Alleviate Food Scarcity and Teach Valuable Life Skills

The Cause

Youth Unlimited invests in the lives of youth by providing holistic care, mentoring relationships, safe communities, and opportunities to give back. Our goal is not simply prevention but transformation.

We have 3 youth centres (The Core, The Vault, and The Cellar). Located in the hearts of communities around the city, our centres provide alternatives of hope to youth and their families through caring relationships and developmental opportunities for the whole person. Throughout our youth centres, the programming varies slightly. Each centre has attractions such as music, equipment, computers, video games, ping pong, foosball, and pool. We have board games, free snacks, food, gym space, and more. While these attractions bring youth into our centres, the leaders who invest time and energy into mentoring them keep them coming. Behind each game, event, or meal, our primary purpose is to build relationships, walk alongside the youth through significant life changes and choices, and help equip them for their future. The aim is to prepare youth to develop and employ their leadership skills, grow their life skills, and recognize and utilize their gifts and talents.

One of the programs Youth Unlimited offers is called the Cooking Club. Our idea is to expand on this program. We purchase groceries for youth and their families in Edmonton and delivers them to their homes. Once the groceries are distributed, a social media link is sent out to the youth in the program. The next day, a Youth Support Worker will go online and teach the youth how to make dinner for their families. With the funds from Field Law Community Fund Program, we aim to expand our program from 10 to 30 youths per week over 12 weeks.

The Cooking Club program helps alleviate food scarcity among our youth and their families and teaches the youth valuable life skills. It also provides an excellent opportunity for the Youth Support Worker to connect with the families of the youth that use our programs.

Who Will it Benefit?

Our goal is to have 30 youths attend the Cooking Club every week. With this donation from the Field Law Community Fund Program, over 12 weeks, we could potentially touch 360 families in Edmonton that are struggling and also teach those youth valuable life skills.

By providing food, clothing, and a safe space for youth, we are helping the community as a whole through preventative programming and long-term transformation. The youth in our programs stay in school, stay out of trouble, have positive peer and adult connections in the community, and develop long-term life and carrier skills.