Sanctuary Youth Center

This week we pray for our local missions partner Sanctuary Youth Centre. Based in the basement of Church of Our Lord in downtown Victoria they serve as a safe place for some of the most vulnerable people in our city - street entrenched and at-risk youth between the ages of 14 and 22.

We join them in prayer and praise for these current items:

1. Staff and volunteer morale:
   • We have reported on an increase of violence and substance abuse among youth in these summer months. This is not just something we are seeing, but other people are reporting on this regionally. We have had youth fighting in the park adjacent to our Centre, increased substance abuse and refusal on the part of youth to comply with our demands for improved behavior. This has been disheartening and discouraging to see. At times we feel powerless to do anything about what we are seeing.
   • Neighbours at the condo next to our building are complaining about what they are seeing and experiencing outside of their building.
   • Some staff have had besetting personal circumstances.
2. Praise: In answer to our prayer, specific youth began detox, cleaned up, apologized and found temporary housing. We see this as a real answer to our specific prayers on behalf of youth. And in answer to prayer Darin and Bella's health has seen improvement!
3. Please pray for us as we seek to implement alternative healthy activities this fall and provide healthy engagement opportunities between staff and individual youth (including but not limited to sewing projects, bike repair, outings and excursions). Pray that through these we are able to set the agenda for Drop-in Activities and not let the drug use and associated behavior suck all the air out of the room so to speak.
4. Please pray we are able to hold a successful Ride for Refuge event this October 1.
5. Finally, we are seeking volunteers to fill vacant Drop-in positions, but also higher level positions on the Board.