Why, who, and how we help
Blood Ties began in the late 1980s as a group of community members concerned about HIV and AIDS in the Yukon. Everything since has grown out of that.
Our cause
Community = Health & Social Equality for All
Our mission
Our mission is to eliminate barriers and create opportunities for people to have equal access to health & wellness and to live in our community with dignity.
Our values
Four beliefs, in Blood Ties' own words.
1
We believe a community is diminished when people who need health and wellness are marginalized.
2
We believe in equitable delivery and availability of health services.
3
We believe that people who use drugs, people who are challenged with stigmatizing health conditions, people who are incarcerated and people who are insecurely housed are especially at risk for not having equal access to health & wellness and a life in our community with dignity.
4
We believe in the power of Yukon's cultural diversity and the richness of its First Nation, Inuit and Métis traditions and roots.
How Blood Ties began
Late 1980s
A grassroots start
Community members concerned about HIV and AIDS began organizing in space offered by the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre.
1993
AIDS Yukon Alliance
The Yukon AIDS program incorporated as a charity, took a new name, and moved into its own location.
2001
A new name, chosen by contest
The mandate expanded to include hepatitis C. A community contest to rename the organization tied between “Blood Ties” and “Four Directions Centre,” so the two were combined. The Outreach Van also began that year.
2012–13
Tiny houses, and a wider focus
The first tiny house, named for MLA Steve Cardiff, opened as transitional housing. A year later the board and staff broadened the focus beyond HIV and hepatitis C to the social factors behind health inequity.
Since then
2018
Blood Ties became the operating partner of the Outreach Van, and began fentanyl strip drug checking at the Needle and Pipe program, on the van, and at music festivals.
2019
The Steve Cardiff tiny house was relocated and four new tiny houses were added, forming a tiny house community.
2020
Benzodiazepine strip testing, take-home fentanyl testing kits, and pop-up drug checking launched. The Lived Experience Advisory Group of eight people began advising the organization.
2021–22
The Supervised Consumption Site opened with five booths, the inhalation room followed in May 2022, and FTIR spectrometer drug checking began.
2024
Blood Ties started preparing meals in-house, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. The Knowledge Keeper project launched in Old Crow and expanded from there.
01
Education, Prevention and Capacity
02
Health Navigation Support
03
Harm Reduction
Outreach Van, Supervised Consumption Site, and Needle and Pipe Program.
04
Housing Support
Philosophical foundations
Nothing About Us Without Us
GIPA is one of six underpinnings Blood Ties names in how it approaches the work.
Harm Reduction
Social Justice
Social Determinants
Partnership & Collaboration
Leadership & Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and harm reduction
GIPA “Nothing About Us Without Us”
The people here
Full-time, part-time and casual staff, all trained in harm reduction.
Staff directoryMore than twenty staff across the drop-in, the van, the consumption site, housing and the kitchen, with a direct contact for each program.See the team →Board of directorsA volunteer board elected by the membership, responsible for governance and strategic direction.Meet the board →Partners & fundersThe governments, First Nations, organizations and businesses whose support makes this work possible.See our partners →
Partners & funders
Blood Ties would like to thank all of its partners and sponsors for their support, including Yukon Government, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Reaching Home and United Way.
See everyone who supports this work →