About New Hope Youth Centre
About 15 years ago the New Hope Fellowship Church founded a youth centre– the only drop in centre of its kind in Thunder Bay. Though not exclusive, a majority of the kids who attend the Youth Centre are First Nations. On Saturday nights, 10-20 youth hang out for the evening – shooting pool, playing Guitar Hero, eating pizza. The usual youth stuff. But these youth, like many First Nations youth across the country, disproportionately face challenges: abuse, suicide, and addictions to name a few.
Donate to New Hope Youth Centre
Many of the youth have come from northern reserve communities to attend high school - a fact that leaves them vulnerable to loneliness and discrimination. The New Hope Youth Centre, the only youth centre in Thunder Bay dedicated to serving First Nations Youth, is seeking to support these young people during this critical time in their lives. And thanks to your support, we are seeing the expansion of the youth centre's programs to additional days beyond Saturday nights.
The mission of the youth centre is to provide First Nations youth with a safe place to hang out, encounter loving community, and experience God's love as valued individuals. Hope Story’s goal, then, is to strengthen the work this Church is already doing, and by enabling the Centre to hire a full-time staff member, your support will allow the youth centre to run five or six nights per week instead of one - multiplying its outreach five-fold.
Meet Vallen Cook
Today, Vallen Cook is pursuing his PhD at the University of Minnesota. Growing up without a father on the Grand Portage Chippewa reservation, Cook knows what it's like to face incredible odds. And yet, he says, the steadfast support of his home Church made all the difference in his life. It’s for this reason that, pre COVID-19, Vallen crossed the border every week to volunteer at the New Hope Youth Centre.
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