Tag: Youth Services

  • From participant to director: Sanjeev Karwal celebrates a 20-year milestone with Youth Services at CNH

    From participant to director: Sanjeev Karwal celebrates a 20-year milestone with Youth Services at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Sanjeev Karwal for 20 years of service. Here’s what Jennifer Gray-Grant, Executive Director of CNH, had to say about Sanjeev:

    When Sanjeev Karwal was a child, on weekends he would push his bike across Euclid Street to join his friends as they played on the warehouse ramps in the light industrial space. A few years later, the space had been cleared and he attended the ground-breaking ceremony for Collingwood Neighbourhood House’s (CNH) main site.

    In 1995, when CNH opened its new site, Sanjeev, his brother and friends started playing basketball at CNH. For Sanjeev, the visits evolved throughout high school into opportunities to attend other programs and then volunteer, notably with the Youth Centre and the after-school Buddy Program. Twenty years ago he was hired as a youth worker at the Youth Centre and now serves a dual role in Youth Services as a manager and as a director.

    “I really appreciate the journey I have had at CNH,” Sanjeev said. “I’ve been able to learn, develop and grow with the organization. I’ve also had the opportunity to lead and be part of so many meaningful and rewarding projects, where I’ve been able to be creative and use a variety of skills and assets.”

    One of those skills included helping to convert an old restaurant, along with numerous CNH volunteers, into a Halloween haunted house complete with clowns, dancing ghosts, masked ghouls and a terrifying graveyard. That effort landed the group on the nightly news as two television stations came out to film the frightening scenes.

    Another of his cherished memories is joining the Pulling Together Journey one year. On the journey, Indigenous youth paddle canoes, sleep in tipis and engage in traditional Indigenous cultural practices. Sanjeev said that at the end of the 10-day journey along the Fraser River, the canoes left the river and headed towards Spanish Banks. At the same time, canoes coming from the ocean also paddled towards Spanish Banks, as planned. He said it was amazing how the 25 canoes joined together to paddle in a circle, welcoming one another, before pulling up to the shore.

    Sanjeev said it has been really satisfying to watch, over the years, as children and youth come to CNH to enjoy programs, maybe train to become volunteers and, in some cases, serve on the CNH Board of Directors or, like Sanjeev, start to work at CNH.

    For Sanjeev personally, that cycle is happening again. CNH was established in 1985, the same year Sanjeev was born. Family members brought a toddler Sanjeev to CNH’s small storefront on Kingsway, for various programs. Now, Sanjeev is bringing his own son, Bodhi, to CNH for childcare. And so it begins for the next generation.

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

  • Giving Tuesday 2023

    Giving Tuesday 2023

    Nov. 28th is Giving Tuesday, a global movement for giving and volunteering, taking place after Black Friday. This year, we’re asking for your support! Make a donation or learn more about your contribution at: www.cnh.bc.ca/donate.

    When Nathaniel Frank-Piche was 14, he was looking to make some positive changes in his life. That’s when a family member invited him to CNH’s C.R.E.W. Program. “The informal atmosphere allows me to be myself without judgment, starkly contrasting the formality of work and school,” Nathaniel said.

    C.R.E.W. (Culture, Recreation, Education and Work), is a program for Indigenous youth offering multiple opportunities for youth to learn about Indigenous culture and pick up new skills in a safe, supportive, and warm environment. One C.R.E.W. activity that stands out for Nathaniel is the annual, 10-day canoe journey, Pulling Together, which brings together Indigenous youth, police, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

    Today, Nathaniel is 20 and attending a post-secondary institution with the goal of eventually becoming an electrician.

    “C.R.E.W. has evolved into a vital space for me to connect with my culture, providing opportunities that positively impact my life and those of my family members. Returning to C.R.E.W. after the pandemic-induced isolation had a significant positive impact on my overall health, taking me out of isolation and immersing me in a positive environment surrounded by supportive individuals,” Nathaniel said.

    Six years after venturing into CNH for the C.R.E.W. Program, Nathaniel is now a key mentor and role model to younger youth in the group. That sense of not being alone is transformative, Nathaniel said; it can even save lives.

    While CNH receives funding for C.R.E.W. from the federal government, it’s not enough to meet the demands of this growing program. And that’s where you can help.

