The Youth Centres of Calgary (YCC) is a grassroots “home away from home", an oasis located in a community where many of the children do not have access to safety, healthy role models, sports coaching, music lessons, and many more of the developmental influences most Calgary kids have every day. YCC’s kids aged 9-16 and an average of 30 kids a day from a roster of 200, spend a few wonderful hours of after school time interacting and with others and doing what kids love to do after school. This includes making new friends, gaining wisdom from 'cool' adult volunteers, free access to technology and homework help, music lessons, and access to sports equipment, games, and art supplies. They can also get a healthy hot meal before they leave at 6:00pm, ready to take on the challenges of their lives. The aim of the program is to reduce the effects of cyclical poverty, to allow kids to break the cycles of poverty in their own lives and to address the multitude of problems associated with vulnerable youth growing up in Calgary’s tipping point communities. The recent years have been particularly difficult for many families and there are thousands of young people in our city living in poverty. There has been job loss, kids living with caregivers struggling with addiction, mental health , and so much more. They have done nothing to land them where they are in life. Our youth are increasingly affected by these troubling times in their homes and at school. In 2023, YCC plans to expand their reach and open another centre, just like the Ogden centre in another strategically chosen and underserved community. YCC could not do any of this without the generous donations from our supporters and the donation of time from our countless volunteers. Thank you Run Calgary!
YCC’s work is ongoing and impactful in the lives of many Calgary youth. We believe that nourished youth can live happy and healthy lives and reach their full potential ❤️
The Executive Director of YCC was named Calgary's Citizen of the Year for 2022. You can watch her interview on CTV News HERE.
Here’s how your donations make a difference:
$25 donation provides fresh fruit for two days for our average of 30 kids attending YCC.
$75 donation pays for one hot entree served to the same 30 kids after school.
$150 donation covers the cost of 5 basketballs for our centre’s sports program.
$250 donation provides pays for 1/4 of a year of club basketball coaching for one youth to play club basketball. This opportunity gives kids the “levelling of the playing field”.
$500 donation covers the cost of a refurbished tablet for one youth who otherwise does not have access to technology, to do homework every day.
$1000 donation pays for one portable keyboard for kids taking music lessons to borrow to practice at home.
