About Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope is an organization we started in memory and honour of our son Ryan Nayler. Our mission is to advocate for and support people living with mental illness, substance use issues and experiencing homelessness. We are a grassroots organization and are 100% volunteer run and community supported. Through our programs and services we are building community, connection, and confidence.
Ryan's Hope Breakfast-To-Go program
We serve a free nutritious breakfast downtown Barrie to those that are unsheltered and food insecure. We serve breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00. Everyone is welcome. In addition to food we provide toiletries, socks, hats and other basic items, in addition to seasonal clothing.
Street Outreach
Our volunteers make the rounds in the downtown area visiting areas where our unsheltered neighbours are, and providing them with basic necessities such a food, clothing, and other seasonal necessities. Our volunteers provide referrals, first aid, and sometimes just conversation and companionship.
Peer Support
Our peer support volunteers have lived experience they have a special understanding of the needs and challenges facing those experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use challenges. They connect on a peer level built on mutual respect and trust. We also offer peer support groups for front-line workers and those that have been affected by the loss of a loved one.
Loads of Love
In partnership with Barrie Families Unite we run a weekly free laundry program for those that need assistance with access to clean laundry. Our program operates each Thursday from 4-8 pm. Volunteers provide coins, laundry supplies, snacks and friendly conversation to those accessing the program.
Advocacy and Education
Part of the work we do is advocating for changes to Canada's failed drug laws that are costing lives and to call on our elected officials to adopt a compassion health-based approach to addressing this toxic drug crisis that includes decriminalization, safe supply, and increased funding for treatment and recovery. We advocate for better mental health supports, including increased funding for mental health and suicide awareness. As our country and community is facing a housing crisis we use our voice to advocate for increased funding for housing supports that include social housing, rent geared to income units and supportive housing. We advocate for an end to the criminalization for people who use drugs and are homeless. We organize community events and rallies to bring awareness to issues facing our community and and we speak to media and community groups about these issues. If you would like to arrange for a member of our team to speak with your group please reach out to us. We also sit on many committees and groups in our community committed to working together to find solutions to these issues.
Other work we do
As a grassroots volunteer-based organization we try our best to meet the individual needs of those we are serving. We provide connection to other community supports as needed. Thanks to the many community partnerships we have formed we are able to provide grocery support and household supplies to those that are housed, welcome kits as people become housed, supplies for those living in encampments as well as many other supports. On a daily basis we provide community, connection and compassion.
All Ryan's Hope programs are powered by human kindness!
About Ryan
Our Ryan was an old soul who remained young at heart. He was our little Irish leprechaun, with a magical spirit and penchant for prank. He was gifted musician, playing many instruments. He loved to sing and when he sang he sang his heart out.
Ryan had the heart of a poet and the IQ of a genius. He was highly educated earning both honours Bachelor and Masters degrees
Ryan lived with bipolar disorder and self-medicated with street drugs as the pharmaceutical medications did not work for him. Despite his, and our best efforts to get support for him we lost Ryan to a toxic drug poisoning on November 29, 2020
Even though Ryan struggled these last few years that didn’t stop him from caring about others and wanting to make a difference. I Ryan was an advocate and an activist fighting for animal and human rights for his whole life.
He will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him and his legacy will carry on the vision and values he lived by.
It is in the shelter of each other that people live.
Irish proverb
Wishes
We are looking for a local business to sponsor our Dragonboat team for the 2023 Barrie Dragonboat Festival. Sponsorship covers the cost of registration, practice sessions, and coaching for our team. Last year was our first year as a team and the first time for most of us in a Dragonboat. Proud to say that the Lucky Charms came in first place in our division and also took home the award for best dressed team.
As a sponsor you would have signage at our tent on Festival day, recognition on all our social media, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting a great cause that is making a difference in our community.
As the weather gets hotter the request and need for water grows. Our friends spend their days outside in the hot sun and water is essential for them to stay hydrated and help them cool down.
One of the favourite items at our breakfast table is the hot oatmeal we serve each morning. It's a hearty and healthy start to the day and we always make sure we have some extras like brown sugar, dried fruit and nuts to make it extra tasty.
Juice boxes are a staple item in our outreach wagons. Our friends look forward to a refreshing drink of juice to go with their sandwich or hot oatreach meal.
One of the things our friends most appreciate at breakfast is the fresh fruit which we have been told they don't get anywhere else. Bananas are a popular choice as they are easy to eat for our friends with dental issues and friends can grab them to go to eat at a later time in the day.
It wouldn't be breakfast without yogurt. And we go through a whole lot of yogurt each day.
A selection of breakfast sweets, such a muffins, danishes, banana bread is a staple item on our breakfast table. The basket is always overflowing.
$300.00 covers the complete cost for one morning's breakfast for all our food insecure friends.
We hand out lots of sandwiches during outreach. They are easy to eat, and easy to grab and go to eat at a later time.
100.00 covers the cost of food, drinks and other supplies such as cuterly, first aid..
$150 covers the cost of one evening of free laundry for our friends. This covers the cost of coins, soap, dryer sheets, snacks and drinks.
Highlights
See all activity29Activity
We are looking for a local business to sponsor our Dragonboat team for the 2023 Barrie Dragonboat Festival. Sponsorship covers the cost of registration, practice sessions, and coaching for our team. Last year was our first year as a team and the first time for most of us in a Dragonboat. Proud to say that the Lucky Charms came in first place in our division and also took home the award for best dressed team.
As a sponsor you would have signage at our tent on Festival day, recognition on all our social media, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting a great cause that is making a difference in our community.
As the weather gets hotter the request and need for water grows. Our friends spend their days outside in the hot sun and water is essential for them to stay hydrated and help them cool down.
One of the favourite items at our breakfast table is the hot oatmeal we serve each morning. It's a hearty and healthy start to the day and we always make sure we have some extras like brown sugar, dried fruit and nuts to make it extra tasty.
Juice boxes are a staple item in our outreach wagons. Our friends look forward to a refreshing drink of juice to go with their sandwich or hot oatreach meal.
One of the things our friends most appreciate at breakfast is the fresh fruit which we have been told they don't get anywhere else. Bananas are a popular choice as they are easy to eat for our friends with dental issues and friends can grab them to go to eat at a later time in the day.
It wouldn't be breakfast without yogurt. And we go through a whole lot of yogurt each day.
A selection of breakfast sweets, such a muffins, danishes, banana bread is a staple item on our breakfast table. The basket is always overflowing.
$300.00 covers the complete cost for one morning's breakfast for all our food insecure friends.
We hand out lots of sandwiches during outreach. They are easy to eat, and easy to grab and go to eat at a later time.
100.00 covers the cost of food, drinks and other supplies such as cuterly, first aid..
$150 covers the cost of one evening of free laundry for our friends. This covers the cost of coins, soap, dryer sheets, snacks and drinks.
