By Janine Deibert, Success Coach at All In for Youth

I met Tom a couple of years ago at the Genesis Centre when the agency’s Employment team was hosting a work experience opportunity for youth. At the time, I was an Employment Coach recruiting youth for the Stampede Work Experience program. Tom had a strong interest in our programming but as a refugee, he did not have permanent resident status or any job experience and did not think he would be eligible to participate.

Tom was incredibly motivated and willing to work alongside me to build his resume in a way that highlighted all of his gifts and talents, regardless of not having formal work experience. Tom was hired onto the Stampede Work Experience team, and I was able to officially oversee him as his “employer” and mentor. Following this experience, Tom continued to engage with the Employment Team, which ultimately led to him becoming actively involved with recreation through Trellis’ Building Youth Connections (BYC) program.

More work to be done

Following my departure from the Employment Team, I began working in the All In For Youth (AIFY) program at Nelson Mandela High School, which is attached to the Genesis Centre where BYC is located. Tom resurfaced as a student, and he and I were able to reconnect and catch up. We decided that we had more work to do together, and Tom joined the AIFY program so I could assist in removing additional barriers to him graduating.

Tom was vulnerable in what he shared with me. He spoke about how the pandemic had severely impacted him and his family’s ability to thrive and how he needed more support. Despite how difficult life was for Tom and his family, you could still see the gratitude in his eyes and on the smile he wore.

This past summer, Tom identified food scarcity as a prominent barrier for him and his family. As part of our summer programming, I put together a food hamper and delivered it to his home. There I met the rest of his family — his mother, father and baby sibling. Recognizing that one of our AIFY foundations is the Family and Natural Supports Framework, I knew I had work to do.

Holding hope

Tom’s family are newcomers to Canada and are still in the midst of integrating into Canadian culture, learning the English language and trying to navigate systems that often proved to be barriers to services. While working more closely with Tom’s family, I began to understand just how much they had been impacted during these times and how imperative it was for them to have a win. They just needed someone to hold hope for them to get on their feet again.

After building a relationship with Tom’s family, I learned that food poverty was one of many insecurities they were facing. With both parents on medical leave, they were also in a place of financial disrepair and were unable to make ends meet. I was invited into their home, only to find that no one had a proper bed to sleep on. Rather, bare mattresses were on the floor with no sheets, pillows or blankets. The amount of support that Tom’s family needed was beyond my scope of practice, and I knew I needed help. I reached out to the BYC team who knew Tom well and planned how we could support his family on a path of healing and wellness.

Gathering a community of support

Together with Tom, his family, the BYC team and myself, we were able to purchase brand new bed sets, sheets, blankets and pillows for Tom and his parents. Made by Momma, a local initiative supporting new parents, provided a new mattress for the crib along with a highchair, diapers, age-appropriate clothing and some freshly baked goods. The BYC and Community Connections team also connected the family to a case worker at the Centre for Newcomers who provided support to the family in Farsi, their first language, and helped them through their settlement journey.

A strong future for Tom and his family

Today, Tom is a permanent resident. He and I continue to work together to secure funding through the Burns Memorial Fund so that Tom can focus on finishing high school instead of working full-time to support his family.

Throughout the past year we’ve also been able to help Tom in removing barriers to attending school, which include finding enough supports so that he no longer needs to attend English Language Learner sessions and can integrate into regular classroom settings. We know Tom’s family has a long journey ahead of them but they now have the best support team in their corner, cheering them on as they settle and integrate into a community they feel safe in.

Moments like these are often the greatest gift we receive as teams supporting youth and families towards healing and wellness. I recognize that not every story has this outcome, but when we are given the responsibility to hold hope for others until they can hold it for themselves, we do this with great honour and responsibility as if it were for our own family. The power of relationship, authenticity, grace and unconditional regard for the wellbeing of others is incredibly important in the work we do. This is what it looks like to help people unlock their fullest potential to thrive and unearth their possibilities. I am humbled and honoured to be a part of this process.