Join the Youth Connect Kitchen team and you’ll learn recipes, gain cooking skills, and enjoy some delicious food all while preparing meals that work to fight back against food insecurity in London!
YFC Canada
YFC London
Registered Charity #119024222RR0001
© 2020 Youth for Christ
Youth Connect
Youth Connect works with young people to provide a safe and welcoming environment so they can explore interests, relationships, new life skills and faith with freedom and integrity.
Here at YFC we want students to feel that they have a community to belong to and people who support them and intentionally care for them. We want them to grow in curiosity and openness towards Christ. Connections are facilitated through YFC in a number of ways – through onsite and school outreach programs, and through encouraging communication and resource-sharing between church youth leaders.
Onsite programs focus on engaging students with each other and our intentional leaders, as well as guiding students through learning life skills. Our current program, YFC Kitchen, fosters teamwork, adaptability, creativity, and communication—skills that are not only valuable in the kitchen but also in future careers and personal interactions. By preparing meals for low-income families, youth learn the importance of service, generosity, and community connection. The building of these skills creates opportunities for youth while allowing them to explore life and faith in a supportive and respectful environment. As they develop these skills, youth also have the chance to build connections through games, faith discussions, and shared meals, creating a sense of community and encouraging spiritual growth. Programming is open to junior high and high school students, with sessions running for 8-12 weeks. There is no limit to how many programs youth can attend, allowing them to engage at their own pace and explore different areas of interest and growth.
We have been blessed to be able to partner with two schools in our neighbourhood that allow us to provide support to both students and teachers. We have paired with one class from each school to play games with the kids over their lunch break once per week. We seek to support students in this way by helping them feel individually seen and known, and to show them Christ’s love through our interactions with them. This also trickles down to positively impact their classroom behaviour and interactions with their teachers.
Bi-monthly youth leader meetings are held at YFC to facilitate sharing experiences and resources and to take the time to encourage and pray for each other. We want to work to support and encourage students in London as a whole and support each other as leaders in the process!
Please continue to be in prayer for our leaders as we engage with students and create these deeper connections, and as we navigate how to best be interacting with and supporting them. We’re excited for the coming year!