“Growing up on a reserve is difficult for a lot of our youth out here. Substance abuse starts young from generational trauma and learned behaviors. Having programming like this to ensure we educate our youth at a young age will allow them to have the ability to confidently choose not to partake in substances due to learning from a young age.”

“The project positively impacted the community by equipping participants with practical strategies to address mental health concerns and fostering a supportive community that encourages help-seeking behaviours. Through workshops and events, participants gained tools to manage anxiety, ADHD, distress tolerance, and depression, helping them build resilience and enhance their overall well-being.”

“Some of the best feedback that we received during this project was that they appreciated that we didn’t “tell them they were being bad people” by choosing to use cannabis or other substances, but we were able to listen to them and provide information about their concerns or questions.”

“Participants indicated increased confidence in recognizing and addressing mental health challenges and a greater willingness to seek help when needed.”

“Our projects participants noted feeling excited to learn that there are more supports available to them than they’d previously known about. They also identified that being able to meet a variety of youth and participate in art-making felt empowering!”

“Assistance with Taxi cabs was an essential service with the drop in temperature. This year we had put a focus on making sure people with dietary needs had their own meals. Due to the amount of people we service that are diabetic we made specialized desserts for them.”

“We shared practical, accessible strategies and focused on creating a supportive community. Participants valued the opportunity to openly discuss shared experiences in an open, non-judgmental space, guided by a counsellor. The program’s targeted focus on key issues like anxiety, ADHD, distress tolerance, and depression ensured relevance to the community’s needs.” Awarded project

“With family based community event, we were able to connect with the entire family and not just the individual student. We learn a lot about family history and hear stories about when our students were little kids. We get to meet their younger siblings who will eventually enter our program. Many students and families who are often disconnected from their education still attend these events and are still apart of the Four Directions community despite their disconnection from studies.”

“The youth loved the programming and the parents have asked for more to be done in the new year!”

“I think this is something that needs to continue. Especially in our community where cannabis is so readily available.”