|
FOCUS ON FOOD YOUTH PROGRAM
Focus on Food is supported by Youth Services Canada, and is designed to offer youth an opportunity for personal development, while gaining practical job experience. Many of the participants have been marginalized in some way- perhaps because they have experienced abuse, have ended up living on the street or are recent immigrants with language barriers. These Youth Interns work for us full-time for 6 months, specializing either in kitchen, warehouse, urban agriculture, or administration. Through this specialization, the project participants develop skills that are transferable to the workplace, while helping FoodShare move closer towards our vision of “Good, Healthy Food for All.”
|
 |
 |
The Youth Interns receive weekly Life Skills workshops focusing on their Employability Skills, Interpersonal Skills and Relationships, Food and Food Security, and Personal Health and Wellness. Through these Life Skills workshops, work specialization, and the loving guidance provided by FoodShare’s staff team, the participants work in an environment in which they can grow professionally, and are supported to make progress in overcoming the significant barriers they face in their lives. As one of the Youth Interns stated recently, “This opportunity has changed my life on so many levels.” For more information, contact Joanne Johnston, |
| Yet, it is not only the Youth Interns who benefit from this experience. The Youth Interns teach us all about integrity, resiliency, and kindness, while providing a model to the community of how individuals from various racial, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds can work together productively and peacefully.
“FoodShare is a safe place and we are respected here, so it makes me happier,” one participant told us recently. For more information, contact Joanne Johnston, Youth Program Coordinator:
|
 |
