Nurturing Future Community Builders

In July 2024, Youth Central volunteers were instrumental in the success of Triwood Community Association’s largest event of the year, the Stampede Breakfast. Twenty enthusiastic youth helped serve nearly 2,000 breakfasts, host games, and manage cleanup efforts. 

Reversing Downward Trends in Volunteerism

This kind of support is more critical than ever. According to the Calgary Foundation, adult volunteerism has dropped 30% in the last five years, making Youth Central’s efforts to cultivate the next generation of volunteers essential. “As a non-profit with a tight budget, the helping hands from Youth Central are essential,” shared a Triwood representative.

Since their first collaboration, Triwood has partnered with Youth Central for summer camps, seasonal markets, and other events. Triwood emphasized the value of Youth Central’s team leaders: “Having someone there for the volunteers to rely on, especially when they’re trying something new in an unfamiliar place, makes all the difference. The reflection activities afterward remind everyone of the real impact of their hard work.”

Without Youth Central, Triwood says their events would be harder to manage, and budget constraints might mean hosting fewer community activities. Instead, thanks to Youth Central, Triwood and our other more than 110 partners continue to deliver initiatives that bring people together and build community and belonging.