Cell Phone Project

The Cause

The Youth Restorative Action Project is seeking support for our Cell Phone Project. The Cell Phone Project was created due to difficulties maintaining contact with our most high risk youth, and concern for their safety. These youth are impoverished and/or transient, causing communication for the purposes of successfully completing YRAP’s program nearly impossible. Additionally, these youth can sometimes find themselves in dangerous situations with no way to call for help. YRAP gives these youth used cell phones which are set up with month-to-month plans for the purposes of communication and safety.

Who Will it Benefit?

The Youth Restorative Action Project (YRAP) is a Youth Justice Committee founded and run by Edmonton youth. YRAP is mandated to work with young people who have caused harm while being affected by a variety of significant social issues such as intolerance, racism, substance abuse, homelessness, family violence and prostitution. YRAP offers those who have caused harm an opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and to grow positively, and offers victims a meaningful role in the process.

The young people who directly benefit from the Cell Phone Project are typically experiencing significant social challenges such as homelessness and substance dependency. These youth are typically between the ages of 12 and 24. In previous years when we have had the resources to offer the Cell Phone Project, approximately ten youth were supported by this program over the course of a year. These youth benefit in terms of having increased access to their supports (including family and social workers), more opportunities to find employment, and options for help if they are in crisis.

More broadly, the families of these youth benefit from having increased contact and knowledge about the well-being of these young people. Even more broadly, by offering increased supports to young people facing various challenges, these young people will have improved opportunities to live fulfilling lives and engage more fully in their communities.