What We Do

FLY (For the Love of Youth) helps youth transitioning out of the child welfare system into their first independent homes by providing gently-used furnishings secured through donations from corporate housing industry members.

FLY was started by members of the Corporate Housing Providers Association’s Canadian chapter. We work in partnership with the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada to furnish hope for a successful future for many of Canada’s most vulnerable youth. Read more about FLY’s history.

The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is Canada’s leading charity that raises money to fund and deliver programs that improve the lives of thousands of children and youth across the child welfare system. These programs help young people build their confidence as well as a sense of stability and belief in life’s possibilities. For more information, please visit cafdn.org.

Why We Do It

Youth coming out of the child welfare system can struggle to make the transition to independent living because of the lack of support and resources that most young people rely on during this stage of life.

Many of us can remember furnishing our first apartment with a couch from an old family friend or a bedroom set from our parents’ home. When these options are not available, it can present one more hurdle in a life where the odds already seem unfairly stacked. The result can be a variety of negative outcomes for already vulnerable youth like homelessness, unemployment and poverty.

By furnishing a home, we can remove some of the barriers to independent living, and help transitioning youth make a critical first step towards a successful future.

How It Works

We conduct bi-annual home furnishing drives with the goal of securing enough items to completely furnish a home for one youth transitioning from child welfare each drive. Items that are suitable for donation include new or gently-used couches, chairs, tables, side tables, lamps, dishes, cutlery, glassware, televisions, artwork, accent pillows, throws, and blankets.

Donated items are stored in our warehouse facilities in the Toronto area until it is time to transport and install them in the designated home. Our team of sponsors and volunteers deliver the furnishings and set them up for the new tenant.

Sponsor Companies