Our youth received an advent calendar for the month of December. Some days there was a gift for everyone in the Crisis Program like games and popcorn or other days it could be a special treat for every person. Each day, a youth would open the envelope to reveal the gift. One day all the youth were given a new set of pajamas.
Right after opening the envelope, one of the youth Patrick hopped up out of his chair to collect his pajamas. I asked Patrick what colour he wanted, and he was excited to sort through the options. After picking his pair he walked away, while I continued to hand out pajamas to the other youth.
Patrick returned to the common area a few minutes later, wearing his new pajamas, looking very comfortable. Patrick had a huge smile on his face and settled in to watch a movie. Shortly after, other youth also got changed, and were all sitting around relaxing in their pajamas.
At Covenant House Vancouver we always strive to ensure the youth feel safe and comfortable while staying with us. It was so great to see the youth feeling comfortable enough in the space to relax for the holidays.
Shared by Ashley, Youth Worker at our Crisis Program