funding is welcome, but it's "a baby step."

She was sexually exploited and "sold" starting when he was 12.

McIvor is part of an advisory group searching for ways to protect vulnerable youth. 

She said she knows what it is to be a victim of human trafficking and it's a danger that is all too real for too many young people in Winnipeg.

"Each youth is vulnerable of being exploited or trafficked at any point, or any time during the day or night," she said. "It's sad but it's reality. When we envisioned this, our vision was to have this 24-7."

McIvor also said there should be safe havens in several neighbourhoods, not just the North End.

Ndinawe executive director Tammy Christensen agreed that the need for an around-the-clock centre is what youth need, because as it is, many are left out in the cold. 

"Our outreach workers, I would say conservatively, see well over a hundred kids on the street that they're connecting to," she said. "And those are kids that they would deem to be high risk. Those are kids that are not accessing services. Those are kids that are being exploited."

Christensen said she hopes the one-year pilot project will be succeed and be expanded so Ndinawe's youth drop-in centre can be open all the time.