Home Depot is launching an OOH campaign to raise awareness about youth homelessness in Canada, and show the work its charitable arm is doing to prevent and eradicate this issue. According to the retailer, one in five people experiencing homelessness in the country are youth.

The “Change The Path” campaign includes ads on Toronto’s TTC system that are supported with digital OOH in more than 140 high-traffic locations across Canada. The creative behind the initiative emphasizes the opportunities that The Home Depot Canada Foundation’s (THDCF) provides young people, particularly through its housing, employment and skills development programs. The campaign will run throughout this month until July.

This is THDCF’s first-ever TTC campaign. Home Depot senior manager of community investment Amy Bilodeau tells Media in Canada that the partnership with the transit system helps the brand get the message out to more than a million commuters and engage that community to learn about and support the foundation’s programs.

“Given our national commitment, we wanted customers across Canada to be aware of the efforts we’re making in their communities and beyond,” Bilodeau says. “We are always seeking ways to increase awareness of THDCF’s work, and shine light on the issues youth experiencing homelessness face today.”

Through community partnerships, THDCF’s mandate is to remove systemic barriers youth face to foster healthy pathways for change. The foundation is investing $125 million to prevent and end youth homelessness by 2030, and OOH advertising helps the team spread this goal to a wider audience, Bilodeau says.

The campaign coincides with the brand’s “Orange Door Project” spring initiative, launched this month at Home Depot stores across the country. Available through July, the bi-annual initiative raises funds through $2, $5 and $10 in-store donations for more than 120 local organizations committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness.

Home Depo is turning to OOH advertising after running another campaign earlier this year on social media, digital media and TV. That campaign meant a new approach for the foundation, which in previous years had focused its initiatives on raising awareness among stakeholders and store employees about homeless youth. The marketing now focuses on educating Canadians about what the foundation does with its programs and grants, according to Bilodeau.

Home Depot handled the media buy internally. FCB Toronto was in charge of the creativity.