Annual Report 2017

KARL BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH YOUTH CENTRAL ON THE CALGARY YOUTH FOUNDATION IN 2015 & JOINED THE MAYOR’S YOUTH COUNCIL IN 2016.

Over the past three years, Karl Buhler has participated in two volunteer steering committees here at Youth Central including the Calgary Youth Foundation (CYF) and the Mayors Youth Council (MYC). CYF provides volunteers the opportunity to explore philanthropy in a hands-on approach to grant making. As part of the “Engagement with City Council and Politics” subcommittee of MYC, Karl focusses on listening to and amplifying youth voice throughout the city. Recently, they shared youth voices at a forum that brought in keynote speakers including the Mayor and Kent Hehr.

Karl says that he volunteers because he wants to give back to the community, and be a part of something greater than himself but he also gets a lot in return. He says that he is motivated by the innovation and passion of those youth who apply to the CYF grant cycles. “The notion that youth can take part in a philanthropic program like CYF and see a literal, quantifiable impact is something that I find extremely empowering”.

He appreciates that Youth Central provides the opportunity for youth to network within the high school community, beyond your own, and build friendships with people across all walks of life. Karl says he is “eternally grateful to have been a part of the program, to have seen the impacts on myself, my friends, and my community. Youth Central has been a faucet for personal development that has not only changed my perspective of community, it has given me the opportunity to project the voice of youth alongside hundreds of my peers”.

SHAIRA BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH THE YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS IN 2015. SHE JOINED THE YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS STEERING COMMITTEE IN 2017.

Since joining Youth Central in 2015, Shaira Mae dedicated herself to volunteering for numerous projects and organizations like summer camps with Humane Society, and special events such as The Taste of Calgary and projects at the Calgary Zoo. Shaira is also part of the YVC Steering Committee on the Event Managements Sub-Committee and the leader of Get Happy, a sub-committee in her school YVC Club.

Shaira admits that she started to volunteer because she was told that volunteer experience was a strong asset for university, scholarships, and job applications. After joining Youth Central she realized how volunteering benefited not only herself, but others as well. She developed a more meaningful purpose.

“Volunteering helps me alleviate stress from school and my personal life because I don’t have a chance to worry about myself. Instead, I offer my time to those who need it.”

During the Help the City of Calgary Be a Little Greener project, volunteers like Shaira spent many hours putting together information packs for the new Green Bins. She says that all the labour was worth it because she feels ecstatic whenever she sees others composting and knows she was part of that initiative. “Volunteering makes me feel so much more connected to my community than when I used to sit at home; wasting hours on the internet.”

The summer of 2016 with Youth Central was a big highlight for Shaira because it opened doors to strong friendships. “Those two months were filled with laughter and happiness. I became closer to my volunteer friends, and I enjoyed every project we volunteered at. It was refreshing to speak to others not in the same school and friend group I was used to. I looked forward to each shift because I knew I would be surrounded by plenty of positive energy.”

When she first moved to Canada, Shaira was new to English and often felt alienated from her peers. This affected how she acted and thought about herself. “I never imagined myself as someone who could help others or even be a leader. Youth Central gave me that chance to put myself in foreign situations and taught me not to be afraid. Most importantly, I learned the true meaning of volunteering. As I grow up, I will forever be thankful to Youth Central employees and volunteers that helped me become who I am today.”

EMMA SPIELMAN IS A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN DISCOVERING CHOICES YOUTH COUNCIL, WHICH IS A PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM BETWEEN YOUTH CENTRAL’S OUTREACH PROGRAM AND DISCOVERING CHOICES SCHOOLS.

She began volunteering with the Youth Council in 2016 and has contributed over 100 volunteer hours so far.

“Originally, I joined Youth Council at my school because it seemed like an easy way of involving myself in humanitarian causes; however, I quickly learned that wasn’t the case. Instead, it offered me a chance to really understand and involve myself into my community, and expose myself to change.”

Emma has volunteered for several events, such as the Calgary Children’s Festival, bake sales with proceeds donated to community organizations, new student welcome lunches,  Discovering Choices Open House, holiday student events, and volunteering at a seniors home.

“My favourite experience was when all of the four Discovering Choices Youth Council’s went to Canada Olympic Park for a team bonding day. At the time I only knew a few people in my Youth Council, so I was skeptical that by the end of the day that I would find it memorable. I thought, “Let’s just get it over with.” But I was so, so wrong. By the end of the day I had made more meaningful relationships than I had in months and I left there that day feeling fortunate that I was even blessed with this opportunity.”

The last two years, Emma has found her passion and helping others is what she loves to do. With her goal to become a midwife, she knows that her experience in Youth Council is setting her up for success. She has opened up and has made new friends which has helped her come out of her shell. She now pushes herself and does things that challenge her, thanks to her experience in Youth Council.

“I’ve learnt that there are people just like you who struggle and have days where it feels like the world is against them; but no matter what, you aren’t ever alone. Regardless of who you are, there will always be a community behind you- and that to me speaks more volumes than I would have ever learned on my own.”

SID SHARMA JOINED THE MAYOR’S YOUTH COUNCIL IN 2015 AND HAS SINCE BECOME A CO-CHAIR OF HIS COMMITTEE.

