Friends of Ruby (previously Egale Youth Services) was founded by Egale Canada in 2014 to meet the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in Toronto. In 2019, Friends of Ruby became an independent charity.
To date, we have supported more than 1000 youth. Last year we hosted 919 case management sessions and provided 1,544 counselling sessions, with about 20 new youth accessing our drop-in services every month.
At the Friends of Ruby's drop-in space, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth (16-29 years old) find meals, activities, support groups and community. We offer barrier-free one-on-one counselling, support with gender identity and sexual orientation, and help to access housing, health care, and employment.
In 2020, we’ll be opening a new programming centre with safe, emergency and transitional housing for up to 33 2SLGBTQIA+ youth at 257 Dundas St E., Toronto, ON.