Inner City Drop-in Centre
Is it for me?
Are you between 16 and 24, involved in life on the streets of downtown Toronto? Are you staying in a shelter or on the streets and need some place warm to stay during the day? Do you need a safe place where you can shower, do some laundry and get a bite to eat? Are you looking for a place where you can access clean needles or are you looking for free condoms? Do you need access to HIV/ HEP C workers, nurses, legal services, ID, counselling and information on jobs? Do you need help finding and keeping housing?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then YouthLink Inner City is for you!
What can I expect?
At Inner City, you will find a safe environment with a wide range of services including health, employment, I.D. housing and other community supports you might need. As part of our harm reduction approach, we offer condoms, needle exchange and education to youth who are using drugs or alcohol. We offer information on STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) as well as information for those that are HIV/Hep C infected on how to keep themselves and those around them safer.
Check our schedule for Thursday evening for recreational activities and Wednesday afternoon sports programs.
How do I get there?
You can find us at 7 Vanauley St. on the 1st floor, around the back of the building. We are two blocks west of Spadina, just north of Queen. You can get to us via the 501 Queen streetcar. You can also call us at 416-703-3361 if you have any questions.
The Inner City Drop-In and Resource Centre at Queen West and Spadina provides essential services for youth who have rarely, if ever, found the support and acceptance they have needed through mainstream systems. We offer a friendly, welcoming space with a wide range of services for street-involved youth. Our message to youth at Inner City is: “you don’t have to leave your past at the door when you come here – it is a valuable asset in building your future.”
The centre is open five days a week, with a recreational program on Thursday nights and sports program on Wednesday afternoons. Drop-in services include food, clothing, laundry and shower facilities, internet and telephone access and personal hygiene supplies. Our staff are always available for crisis counselling and one-to-one support.
Throughout the week, partner agencies come to the Drop-In to provide services. These include a nurse-practitioner, a mental health worker, employment counselling and job referrals, legal clinic, ID clinic and anonymous HIV and STI testing. See weekly schedule for details.
Our staff can also talk with you about your personal goals and strengths and help you explore options for returning to school, employment training and job hunting. They will advocate on your behalf with government agencies and can refer you to other community services or treatment centres.
We work within a harm reduction approach and we will talk openly with you about safe sexual practices, alcohol and drug use and AIDS and Hepatitis C prevention. Staff also offer individual support and care for youth who are HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C positive.
Inner City also hires youth who have lived experience of street life to work part-time as Peer Educators at the Drop-In. Peer Educators join our staff in regular walks through the area, connecting with youth on sidewalks, in parks and under bridges, bringing them basic supplies and inviting them to the Drop-In.
YouthLink Inner City Peer Education Program
We recognize that the youth we work with are true experts of their own experiences and in many situations have a great deal to teach us. Our services recognize the strength and resiliency of street youth, and in 1987, we established a Peer Education Program as part of that recognition. This program offers youth who have accessed our drop-in services an opportunity to work at the Centre to develop specific life skills, learn about local community resources and services, build workshop development and facilitation skills and enhance their self-esteem, all while earning an income.
