RE:SOUL SPRING FUNDRAISER 2019
Dear friends and supporters of RE:SOUL:
As we begin this year’s spring fundraiser I’d like to start by sharing just two thoughts with you. As the Director of RE:SOUL, a community based youth centre, these two thoughts pass through my mind every single day:
Let me state the obvious: Milton is growing! Fast! Since 2006, the total youth growth in Milton has grown faster than the total population growth. In other words, as the population of Milton has boomed, the YOUTH population has boomed even more. Currently, teenagers represent 14% of Milton’s population, and if you include children (soon to be youth) it spikes to 30%.
30% of the population are either youth or soon to be youth!
What’s troubling, however, is that the number of services for youth has not even come close to matching this growth. Schools cannot keep up with the number of challenges their students are facing (often related to mental health), other community service providers are overwhelmed and teenagers in need are waitlisted, and outside of school hours there are very few safe places for young people to go.
In a recent comprehensive survey of youth (2017/2018) Milton teens themselves identified the need for more “youth space” as a top priority. In the report, it reads “Throughout the entire process of collecting feedback, the theme of needing a place to hang out was resounding and reoccurring.”
There is no doubt that Milton youth are looking for safe places where they can hang out. They have said so themselves!
However, what we know is that many Milton teens are not just trying to find a place, but rather are trying to find their place.
RE:SOUL Youth Centre continues to be uniquely positioned as Milton’s only dedicated youth drop-in centre! Not only do we have the space that teens are looking for, we have an amazing team of staff and volunteers who genuinely care about teenagers and want what’s best for them.
RE:SOUL is a place where teens can be themselves, where they can discover who they are, where they build new friendships and find a place of belonging.
RE:SOUL is a place where they are reminded that they matter, that they are not forgotten or invisible, and that their lives have purpose.
RE:SOUL is a place where authentic community happens, where life gets done together, and whether you’re a mess or walking through a good season of life, everyone is always welcome and accepted.
As we kick off this year’s spring fundraiser, I encourage you to read the blogs, to be challenged and inspired, and then to give.
It is both a privilege and a responsibility to care for our children and youth! Let’s not fall behind anymore! Let’s meet the needs of this generation! Let’s invest in today! Let’s invest for tomorrow!
Gratefully yours,
Michael Burns
Director, RE:SOUL Youth Centre / YFC Milton
CLICK BELOW TO PARTICIPATE:
https://yfcmilton.com/one-hundred/resoul-spring-fundraiser-2019/