In 2021, the youth of Martensville were provided with an opportunity to have a safe space to receive mental health support through the Martensville Youth Connection. Since then, this program has seen significant growth and has become a safe space for local youth.
In December of 2023, the MYC provided an update to Martensville City Council regarding the program, as the City currently provides space at the North Ridge Community Centre for the program to operate.
“MYC has made significant strides in the last three years. Our program has been accessed by youth over 2000 times in the past 2.5 years and has become a cornerstone for youth mental health education in our community,” a letter from Tanner Perratt and Katherine Carter of Possibilities Recovery Centre and Martensville Youth Connection stated.
Since its inception, MYC has provided free individual counseling services to numerous local families, provided a safe space for more than 10 disclosures of abuse and assisted youth with connecting to support, established a connection between youth and seniors within the community, aided youth in resume building, civic engagement, worked with youth on a variety of important topics such as, coping skills, triggers and anxiety, effective communication, consent education, boundaries and anger management, and so much more.
This non-profit program continues to operate thanks to fundraising efforts, sponsorships and donations from local businesses, organizations and individuals. In the past three years, the MYC has raised over $200,000 in order to continue to operate.
“Shifting to a mobile program with space provided by the City of Martensville, we have more than doubled our numbers of youth accessing MYC. In 2022, MYC was accessed 754 times. In 11 months of 2023, MYC has been accessed 1570 times,” the letter stated.
Having seen so much success in Martensville, the organizers of MYC decided to run a 12-week trial period in Warman, which kicked-off on January 11th. Warman Youth Connection is hosted at Hashtags in Warman and offers a safe place for ages 13-17 to attend and learn about mental health.
For more information about upcoming events, how to support this program, and more visit ‘Martensville Youth Connection’ on Facebook
