Kingston was selected as one of two Canadian communities to participate in the national Mobilizing Local Capacity to End Youth Homelessness (MLC) pilot program, facilitated locally by United Way of KFL&A.

Their goal was to establish a system of care, raise awareness about youth homelessness and homelessness prevention, and create awareness surrounding housing options for youths transitioning into adulthood.

A comprehensive communications campaign was created. The campaign focused on three strategic objectives:

- Reducing stigma among the general public,
- Supporting youth at risk or experiencing homelessness,
- Increasing awareness among educators, students and families within the region.

BmDodo Strategic Design created a campaign which featured real stories from youth with lived experience of homelessness who successfully accessed community supports. Using illustrative creative to protect privacy, the campaign addressed common myths, highlighted the local realities and root causes of youth homelessness, and directed at-risk youth to supports such as the 211 helpline. The result was an empathetic, education-driven campaign designed to shift community attitudes and increase understanding, awareness, and access to support services.

During the campaign’s initial phase, as part of BM Dodo’s team, I interviewed local youth who had experienced homelessness and helped translate their stories into visual narratives. This work was first executed as a series of short-form motion graphics created in Adobe Animate, designed to be accessible, empathetic, and shareable.

My responsibilities included:

- Attending community awareness events
- Interviewing at-risk youth
- Concept planning and storyboarding
- Creating custom illustrations
- Learning video software to produce the final assets.

The campaign remains active today, continuing to support awareness, education, and stigma reduction within the community.

https://www.unitedwaykfla.ca/local-issues/youth-homelessness/