Youth Centre a safe haven for local teens
Aamir Sukhera has lived in Thorncliffe his whole life. As a teenager, he was well aware of the lack of after-school programming and homework clubs available, not to mention the tendency for neighbourhood youth to become involved in gangs and violent activities. When a group of young people created the Youth Council at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office (TNO), a United Way member agency that addresses the challenges facing youth in the Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park neighbourhoods, Aamir jumped at the chance to volunteer.
The Youth Council is led by 23 youth volunteers. Their primary tasks are to lead the programs held at TNO’s Youth Centre, which, with the help of United Way funding, has served over 1,000 youth since it opened in April 2006. Aamir, 27, oversees an all-boys program on Friday nights for ages 13 and up.
The program is in the “trust-building stage,” says Aamir, as gaining the trust of the youth is an integral step in the process of guiding them away from difficult situations and providing alternate options. There are about six youth who attend the program regularly. They often bring friends along to spend time at the Youth Centre, cook supper and play video games. During the summer months, volunteers also organize outdoor activities such as basketball.
“I wish a place like the Youth Centre had existed here when I was growing up,” says Aamir. “Thorncliffe is a multicultural neighbourhood, and it is important for youth to be exposed to different cultures in a positive way. The programs at the Youth Centre provide a safe and secure environment where young people can get to know one another and build relationships.”
Aside from the Friday night program, Aamir is involved in the planning and organizing of several upcoming initiatives. A floor hockey league for ages 17-25 will run over the summer, as well as various fundraisers, concerts and dances. The council also plans to develop a youth-run restaurant-style soup kitchen in the near future.
A long-term goal of the Youth Council is to offer an educational program for youth with criminal records in which they learn a skilled trade in the housing industry. “By offering this program, we hope to provide these youth with the necessary skills for securing full-time employment,” says Aamir.
Since volunteering, Aamir has discovered an interest in working with youth and is considering applying to be an Education Assistant. Above all, he places great importance on improving the living conditions for youth in the Thorncliffe neighbourhood. “Everyone should grow up feeling safe,” says Aamir. “I believe that if we all do our part, we really can make a difference. The Youth Centre provides a safe and secure environment for our youth to interact, work together and identify with each other. It also keeps them engaged in something that really interests them, which helps keep them off the streets.”
With your support to United Way, youth programs like the one at TNO can create opportunities for youth across the city.