Voices From the Street

Voices From the Street

Voices from the Street

January 25, 2009 by VFTS

Voices from the streets was launched in 2005 with funding from the City of Toronto’s Supporting Community Partnership Initiative to develop a speakers bureau comprised of individuals with mental health and addictions history. In October of 2005 twelve people were selected out of a pool of thirty applicants to participate in a five month training program. In the end, nine people graduated successfully at an event held at CAMH.

We soon began receiving requests for these speakers to make presentations to a wide range of educational, social service, government, and community settings indicating a real need for this kind of initiative.

Voices From the Street is comprised of individuals who have had direct experience with homelessness, poverty, and/or mental health issues. The organization works to put a human face to homelessness and involves people with direct experience as leaders in a public education process.