Hello Amazing Partners,
As we reflect on the year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the youth of Youth Unlimited. Your unwavering support plays a vital role in transforming the lives of vulnerable youth in our community. So many good things have been happening this year, I just want to take a few minutes to share a couple of my favourite moments.
As some of you are aware, YUE has four key pillars of support we want to provide youth. It is our mission to "invest in the lives of youth by providing holistic care, safe spaces, adult mentorship, and opportunities to give back." We believe these are vital pillars for youth to learn to overcome the barriers and struggles they face, and become whole and productive contributors to our community.
The first story I want to share with you reflects the "Giving Back" pillar that you contribute so faithfully to.
I had the unique privilege last week to go to the Core, one of our drop-ins, and speak with one of our former youth, "Henry". I remember first meeting Henry about 7 years ago, as I was helping youth register at another drop-in we were running at the time. Henry was one of those kids who was real shy, avoiding eye contact and giving one word answers to my questions. But he kept coming back...
Through the years we learned of the really tough home life Henry faced. One parent with mental health issues and substance addictions, the other parent left to raise Henry and his siblings. Sometimes one or the other parent would show up to drop-in and proceed to take Henry home, for reasons unknown to us. But Henry kept coming...
In fact, he started getting mentored by a couple different staff, and he started getting active in helping with programming and support at drop-ins. He even expressed the interest to become a youth worker some day...
Seven years later, and I found myself interviewing Henry to become an adult volunteer for YUE. He is also active in a youth advisory committee for Tim Horton's Camps. During our interview he talked very maturely and confidently about being a leader and wanting to give back to others. What great validation for the power of the relationships we have the privilege of building with these youth, and the power of your generosity to make this happen for Henry and others like him. Great things are going to happen through this young man thanks to you.
The second story reflects the change we desire to see as part of the "Holistic Care" pillar you provide for our youth. For us, holistic care includes: physical, mental, emotional, social, and especially spiritual care. We truly believe that each of us has a spiritual component to our lives that needs to be filled. At YUE we fill that with God's love for us. It is this love that inspires us to reach out to hurting youth.
"Charlie" is a youth attending the Vault drop-in on the north side. I was at the Vault about a month ago giving a tour to a very generous partner that supports our youth. We ran into Charlie at the drop-in.
Charlie had been coming to the drop-in for a while but earlier this year he was really struggling. He was fighting a substance abuse issue, and was in danger of dropping out of high school. Because of the relationships he had made, he felt safe to share his struggles with one of our staff. They started a mentoring relationship. Things started to improve. Charlie found the strength to quit the substance he was using, and re-invest his energy into his education. Now he is thriving in school and...
As I was talking with the partner, Charlie came up and boldly shared how he was going to be baptized next week and that this was an important step for him in his faith journey. His face was beaming with excitement. Spiritually Charlie feels whole.
We are very grateful that you provide the opportunities for our youth to see the love of God demonstrated to them in tangible ways, and that awakens an interest and desire within some of our youth to fill the spiritual need that they have.
These are two amazing outcomes of the work that is being done in young lives because of your generous gifts to YUE. Our hope is that your holidays will be filled with the gifts of love, joy and peace, and that you and your family would be greatly blessed in 2025.
Thank you once again for your incredible generosity. Your support means the world to us and to the youth we serve!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Gary and the Youth Unlimited Edmonton Team
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