01
Build in support and education around issues such a bullying, sexual harassment, social justice movements and issues within the community, and the experiences of youth. This can be through workspaces, schools, and youth occupied spaces.
We need more support and effort to help kids who are bullied and/or dealing with mental health issues.
– YIS Qualitative Data
Improved relationship (more positive interactions) between youth and police.
– Sense Making Sessions
Ensure that middle school and high school teachers properly deal with sexual assault and harassment. Stop letting boys get away with this.
– YIS Qualitative Data
Having more known safe protests about important things like BLM, the genocide facing Uigher Muslims in China
– YIS Qualitative Data
I think the findings of the survey should be disseminated to all segments of the community to spread awareness about the status of youth.
– Feedback Survey
More recognition of problems in Ontario/Canada. For example, BLM, Asian hate, Indigenous discrimination and discrimination in general
– YIS Qualitative Data
Organization: Kinbridge Community Association
Kinbridge supports youth through relationship building with youth engagement workers to create safe spaces for open communication and respect. This occurs in spaces such as youth drop-in. Check out Kinbridge’s Fall programming here.
Learn more about Kinbridge here!
Organization: John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington offers a variety of programs for youth. Such as, a school-based bullying prevention and social competency program for grades 1 to 8 and Level UP (gender based violence awareness) program for male youth ages 12 to 17.
Learn more about John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington here!
02
Increase social programming and support for low income individuals/families. Increase the availability and quality of affordable housing, food bank programs, etc. And also ensure that community activities are inclusive for all.
I think the data should be used to improve conditions for those who may not have very much money in the community to eat and joins groups/events like sports teams etc.
– YIS Qualitative Data
Try to help struggling students for free. Safe inclusive community areas where they can go to for help!
– Feedback Survey
I think that the information collected through the Youth Impact Survey should be used to create more resources for youth
– Feedback Survey
Food accessible in the community reflects the community (e.g. halal options)
– Sense Makins Sessions
Organization: YMCA of Three Rivers Waterloo Region
YMCA offers “fees assist” for families or individuals needing financial support for YMCA memberships or recreation programs.
Learn more about the YMCA of Three Rivers here!
Organization: House of Friendship
House of Friendship offers programming for children, youth and families in 7 different neighbourhoods across the region. Programs such as tutoring, after-school program, and youth drop-in to help families and children living on low-income access free programming.
Learn more about House of Friendship here!
Organization: City of Waterloo
Offers assistance to those who can’t afford to pay fees for affiliated recreation, leisure, arts and culture programs. Successful applicants can get a $300 credit per person per year, that can be used for city-run programs, affiliated minor sports, or arts and culture programs.
Learn more about City of Waterloo here!
Organization: John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington advocates for affordable housing for youth and supports youth ages 16 to 24 who are in the Youth In Transition program to transition living on their own. “The Y.I.T. worker will assist youth to develop, identify and pursue their goals and will support them to access and navigate adult service systems relevant to their specific needs”.
Learn more about John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington here!
03
Better address bullying in the community -this includes identifying the root causes of bullying as a starting point, and implementing further supports to kids who have been/are bullied. We must also acknowledge the growing presence of cyberbullying, and ensure that we are employing better/more community guidelines in spaces where cyberbullying can occur.
Work to identify the root causes of bullying
– Sense Making Sessions
Try to stop cyber bullying – more community guidelines in spaces
– Sense Making Sessions
We need more support and effort to help kids who are bullied and/or dealing with mental health issues.
– YIS Qualitative Data
Organization: Children and Youth Planning Table, Communications Action Team (CAT)
The CAT team at the Children and Youth Planning Table are working together to have a coordinated response to online bullying.
Learn more about the CYPT here!
Organization: John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington offers school based bullying prevention workshops, they are completed within school classrooms throughout the school day. JHSWW offers two workshops- One By One: We Get Along (JK – grade 3) and The Power Within (grade 4-6 / occasional grade 7/8).
Learn more about John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington here!
Organization: Coalition of Muslim Women
Coalition of Muslim Women has an online tool where individuals can report hate incidents and / or discrimination motivated by Racism, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia, see here https://reportinghate.ca/ . You can also call, text or WhatsApp 519-722-2449 to report a hate incident.
Learn more about CMW here!
04
Increase financial supports for youth and families. This includes
- de-stigmatizing food programs and increasing their quality (do they match dietary restrictions and cultural accommodations?)
