Accomplishments
“Proud Recipient of the Surrey Business Excellence Award 2008″
With thanks to the many hands that have helped us to date, we have accomplished much in our short 5 years. Some of our achievements include:
Established three 24-hour House Director Model safe housing facilities – short and long-term – which have operated at capacity since opening, and have served 163 new participants to date.
October 1, 2005 opened the first two, and ONLY TWO, beds for homeless female youth (16-18 years) in the South Fraser Region.
Developed the ASK Centre for Learning in 2001. Since we receive only 20% government support, it is our community and SAS LIFE Partners who are maintaining this needed and valuable resource. The ASK Centre for Learning provides academics, life skills, literacy preparedness, job search skills, and an outreach exiting program. In this district, we are the only alternative adult-learning centre targeting this population.
Since 2001, 269 female youth (13-29 years) have accessed the ASK Centre for Learning. In 2005, 86 women registered and attended classes, and 58 (67%) received credit for course completion.
Over 60,000 volunteers hours (equivalent of 25.7 FTE) logged in 2005/06 in all areas of our operation.
Recognized as a community leader who is committed to developing and maintaining proactive solutions to respond to the issue of sexual exploitation. As a result, in September 2004, we were the recipients of the Solicitor General Community Safety Award 2004 (group/organization category), for outstanding contribution towared crime prevention and community safety in British Columbia.
SAS has developed a very specific program on “How to Exit the Sex Trade” as part of meeting the diverse needs of the growing population of young women accessing SAS Services. The unique feature of this program is the participation of youth who have exited the sex trade themselves and who are supporting personal development of our participants by making themselves available as mentors and supports to all of the SAS Youth. In 2006 this program became part of the ASK Centre for Learning curriculum.