Yonge Street Mission (YSM), a leader in poverty reduction in downtown Toronto, is excited to announce the opening of the Richard and Lorelei Jenkins & Family Health and Dental Centre at its Evergreen Centre for Street-Involved Youth. YSM’s Evergreen Health and Dental Centre, is an integral part of YSM's commitment to community well-being, and will occupy a dedicated floor in its six-story, purpose-built facility for street-involved youth services at 365 Spadina Avenue.

The expansion features state-of-the-art facilities and will increase the previous physical capacity of the Health Centre from 700 to a staggering 4,600 square feet. The new Health and Dental Centre allows for simultaneous services, extended operating hours, and an increase in daily volunteers, representing an important step towards providing comprehensive and immediate care to street youth.

"YSM’s Evergreen Health and Dental Centre embodies our commitment to breaking down barriers and creating every opportunity for street-involved youth to change the trajectory of their life. We aim to provide not just dental and health services but a transformative space that nurtures their overall well-being," says Angie Peters, CEO and President of Yonge Street Mission. "With this major development, we are happy to make an even more significant impact on the lives of Toronto's homeless youth, creating a dedicated floor within our facility to enhance accessibility, extend our services, and truly make a difference in their journey toward stability and empowerment.”

This expansion was made possible through generous private donations, showcasing a collective effort to address the urgent healthcare needs of Toronto's homeless and street-involved youth. The Evergreen Health and Dental Centre will offer services such as physicals, eye exams, chiropractic, podiatry, psychiatry, physiotherapy, dental hygiene, dental surgery, periodontist services, orthodontics, and more, ensuring vulnerable youth receive timely and holistic care. The new centre also includes an expanded nursery where YSM offers drop-in services for the children of street-involved youth, as their parents use the Evergreen services available at the Health Centre and throughout the building.

"It is clear that you can't change someone's life if there are physical barriers in their way. This facility provides an array of healthcare services that these young, vulnerable people need," says Richard Jenkins, whose family generously contributed to the construction of this facility. “The fact that the health services at Evergreen are provided by health care professionals who generously volunteer their time is what makes this centre so impressive. I am so pleased that this first-class facility is now available for them to serve the youth."

Recognizing the urgent challenges faced by street-involved youth, the new Health and Dental Centre is designed to diminish wait lists and offer free, comprehensive support to those in need. As Yonge Street Mission furthers its efforts to transition youth from crisis to stability. The Richard and Lorelei Jenkins & Family Health and Dental Centre at YSM’s Evergreen can break down barriers to offer genuine help to effectively assist those in need.

About The Yonge Street Mission:

The Yonge Street Mission is a recognized not-for-profit agency – which includes the YSM Evergreen Centre – and has six different locations in Toronto’s downtown core. These sites serve more than 12,000 unique individuals each year, including children, youth, families, seniors, and those who experience chronic poverty. Since 1896, our mandate has been to break down the cycles of social, spiritual, and economic poverty to create better outcomes for those we serve. The hope, healing, and encouragement that the Mission offers is based solely on individual need, regardless of colour, culture, economic status, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or social condition. To learn more visit https://www.ysm.ca/