    We know that this has been a financially challenging time for many. If, however, you are in the position to help, please direct a donation, of any amount, to Collingwood Neighbourhood House to support our programming. Please help us enhance the lives of those around us by generously considering a tax-receiptable donation today.

  • All Genders Youth Group Installs Inclusive Pride Flag and Safe Space Stickers at CNH

    All Genders Youth Group Installs Inclusive Pride Flag and Safe Space Stickers at CNH

    The All Genders Youth Group within the CNH Youth Services are excited to share the display of an inclusive pride flag and a safe space sticker to the front windows of the CNH Main building on 5288 Joyce Street.

    What is the All Genders Youth Group?
    The All Genders Youth Group initiative is designed to provide 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their allies with a safe, social, and supportive environment where they can deepen their understanding on relevant topics through conversations, workshops, and activities while making a tangible impact in their community through group-led community justice projects.

    Why is this important to youth in the community?
    To date, there are people in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are still being bullied and/or not accepted for showing who they truly are (e.g., parents of trans youth not supporting their children and their need for transition, youth not being able to share their feelings or their thoughts with friends/family who won’t understand, school not being a space where youth learn about the queer/nonbinary experience). In recognition of these challenges, the All Genders Youth Group came up with a unique design for a new safe space sticker and a window decal with the most current inclusive pride flag. This project is intended to be a visible and tangible show of solidarity to 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in the Renfrew-Collingwood area and will serve as a springboard towards further change and inclusivity within our organization and surrounding community.

    A Very Brief History of Rainbow Flags
    Similar to how crosses indicate a church building, rainbow flags have been used to signal a gathering place for 2SLGBTQ+ peoples, and are now regarded as a symbol for the community. There are many versions of the flag that have come to fruition (the first being by Gilbert Baker in 1978) and like the many letters that will continue to be added to the acronym, the flag will likely be revised in the future. The flag on the window is called the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag, which was brought forward by Valentino Vecchietti in 2021. This flag is springboarded off the Inclusive Pride Flag designed in 2018 by Daniel Quasar (a non-binary artist) to include the intersex pride flag, which was created back in 2013 by Morgan Carpenter. This design was chosen by the All Genders Youth Group as it covers not only sexual orientation, gender identities, and BIPOC folks, but also recognizes more progress is needed.

    A Breakdown of the Flag’s Colour and Meaning:
    The Rainbow
    • Red – life and passion
    • Orange -healing
    • Yellow – sunlight
    • Green – nature
    • Indigo – serenity
    • Violet – spirit

    The Triangle
    Quasar spoke publicly about how work is still needed in terms of BIPOC and trans rights, and as such, the placement of the new colours in an arrow shape is meant to convey the progress still needed.
    • Yellow background with the Purple Circle – the newest addition by Valentino Vecchietti. Added to the white part of the triangle, it now includes the symbol of the intersex flag, acknowledging intersex peoples within the community.
    • White, Light Blue and Light Pink- the colours that are a part of the trans flag, encompassing anyone who identifies differently than the sex they were assigned at birth. Traditionally, the colours pink and baby blue were used to represent whether a baby is a boy or a girl. Here, the colors denote those genders and the use of white is to acknowledge folks who may be in the process of transitioning, do not identify with any specific gender, or those who have a neutral gender.
    • Black and Brown – represents BIPOC peoples and taken from the Philadelphia Pride Flag designed in 2017. BIPOC people have often been left out of the queer narrative despite being the driving force behind the movement–like Marsha P. Johnson, for example.

    A Note on Safe(r) Space Stickers:
    This specific sticker was designed by one of the All Genders youth, which all participants supported in finalizing and creating a digital copy and getting it in sticker form.

    Safe space stickers indicate a building or organization is accepting and inclusive to 2SLGBTQ+ folks. It should be recognized that these stickers indicate a space is safer, as there can never be a guarantee that someone else accessing a space is a safe person or has harmful views towards 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. This sticker does however indicate staff at CNH are expected to support the victim should those situations come up.

    Final Note:
    There is still more progress to be made. Though laws change and the larger public tend to lean more towards acceptance, there is still a long way to go, much more to learn and safer spaces needed, especially for youth who do not have a supportive household or friend group. Providing a safer space makes a world of difference.
    On behalf of the All Genders youth, we thank you for your solidarity and support.