Virgin Mobile and Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, are asking Canadians to come out in full force today to call on our government to pass Motion 504 and declare November 17 a National Youth Homelessness Awareness Day. With drives at Waterfront Station in Vancouver and Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, Virgin Mobile is pushing for greater awareness and asking Canadians to show their support for the more than 65,000 Canadian youth who don’t have a place to call home.
“Today, on what should be National Youth Homelessness Awareness Day, Canadians will show their government how important the issue of youth homelessness is in their cities and their country,” says Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group. “It’s now the Canadian government’s turn to take action by passing Motion 504 and giving youth homelessness the attention it deserves. No young person should have to face a night on the streets. With the support of the Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Virgin Unite and Virgin Mobile, the RE*Generation Movement will continue to advocate for National Youth Homelessness Awareness Day and, through events like the ones today, work to deliver opportunities for Canadians to get involved and make a difference for homeless youth.”
Taking it to Parliament
The drives in Vancouver and Toronto will coincide with the Hon. Carolyn Bennett’s, M.P., M.D. Member’s Statement to Parliament today, which is based on an in-depth investigation into youth homelessness in Canada. If passed, Motion 504 will declare November 17 as an official National Youth Homelessness Awareness Day. This annual day will raise awareness of the youth homelessness issue in Canada and help get Canadians more involved in making a difference.
“I am rising in Parliament today to call for the passage of Motion 504, which is supported by my colleague Justin Trudeau, M.P., the Liberal Youth critic and Virgin Mobile’s RE*Generation movement,” says Bennett. “Motion 504 sheds a much needed light on a national issue, helping to make youth homelessness a policy priority and increase the potential for government funding.”
