COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: CHEO YouthNet Recognized for Longtime Role in Rural Communities

The United Way East Ontario Community Builder of the Year has been named.

A ceremony was held in Ottawa (at Collabüro) last Wednesday, October 23rd.

In recognition that the current Youth mental health and addictions crisis pervasive through the region can’t be solved without Youth participation at the table to inspire solutions, the winner is longtime CHEO agency YouthNet/RéseauAdo (YNRA).

That’s Trisha Islam, the United Way East Ontario Director of “All That Kids Can Be”.

YNRA is CHEO’s bilingual for-you-by-youth mental health program that supports youth in engaging in healthy activities to reduce stigma, promotes positive coping strategies, and encourages reaching out for help. They have been making a real difference in the lives of local youth for over 30 years.

YNRA’s outreach parallels CHEO’s catchment area, and includes us.

Islam says there are particular challenges for the rural setting

YNRA is no Johnny-Jill-Come-Lately to the field.

On October 16th, Muralist Kseniya Tsoy worked with the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) at YouthNet to create a mural representing hope, wellbeing, and life. It is being gifted to YNRA as part of this year’s Community Builder of the Year Award.

Why a mural?

Youth Net services, available throughout the catchment area, are just a click away.

Youth Net is exemplary at what it does.

YNRA is CHEO’s bilingual for-you-by-youth mental health program that supports youth in engaging in healthy activities to reduce stigma, promotes positive coping strategies, and encourages reaching out for help. They have been making a real difference in the lives of local youth for over 30 years.

By Rick Stow