Sid has been part of the Mayor’s Youth Council program at Youth Central for the past two years, and has dedicated himself to the Community Outreach and the Civic Engagement subcommittees. During his time in Community Outreach he assisted with filming and organizing the “Youth are Calgary” videos, organizing the Youth Volunteer Fair, fundraising and planning the Youth are Calgary Forum. Within the Civic engagement subcommittee, he focused on the Mayor for a Day Campaign and filmed promotional videos for the “3 Things for Canada” campaign.

This year he is dedicated to ongoing projects including a town hall featuring City of Calgary Councillors focused on youth issues, continuing with the Youth are Calgary Forum and a GSA survey to understand discrimination against the LGBTQ community in order to further the Youth are Calgary Videos.

Sid recalls his favourite experience at Youth Central was the the orientation for the Mayor’s Youth Council. “Everyone was super friendly and I quickly felt like I was part of the group. It was such a refreshing experience to meet so many talented and passionate youth who were devoted to caring for and improving the wonderful city of Calgary!”

Sid has proudly called Calgary home for almost a decade and feels obligated to do his part. “I spend my time in the Mayor’s Youth Council because it allows for the freedom to handle issues I am passionate about under the overarching goals of giving back and improving my community and city which has always been the purpose of my volunteering.”

To Sid volunteering has never been about boosting his resume, it has and always will be about giving back to a community that has given him so much. “Being a part of Youth Central gives me an outlet to fulfill my purpose and passion to improve the place and community I grew up in!”

JOAN CHU JOINED THE YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS IN 2015 AND HAS SINCE BECOME THE CO-CHAIR OF THE YOUTH OF DISTINCTION AWARDS COMMITTEE.

Joan began volunteering with Youth Central in October 2015 and has dedicated herself to projects at the Salvation Army, the Drop-In Centre, Heritage Park, the BMO Centre, and the Calgary Zoo to name a few. In 2016 Joan challenged herself to take on a bigger volunteer role by joining the Youth of Distinction Awards steering committee. She helped to promote the awards, pick the recipients and finalists, and plan a beautiful award ceremony to celebrate youth. This position challenged Joan to develop her leadership and communication skills and dedicate her time beyond the meeting hours to get the job done. As she naturally fit into a leadership role, she was happy to become a co-chair of YODA this year.

One of Joan’s favourite experiences with Youth Central is serving lunch at the Salvation Army. It is special to her because it was her first volunteer project and so has been back many times. She says, “it opened my eyes to a world full of people who experience things I did not comprehend, and it made me realize that these people are kind and compassionate and don’t deserve the stereotypes society brands them with.”

Although she initially just wanted to be productive on the weekends, Joan now treasures being involved with Youth Central because she has learned so much about herself and about the community. It forced her to step outside of her comfort zone and interact with people who she wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise. “Being able to volunteer, especially with YODA, means that I get to witness the effects that the organization has on people of all backgrounds and beliefs.” Joan wants to do her part and for her, “volunteering is about so much more than the numbers on a page or fulfilling the basic requirements for school; it’s about developing a sense of understanding and appreciation for the people around you and the ways they live. Organizations like Youth Central are shaping a generation of empathetic, caring, and compassionate young adults who are in touch with the needs of their community and understand the importance that philanthropy and volunteering have on the success of their society”.

PAWAN SIDHU IS A VOLUNTEER IN THE YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS PROGRAM, PART OF YVC IN SCHOOLS AT LESTER B PEARSON AND A BLOGGER WITH YOUTH ARE AWESOME.

For the past two years Pawan has been highly involved with the Youth Volunteer Corp program and has loved every second of it. She has volunteered for a wide variety of worthwhile causes such as engaging with young children at Heritage Park, assisting camp counsellors at Telus Spark, Calgary Humane Society, and Between Friends Camp Bonaventure. In addition to volunteering in the community, Pawan has been a member of the Youth Volunteer Corps Steering Committee since September of 2016 and a co-leader of the YVC club for Lester B. Pearson High School.

The summer of 2016 stands out to Pawan’s because of all the diverse projects and organizations she had the opportunity to work with. For example, working with kids at the Calgary Humane Society summer camp left a sincere sense of responsibility and connection with her. “Being around such amazing people who carried the same mindset to better the community gave me a sense of belonging and happiness. People tend to forget events and objects, but we hold onto the way someone or something made us feel. I’ve met so many close friends through volunteering, which I will keep dear for years to come.”

Although there are many reasons to volunteer, for Pawan she most enjoys making difference in her community. “Youth Central gave me a platform and the opportunity to leave my mark. I started off thinking that I would just volunteer for a couple of projects, to gain a bit of experience, but it quickly became so much more than that.” She values being around others with similar motivations to make the city a better place, and says it encourages her to do more.

Pawan says that stepping out of her comfort zone to join Youth Central was one of the best decisions she ever made because she has met amazing people and has further developed herself as an individual and a dedicated volunteer. “I used to be very closed off because of a lack of self-confidence. As time went on I became more open and comfortable with who I am. My character and leadership skills have grown significantly and so has my confidence in my ability to make an impact. I believe whole-heartedly in Youth Central because I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them and I’m so grateful!”