- raising wages so that they keep up with the cost of living
- creating more street-engaged shelters
- making community programs (events, sports, activities, etc) accessible to low-income individuals and families.
Housing prices & living sustainably (changing government’s minds)
– Sense Making Sessions
De-stigmatizing food programs at schools and more variety in options (do they match dietary restrictions and cultural accommodations?)
– Sense Making Sessions
Wages not keeping up with the cost of living (housing, rent, etc.)
– Sense Making Sessions
In my opinion, the most valuable things that the Region could do in order to help the community is take measures to control gentrification and build more affordable housing.
– YIS Qualitative Data
More support for those who struggle financially
– YIS Qualitative Data
We need more food banks and places where people can get free clothes.
– YIS Qualitative Data
More street-engaged shelters.
– YIS Qualitative Data
More financial support for families. Some of us are really struggling.
– YIS Qualitative Data
If families are having issues financially in terms of food I think there should be an increase of programs to help this problem
– Feedback Survey
Taking care of the more serious needs of the community like housing and food.
– Feedback Survey
I think the data should be used to improve conditions for those who may not have very much money in the community to eat and joins groups/events like sports teams etc
– Feedback Survey
Organization: YMCA of The Three Rivers Waterloo Region
YMCA of Three Rivers has a youth program called Food4U, every Wednesday at 6:00pm, no registration required, staff and volunteers provide youth with a healthy family style dinner at no cost. As well as, a drop-in sports program for youth each Wednesday and Friday from 7:45-9:00pm in the gym at the Chaplin Family YMCA.
Learn more about YMCA of Three Rivers here!
Organization: City of Waterloo
The City of Waterloo has a Fee Assistance Leisure Access Program to cover fees to participate in city-run recreation, leisure, arts and culture programs. Applicants can receive up to $300 per person per year.
Learn more about City of Waterloo here!
Organization: Adventure4Change
Adventure4Change offers free programming for children and youth in the community. Some of the programs offered are Youth Connect, Young Queens, Genesis, Sports and Talk and the Youth Accelerator Project. As well as, youth mentoring through the Youth Internship program where youth are assigned a mentor based on interests and goals.
Learn more about Adventures 4 Change here!
Organization: Wilmot Family Resource Centre
Wilmot Family Resource Centre provides a variety of programs for children, youth and families at zero to low costs. Subsidies are available to assist with costs. Food assistance is also available providing weekly food hampers and free access shelves and a clothes rack with extra items that service users can access at any time. (Clothing, books, toys, extra food items, personal care items etc.)
Learn more about Wilmot Family Resource Centre here!
Organization: Carizon Community Services
Carizon is partnered with the Food Bank Region to offer food distribution programs for families living in the Erb West and Paulander neighbourhoods. Find a food assistance program near you here- https://www.thefoodbank.ca/network/map/
Learn more about Carizon here!
05
Acknowledge and combat the housing crisis. Lower housing prices, control gentrification, build more affordable housing.
Housing prices & living sustainably (changing government’s minds)
– Sense making sessions
Wages not keeping up with the cost of living (housing, rent, etc.)
– Sense making sessions
In my opinion, the most valuable things that the Region could do in order to help the community is take measures to control gentrification and build more affordable housing
– From YIS Qualitative
More support for those who struggle financially
– From YIS Qualitative
More financial support for families. Some of us are really struggling.
– From YIS Qualitative
Taking care of the more serious needs of the community like housing and food.
– From Feedback Survey
Organization: John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington is researching emerging affordable housing ideas, reports on research are available on their website.
Learn more about the John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington here!
06
Recognize and address experiences of sexual assault and harassment. This can be through education, spreading awareness for reporting, and the consequences of sexual assault and harassment in elementary school and youth spaces
Ensure that middle school and high school teachers properly deal with sexual assault and harassment. Stop letting boys get away with this.
– From YIS Qualitative
Improve on the amount of harassment that young girls have to deal with, especially on public transportation, and near the university’s, i have been getting cat called and harassed since i was 12.
– From YIS Qualitative
Organization: Child Witness Centre
Child Witness Centre provides support, education and advocacy to children, youth and families who are victims and witnesses of crime as they navigate the criminal justice system.
Learn more about Child Witness Centre here!
Organization: Sexual Assault Support Centre
The Male Allies program at SASC engages boys and men in ending systemic and everyday forms of gender-based violence. Programming provides alternative narratives of masculinity, self-reflection and dialogue, and challenges harmful language and behaviour.
Learn more about SASC here!