Central Alberta Youth Unlimited has received a substantial grant from the Government of Alberta.  $44,746 will be given to the organization which will be allocated to their youth counselling program.

“We have two professional therapists on our staff team and they offer therapy for youth and young families and those funds allow us to provide therapy at free or heavily subsidized cost,” explained Executive Director Jerel Peters.

The organization offers support to youth, young families, and pregnant and parenting young women offering mentorship, housing programs, counselling services in the Central Alberta area. All of their programs have continued through the pandemic with some adjustments to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

“As a faith gathering, we're able to run several of our programs still. Obviously programs like housing and counseling—those programs don't change. You still live in the house regardless of the restrictions, some of their safety parameters are affected, but a lot of the programs are maintained as some version of normal. Some of our programs have gone virtual just by means of effectiveness and safety,” explained Peters.

Photo courtesy of the Central Alberta Youth Unlimited.

The organization’s primary focus at the moment is ensuring that youth have avenue to create a meaningful connection through both in-person and virtual programming.

Since the pandemic has begun, Central Alberta Youth Unlimited has noted a need for low-cost therapy and other supports  for several young members of the community.

“There are a number of individuals who wouldn't be able to access professional counseling if it came at a price tag or if it came at a cost. We committed to providing that free to subsidized therapy for youth and young families and because of the funding from the COVID-19 mental health and addiction program. It allowed us to continue providing essential support for youth and for their families,” explained Peters.

As usual the Central Alberta Youth Unlimited is collecting donations for their programs online. If you would like to get involved you can check out their website here.