Celebrating The Impact of Our Initiatives

"Just three pairs of skates. However, if you know the story behind these skates you too may be so thankful for them. The residents and I were talking about the winter and some physical activities that we could do. One fellow said "Well, I used to play hockey, that was good times", another piped up saying that he used to play hockey too and the third said he liked skating when he was a kid. They talked about goals they scored, how fun it was to skate on the ice, paused as they reflected and then one said "it would be amazing to do that again!" When I said we could go to see if we could get skates, they were all so excited! They immediately thought of places they could skate at and we hadn't even gone to the store yet. One resident started saying "We're going skating!" over and over again. Each one was SO THANKFUL that they were gifted with skates, even though they were used. One said it's " like Christmas". The skates are now sharpened and ready for the guys to wear and create more memories while having fun together."

Karen Noordam

Program & Case Manager - Charlie’s Place

While our residents work hard in our housing programs, being able to take youth outdoors to teach the importance and the fun of engaging in physical outdoor activity is part of empowering youth through relationship and providing positive experiences for them.

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CNOY 2026: A Record Year

CNOY 2026 was our best year yet, with record numbers of registered walkers and funds raised through this initiative! We were thrilled to be able to walk through the downtown core on our new route, where our walkers got to visit our youth centre and deliver care bags and interact with some of our adult homeless community. Did you miss the fun this year? Not to fear; we will be back in 2027 and looking to beat our records again, and you can be part of making that happen!

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FOSTERING CHRISTMAS CHEER

Christmas is not always a joy-filled time in the lives of our youth. For many Christmas is just another day, for some it becomes a time when tensions in the house increase and safety decreases, and for our young parents, it is a time when they feel the stress of attempting to make a merry Christmas for their own children on a very limited budget. At Why Not, celebrating special holidays has become an important part of how we build into our youth, providing them positive memories that help them overcome some of their negative childhood experiences. In all our programs, gifts are given to each youth based on their own wish lists and special meals are shared together. So many community partners work together to make this happen through filling a wish list, donating food or gift items or making monetary donations. We sincerely thank you for that commitment to creating Christmas cheer!

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How the Financial Commitment of Our Community Donors Impacts Why Not Programs

We would not be able to offer our range of unique programs and services without the support of our community partners who choose to support us financially from their hard earned dollars. We remain privately funded to allow us to devote the time and personalized programming that we know our youth need in order to thrive in their potential and purpose. There are many other fantastic service providers in Brantford, but our ability to devote more time and offer individualized care is what makes us unique and gives us the opportunity to make a bigger impact!

Would you like to partner with us to help us change the future pathway of at-risk youth? Click here to take that next step!

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Get To Know Our Team: This Issue’s Featured Staff

Darryl Bergen

Hi, I’m Darryl. I love coffee, the outdoors—hiking, kayaking, walking my dog Miles—and just about anything with my wife. I work at the youth centre because I get to be part of an awesome team creating a positive space where young people can connect, belong, have fun and be empowered to dream.

Brittany Morgan

I am a youth worker at the centre and I am currently in school for a related field. I care deeply about people and my community. I have the privilege of connecting with youth and am passionate about highlighting their strengths and supporting them on their journeys. I love getting to witness all of the personal growth the youth experience and feel so lucky to be able to support them as they navigate through life. Why Not is a critical, stable constant in a lot of their lives—and it has been that in mine too!

Michelle Noordam

Hi, my name is Michelle. I love working at the SHYP house because of all the relationships I get to build with the clients and their children, and I enjoy watching babies learn, grow, and do new things! Watching the moms break cycles of trauma and be positive in their parenting is also something that brings me joy.