About Us

WHO WE ARE

Cornerstone Landing is a community-based, non-profit charitable organization providing assistance to youth age 16-24 who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness in Lanark County.

Cornerstone Landing provides a continuum of care that includes prevention based and long term supports related to housing and homelessness. We provide clients with information and referrals to other community resources such as food banks or mental health services. Our goal is to help youth maintain their housing so that they can focus on school and employment. Each year Cornerstone Landing supports between 75-85 youth. Please see the Programs and Projects section above.

MORE ABOUT US:

Our Goal:

What We Do:

Cornerstone Landing's mission is to prevent, reduce and end youth homelessness in Lanark County. We work closely with other local programs and organizations to ensure we provide the best individualized support to each youth we work with. We have adopted a housing first approach and believe that from the safety of a home anything is possible. If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness or needs support,

please:

The Board Members of Cornerstone Landing are a dedicated group of volunteers from various professional histories and walks of life. They are committed to eradicating youth homelessness in Lanark County. This group came together in 2010 and has worked diligently to create a unique rural model of service that has been recognized on a provincial and national level. We have built strong community partnerships to reduce duplications in services, streamline access to programs and provide the best support to our clients.

Click Here

WHY OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT:

Despite what many people believe, there are youth who experience homelessness in our community, just as there are in every town and city across Canada. In rural communities homelessness often seems invisible. You won't see young people sleeping on the streets because they are embarrassed and don't want to be associated with the stigma of being homeless. Often they resort to what is known as couch surfing; staying with friends for temporary accomodation. But they also sleep outside, under bridges, in parks and abandoned sheds and buildings. This is often referred to as hidden homelessness. Under these circumstances, young people often find themselves in dangerous situations in order to put a roof over their heads. They feel scared and lonely and wonder what is going to happen to them. They lack the funds to buy basic needs such as food, clothes, hygiene and school supplies and certainly can't afford housing on their own.

Lanark County is not unlike many other rural or remote communities in Canada. It is made up of several small towns scattered across a large rural area. There are no emergency shelters for homelessness and there is no public transit. Cornerstone Landing serves as an entry point to accessing and navigating existing services. We receive referrals from agencies across the County and support approximately 75-85 youth per year.

"It’s not so simple to just find somewhere to go. It’s hoping you have a friend that might have an extra room or an extra couch or that their parents will say yes to you staying there. So that is probably the most popular version of homelessness in Lanark County. It's what’s called couch surfing and you don’t hear about it because kids will go, oh, they will go to this friend’s for a week and this friend’s for a week and this friend’s for a week and this friend’s for a week. That’s still being homeless. If you don’t know where you are going the next day, or the next night or the next week or the next month, your're homeless and that’s the thing. The biggest version of homelessness around here isn’t considered homelessness, even though it is and that’s the hardest part."

-Former client of Cornertone Landing

A MESSAGE FROM THOSE WE HELP

In my last year of High School I had to go and live with my Grandmother who is only living on an old age pension. Thanks to Cornerstone Landing, they provided me with weekly 'Gift Certificates' that enabled me to help out with food, personal hygiene supplies and clothes for my co-op placement. Before I met the people from Cornerstone, my grades were failing and I was thinking of dropping out of school to get a job, but instead this June I will be graduating, and in September, I will be heading off to college to take the RPN course. Thanks for caring!

-Jannel, 2013

Things aren't always easy at the place called 'home', it's not always possible to go back at night, things happen, and it just shouldn't be an option to go back. But where else do you go that's safe and warm? Sometimes there is no where and I have to go back into an unsafe environment simply because there is nothing else.
-Jesse

Having the support of the people at Cornerstone Landing has made all the difference in where I am today. By providing me with a monthly rent supplement, I am able to stay in school, collect OW and juggle a job. I am a 17 year old male. Having to live on my own, and for the first time in my life I have been successful at school! I believe with the support of CLYS that next year I will graduate High School and I plan on continuing my education in college. Finally my future looks bright.
-Colin, 2013

If you or someone you know needs help, click here to contact us or learn more about how we can help.

Contact Us

How we Help