
All Children and Youth Thrive!
HUNGRY for CHANGE – Food Insecurity and How it affects our youth
By Jane Seward, Transitional Youth Worker, Bridging the Gap You hear it in the news constantly… people around the world are going hungry every day. Growing up it was a phrase I heard at mealtime when we either complained about what was being served or didn’t want to finish what was on our plate. How many of you can relate to feeling a lump in your throat or the slight sting of your eyes starting to tear every time you watched one of those charity organization videos of starving children in third world countries? But what if the problem is in our own back yard? It may not be as visible or extensive, but the issue does exist for our families and our youth here in Halton. It is here amidst the huge homes, fancy lakeshore restaurants, and expensive private schools. So, let us take a minute to reflect on what is happening and what we can do about it. In my role as a Transitional Youth worker for Bridging the Gap, I can observe firsthand how homelessness, discrimination, poverty, and food...
Grab more Chairs! We are Inviting Young People to the Table
By Bruna Redoschi, OKN’s Research Associate “Young people are the future. We are building today for future generations. We must think about the kind of world we want to leave for our kids…” We have all heard and repeated these lines in our conversations. No one can...
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Time to Take Action
By Angela Bellegarde, OKN’s Manager of Indigenous Strategy September 30, 2022 marks Canada’s second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a day all Canadians are called to commemorate and honour all Indigenous people who attended Residential Schools,...
Youth Volunteerism: A Key to Thriving Neighourhoods
By Lily Viggiano, former Halton Youth Initiative Project Coordinator “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” – anonymous. This...
The OKN Data Portal: A Sandbox of Knowledge
By Juan Medina, Children’s Services Research Advisor, Halton Region I had no idea what to expect when I started working for the Halton Region two years ago. I was juggling with a lot of personal change – a new career, the first time working for government, and moving...
Developmental Relationships are the Foundations for Young People’s Success
By Steve O’Hearn, Transitional Youth Worker, Bridging the Gap Program I often reflect on my high school experience, whether it be the social circles, the extracurriculars, or the stressors of navigating the world as a teenager. I still remember, quite clearly, my...
Where do Halton Youth Find their Safe Space to Connect?
By: Lacey Swamy (She/They), Youth Leader, Writing from Treaty 22 Land For years, I thought I was white. Truth be told, I never felt ‘brown enough’ to identify as anything else. I’m half Guyanese and half British, making my skin tone definitely not white. It wasn’t...