Quadrangle NL
Choices for Youth (CFY) has forged a strong connection with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in our 30-plus-year history of working with vulnerable youth. CFY endeavours to break down the barriers facing 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals by providing inclusive programs and services that fill the gaps that 2SLGBTQIA+ youth have historically fallen through in society.
CFY is seeing an increase in 2SLGBTQIA+ representation in our programs and services each year. Last year, approximately 23% of young people aged 16-29 within CFY programming identified as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and 14.3% of youth who completed intake with CFY in 2022 identified as Transgender, Gender Non-Binary, Genderfluid, or Two-Spirit.
Jen Crowe, [former] Manager of Strategic Initiatives
“If we’re seeing unmet needs in our community – for example, a quarter of the youth we support are 2SLGBTQIA+ – the question is, how do we address that? In some cases, it’s recognizing who in the community has that expertise, and how do we bolster them. I think the partnership with Quadrangle NL is a perfect example of this.”
Quadrangle NL is a registered charity that offers social activities, workshops, counselling services, visibility materials, community connections, and other programs and services to 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in Newfoundland and Labrador. One of Quadrangle NL’s main objectives is to create a resource centre for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in NL.
CFY signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Quadrangle NL in 2022 to help them achieve their goals and enhance their capabilities. Through this partnership, CFY is providing a variety of backbone and developmental supports to Quadrangle NL. These supports include program support, partnership management and strategic development, finance and administration, human resources, and fund development and communications.
Lee Kelly, Program Facilitator for Quadrangle NL
“The partnership between Quadrangle NL and CFY has been vital to Quadrangle NL’s growth, from our data collection processes to our general programming. CFY has been able to give us a roadmap of where to start and because of this we have been able to provide vital services and supports to 2SLGBTQIA+ folks across the province at a faster and more efficient rate.”
In Fall 2022, CFY created a Program Facilitator position to support Quadrangle NL’s programming and to conduct community outreach on behalf of the partnership, educating individuals and organizations about the programs and services offered by Quadrangle NL and about gender, sexual identity, diversity, and inclusion. The Program Facilitator also collaborates with other community-based organizations to provide innovative programs and services to 2SLGBTQIA+ folks across our province. This position was filled in November 2022