a peek inside the fishbowl

Oh, friends. I’m going to ask you for something big. Please read all the way to the end. :)

A few months ago I was asked whether I would like to be on the Board of Directors of the new Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Charitable Foundation.

I had heard about YSB and the services they offer, but never knew of their immense scope until Alex Munter, the Executive Director of YSB, took a few of us on a half-day tour of some of the facilities and programs YSB supports across Ottawa. And that’s when I truly found out who they are and what they do.

At the risk of sounding totally naive, I will tell you that my eyes were opened that day. Wide.

YSB has been around for 50 years, and operates in 20 locations across the city. They serve between 2,500 and 3,000 youth and families each month, guiding youth through issues related to housing, mental and physical health, community reintegration, education, employment and more.

YSB understands the challenges these young people face and gives them the tools they need to succeed at a critical point in their lives.

But Ottawa is growing. And the number of young people in our community is growing too. Did you know that 1/3 of Ottawa residents are under the age of 24?

There’s way more demand than there are services, and the YSB Charitable Foundation will help the agency expand services, fix buildings and offer new programs to meet new needs.

I don’t believe that families who need access to things like mental health services should have to wait for them.

You should read about some of the young people – like Alicia, for example – who received YSB support and are now moving on to big things. Interestingly enough, many of these “big things” often involve giving back to their communities in some way, like by finishing high school, going on to college, and getting jobs as social workers and youth workers. Funny how that happens.

Their remarkable courage and resilience is inspiring. The obstacles some of these young people have had to overcome are enormous.

I am writing this to you from a place of privilege, while sitting at my home office in a cushy neighborhood in Ottawa. I have a puppy sleeping at my feet, a full belly, and a latte within easy reach. My spouse is gainfully employed, as am I. My kids are happy and getting ready for summer holidays. We are healthy.

Many of us live our daily lives in relative isolation. We hear about homelessness but don’t often see it. We hear about street kids and drug abuse and prostitution but don’t often see it. I update this blog, do my work, make dinner, do laundry, walk the dog, and do the things I do. It’s easy to get caught up in those routines and not see outside of them.

Our future is in the hands of our young citizens. We have a duty to help the ones who seek our help. When the youth of our nation is strong, it makes us strong too.

The YSB Charitable Foundation – of which I am now a part – has set a goal to raise $750,000 in 2010-2011.

This campaign will help:

• Rebuild the Downtown Services and Drop-in Centre, where YSB’s street front programs are offered;
• Support mental health programs for youth;
• Fund employment programs that help young people get their first jobs;
• Expand housing and shelter services to accommodate street-involved youth; and
• Sustain community reintegration programs for youth in conflict with the law.

I am one of 50 community leaders asking 50 individuals to donate $50 to the YSB Charitable Foundation.

And that’s where you come in. If you feel like you’ve gained something useful, entertaining or helpful from my scribblings here … whether it’s a recipe or an idea for a craft, or i’ve made you laugh or made you think – and if you’ve appreciated anything I’ve written here, please consider making a donation today.

If you can give more than $50, please consider giving more. If you can settle for terrible office coffee and skip your latte at Starbucks today and give the equivalent of what you’d spend to the Foundation instead, well, consider it good karma that will return to you some day.

YSB programs and services empower youth to make choices that can help them secure a better future, and your gift will help good people doing great work. We all need to step up.

I’m here to tell you that if you would like to make a difference in your own community, you can. Please consider making a donation and becoming one of my 50. If you would like to make a donation please use this secure form… that way I can track it and see if I meet my target.

If you aren’t able to give, please help spread the word about this important fundraising campaign. Whether you are in the Ottawa area or not, I would consider it a personal favour if you blogged it, tweeted about it, or posted about it on your Facebook wall. Every little bit counts!

Ottawa is already such a great place to live. Let’s make it even better, for everyone, ok?

Thank you for listening. Now, over to you.

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Edited to add:

• Thank you Lee, for posting about this on your blog too!
• … and Skigurl!