Youth homelessness is an undeniable problem in Canadian cities.  Of those youth, the vast majority are unemployed.  HireUp is an organization with plans to change that, in turn decreasing the numbers of homeless youth in Canada.

Their strategy is all about connecting already-existing youth-serving organizations with businesses looking to employ youth.  Employers often stigmatize the integrity of a homeless youth, making it far harder to for these youth to actually find employment.  I think their strategy is a great way to solve more than one active problem in cities of Canada.  When homeless youth have no opportunities to make money, they often turn to crime, and become counter-productive to society.  Giving these kids opportunity to help themselves through getting employed and off the streets is important, and I believe not enough businesses are taking this problem seriously.

In order to live in a productive society, we need organizations like HireUp that are willing to take the initiative, get out in the world and actively help out.  These initiatives can change the futures of many youth, decrease crime rate, and reduce unemployment numbers.  Being homeless is like being trapped with nowhere else to go, and it’s time for more businesses to begin reaching out.