Teenagers need to belong and feel accepted, and they need to know that someone cares for them, or better yet, that the entire community cares for them.
The City of Surrey hosted the ‘Surrey Steps Up Awards’, on May 2, 2014, at the brand new Surrey City Hall, where Mayor Diane Watts honored Surrey teens who are making a positive difference in their community.
A group of teens at the awards from “The Youth Space Project”, is making a difference in the White Rock/South Surrey area. The group set up a mini youth space in the lobby of Surrey City Hall, complete with cozy couches, fun games, and snacks, and invited people to come and hang out with them.
Their dream is to create a badly needed ‘youth space’ in their own community, and they are reaching out to the larger community to make their dream a reality. Tayla, one of the teens says: “there’s nothing for teens to do in our area”. She is looking for sponsorship for a youth space, where teens can participate in fun activities together. Grace is also working on the youth space project, but she looked more solemn, saying: “a lot of our friends have died from drugs”. “We need a safe, sober place to hangout, where we feel accepted and can express ourselves in a positive way” she says.
The group is currently accepting donations to create an environment where teens can get together after school. Alexandra Neighborhood House, and the local RCMP, agree with the need for a youth space, and are encouraging the teens to ask individuals and businesses in the community to take the opportunity to invest in them, show they care, spread some goodwill in the community, and receive a tax deduction at the same time.
With so many new families moving into the area, the demographic trend is toward a younger population, and they need a safe place to work on their resumes for their job search, meet new friends, or explore volunteer opportunities in their community, that would aid in keeping youth off the streets and away from harm.
Their goal is to secure a space by this fall. The ideal location for the youth space is the vicinity of 152nd St and 18th Ave. If you can help them by providing a building (approx. 2500 square feet), that can be converted into a youth space, please contact Jessie Kergan – Youth and Family worker at Alexandra House. jkergan@alexhouse.net. Alexandra House will process all donations and issue a tax receipt to businesses or individuals who sponsor the project.
Top Photo: Surrey Youth
Bottom Photo: photo pin/creative commons.