Kid Next Door program gives young homeless men skills to succeed

Chris Danckaart spent his summer pulling weeds, staining decks and pruning trees as a way to put cash in his pocket and learn important skills as he prepares for college life.

The 19-year-old student is part of a program that offers a safe place to stay for young men who are homeless, while teaching them the skills they need to survive on their own.

• Downtown Mission opens youth emergency shelter
• Windsor Youth Centre merges with Downtown Mission

The Kid Next Door Project, operated by the Windsor Residence for Young Men, gives youth experience doing general maintenance work for residents throughout the region. The program is designed to provide the type of environment that most youth have when growing up in a more traditional family home.

"We're basically learning everything you would normally learn in a normal family setting," Danckaart said. "Not all of us are from areas where we have to take care of things ourselves."

The Kid Next Door Project, which started in 2013, received a much-needed donation of $3,000 from the Plasman Group on Tuesday. The money will help pay for supervisors, who work alongside the young men to ensure safety and provide mentorship.

While the 60 or 70 clients pay the youth workers directly, an estimated $15,000 a year is needed to cover the cost of the supervisors, explained Greg Goulin, executive director of the Windsor Residence for Young Men.

Goulin, who used to run the Kid Next Door program out of his Jeep and a trailer, has seen the program blossom, just as many of the young men have.

"Many of our young guys have not had that opportunity to be the kid next door who can earn a bit of pocket money by helping out their neighbours."

Danckaartis about to meet two of his biggest goals, since moving into the Windsor Residence for Young Men. He will soon be moving out onto his own and heading to college to study to become an esthetician. He attributes much of his success to the program.