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Changing Minds With Youth is Hope + Me program DESIGNED by youth and young adults and BUILT for youth and young adults.
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Media Release
$150,000 Ontario Trillium Fund Grant Gives Community Helps Youth at Hope + Me – MDAO
Toronto, ON
Through the OTF Gives Community Helps Youth Grant, we developed virtual recovery programs for youth experiencing mental health issues during the pandemic and extended our youth programming to Friday and Saturday. We created a community for the youth we serve who are feeling stressed and described having no one to care about their situation and seeking support for mental health issues, mood disorders, and addictions.
Also, we transformed in-person peer support training into a 100% virtual platform using interactive webinars, ZOOM Meetings, and Peer job shadowing within our new virtual drop-in group training for seventy youth. We also trained an additional thirty-nine youth from four youth organizations. We supported over one hundred and twenty-three youth during the l twelve-month program.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant has been so beneficial to the youth we serve, and our Changing Minds with Youth program,” said Ann Marie Mac Donald, Executive Director/CEO.
“I want to share some feedback from the youth who were part of the program. “With the help of my peer support worker, I learned how to ask for help more confidently concerning managing my depression and how to use my local resources for accommodations in my university, part-time job, and my plans overall. I do not feel alone as I can now tap into my community.” – B. Geer, Youth Peer
“One of the cool things I find about this program is that it encouraged me to take a closer look at the relationship between mental health and my wellness. I thought the name of this program was cool, and the fact that you put words to how youth can help youth. I found that useful for myself. But I also appreciated the connection to other Peer Support Workers and Peers going through the same thing, so I found a great support network.” – S Amah, Peer Support Worker
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries: Ann Marie Mac Donald
Title: Executive Director and CEO
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