August 12th is International Youth Day! As an UN Awareness Day, International Youth Day, “raises awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing young people around the world and celebrates their role as essential partners in achieving sustainable development”.
In Waterloo Region, we’re lucky to have many community organizations and services for youth, to help support youth through mental health challenges, to help build belonging, and to help combat homelessness.
For this month’s Resource Round Up, we’re featuring some of these incredible organizations and services.
Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health
Camino offers a variety of services for youth including:
- Youth Counselling
- Quick Response Drop-In Counselling
- Groups and Workshops
- Youth Engagement
- Pathways to Education
- Tutoring
- OK2BMe
Youth Wellness Hub Ontario Cambridge
Youth Wellness Hubs Cambridge (YWHO Cambridge) is designed to support youth aged 12 to 25 and their families with the right services at the right time and in the right place. At our hub, youth can access mental health and substance use services, primary health care, peer support, education and employment services, and additional resources to support skill-building and the well-being of youth, families, and other support individuals.
Kinbridge Community Association
Based in Cambridge, Kinbridge Community Association provides a variety of services to youth in the community, including: Drop in Basketball and Sports Nights, Weekly Social Activities, Tutoring & Homework Club, YouthForce (Youth Work Opportunities), and Newcomer Youth Programs.
Adventure 4 Change
Adventure 4 Change is based in Waterloo, with a mission to prevent poverty and enable kids, youth, and moms to make meaningful contributions to society. They offer several programs for youth, including: Youth Connect (drop-in), Young Queens, Genesis, Youth Accelerator Project, and Sports and Talk.
Kind Minds Family Wellness
www.kindsmindsfamilywellness.org
Kinds Minds Family Wellness provides mentorship programs for youth, as well as culturally grounded counselling for youth aged 11 to 29. Counselling is provided by licensed and trauma-informed professionals, and participants are eligible for up to 8 free counselling sessions.
AFRO: African Revival Organization
The African Family Revival Organization (AFRO) is a growing, community-led mutual aid organization dedicated to serving Black and African communities in the Waterloo Region. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to actively participate in Canadian society as confident, engaged, and informed citizens. They offer a Youth Recreation program, their Empowering Girls program, and their Black Mental Health Campaign programming.
Front Door to Child & Youth Mental Health, a Program of Starling Community Services
Serving the community for more than 20 years, Front Door is a great first step for families and young people who have concerns that relate to behavioural or emotional mental health. Front Door supports youth and parents of children and youth (up to their 18th birthday) who are struggling with life’s challenges such as emotions, behaviours, relationships and mental health.
Child and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region
www.childrenyouthplanningtable.ca
The Child and Youth Planning Table’s mission is to unite young people, organizations, and decision makers to take actions that prioritize the well-being of all children and youth in Waterloo Region. Currently, their programs focus on impacting belonging for children and youth and include: research, knowledge mobilization, influence, and community coordination.
Safe Haven Youth Services
https://starlingcs.ca/housing/safe-haven-youth-services
Safe Haven Youth Services provides crisis, respite and life launch services to youth between the ages of 12 and up to their 18th birthday living in Waterloo Region. At SHYS, staff help youth develop life skills such as conflict resolution, emotion management, and relationship building strategies. They support youth to continue their education and learn about health and wellness and connect them to a variety of community-based services to ensure ongoing support.
oneROOF Youth Services
oneROOF Youth Services is committed to providing for the safety, support and overall well-being of youth who are experiencing homelessness, and youth who are at-risk of homelessness, aged 12-25, in Waterloo Region.
Muslim Social Services
Muslim Social Services Waterloo Region provides culturally- and spiritually-sensitive humanitarian and social services to the Muslim and non-Muslim communities of the Waterloo Region. MSSWR runs programs aimed at leveraging the resilience of children and youth, creating safer families, through community outreach initiatives, counselling, bridge-building, and capacity-building.