CHEW Project

COMMUNITY HEALTH EMPOWERMENT & WELLNESS

The CHEW Project started in 2014 with the purpose of providing sexual health education to queer youth and young adults facing barriers. It soon became clear that these youth and young adults had limited resources and little frontline support, especially around mental health, housing, substance use, and survival sex. In late 2015, the project evolved into an outreach project providing frontline support and services. We continued to grow, and by 2017, we created an Indigenous peer support position, which still flourishes, as well as a counselling team to provide long-term mental health supports. With the generous support of our community, we were able to officially open our new outreach office, the OUTpost, in March 2020. The OUTpost functions as a safe space for youth to rest, eat, shower, do laundry, connect with others, and get off the street.

Our goal is to reduce homelessness, suicide, substance use, and mental health concerns by providing a safe space and services particular to the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ youth and young adults.