At first glance, the two Town of Halton Hills Youth Centres look like mere lounge spaces for local students to take the edge off. But past the video games, pool tables, and modern design, one can see spaces where children can get a little bit of help and even grow.
Located at 19 Willow St. in Acton and in Gary Allan High School in Georgetown, the Youth Centres can definitely be a fun way for kids to be part of a community. But, local youngsters who are in danger of falling through the cracks can find the help they need also.
“I truly think our community is – especially the youth in our community – better off with these spaces,” Recreation Co-ordinator Jennifer Ancona said.
The Town has partnered with numerous organizations to, in essence, make the centres serve as a safety net for kids.
Staff members from Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) integrate themselves within the facilities to provide mental health support for kids who want them. ROCK runs walk-in clinics to help augment that support.
Halton ADAPT does programming to educate patrons about addiction and substance use. Bridging the Gap provides support around housing and housing resources. Several food resources – including Georgetown Bread Basket, Halton Food for Thought and Food4Life – keep the Youth Centre shelves stocked with nutritious items the kids can take home.
The Halton Hills Public Library hosts various workshops, like how to use a Cricut cutting machine. Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Service (SAVIS) teaches Youth Centre attendees more about relationships, consent, human trafficking and safe sex, among other things.
Youth are further set up for success through the leadership program. Sponsored by the Norval United Church, youths aged 15 to 21 meet once a week to learn about leadership skills through workshops, activities and engaging with local organizations. Volunteering in the community, employment help and resumé building prepare future leaders for the real world.
Local landscaper and owner of Wagon Wheel Landscaping, 17-year-old Noah Edwards, took the leadership program at the Acton facility. The so-called “lawnmower kid,” as locals nicknamed him, started his business when he was 14. He's glad to have learned important leadership skills as he has employed people in his business.
“It helped me with how to treat them the best. I was treating them nice, but I saw other ways that I could do better,” Edwards said.
He was attracted to the Acton Youth Centre when a couple of his friends were going there. He stayed because of “the space, the people that were there, the activities that they had. It wasn't just a place that was boring with a bunch of people looking at their phones.”
Stepping into either one of the locations, the observer immediately notices that they are positive locations where anyone can feel like they belong.
“Another big component is that sense of family. Both spaces really, we feel like it's a big family,” Ancona said.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the kitchen at both centres. Attendees are free to use the kitchens and even attend more formal seminars to learn the vital life skill of cooking.
“Having a family conversation is really one of our biggest motivators,” Ancona said about how cooking brings people close together.
Youth also have the chance to explore yoga, play board games and do arts and crafts with each other. Conversation pods give the Acton Youth Centre a very modern, almost pop-art vibe.
The more school-focused students have the option to use the Youth Centres' many homework spaces. Televisions and laptops optimized for Zoom are available for remote learning. Youths who are coming in after sporting events have access to showers as well.
The uses of these facilities are as diverse as the walks of life of the students themselves. The barrier to entry is almost non-existent. Interested kids and parents can just drop by either of the locations and the process to sign up will begin.
For those who might be a touch too shy to take the plunge, Ancona has them covered.
“Sometimes what I'll do is I'll set up a tour with the caregiver and the youth. It can be during program hours or after hours; depends on what fits best for that youth,” she said.
For further details, visit the Town of Halton Hills website.
