Routes Newsletter
November 2019
10 Market St South Dundas, Ontario L9H 5G4 905-929-0572 www.routesyouthcentre.ca
Update from the Centre
It takes a community to care for kids
In the last few months we have seen the impact our
community has on our children & youth
development.
We strive to teach our youth the value of working
together and giving back to our community. We
saw events like our Scrap Metal Drive and Fall
Wing Night Fundraiser bring out some of our
youth’s strongest characteristics. Whether it was
assisting with the muscle power of picking up scrap
metal, or their excellent customer service in serving
wings, our youth demonstrated the power of
community.
As we enter into the colder months we are working
on building upon self-advocacy. We will help youth
gain theses skills by educating them on their rights
and raising awareness about our community
responsibilities. Our workshops this month have a
common goal of helping all children & youth
regardless of the situation they are in to acquire
skills & attributes that lessen their vulnerability to
harm.
Ontario Dress Purple Day delivers the message
that children and youth have a right to safety and
well-being and that help is available. Our Lessons
will help engage children and youth in conversation
about their safety and well-being. We will talk about
healthy relationships versus unhealthy
relationships. Youth will learn about building
healthy relationships with trustworthy adults that
they can seek for support when dealing with
challenges. A strong and positive sense of self-
esteem can help youth cope with stress, seek out
healthier relationships, and maintain boundaries.
Youth with strong self-esteem are also more likely
to reach out for help when their safety and well-
being is at risk. Youth will also learn about self-
referrals and getting the appropriate services
needed to help them succeed.
We at Routes have a duty that is to continue to
maintain healthy relationships with our children &
youth, and develop a community that commits to
supporting the well-being and safety of our youth.
Warren Duncan
10 MARKET STREET SOUTH, DUNDAS, ON, L9H 5G4 905-929-0572 www.routesyouthcentre.ca
The Board’s Corner
Routes is so very much a part of the Dundas
community. On Friday, October 25th, some 200
people enjoyed our Family Wing Night, which was
made possible by the Copetown Lions Club,
Dyments Farm Market, magician Brandon Love and
some 45 youth, parents, staff and board volunteers.
We extend a sincere thank you to our many
supporters for this and the Scrap Metal Drive also
held in October. People are eager to support
Routes because of the stable environment, caring
presence and advocacy that Routes staff provide
for our local youth.
At this time, we are recruiting new board or
committee members to add to our talented and
dedicated group. As more and more youth are
coming to Routes, the board needs people with
different skill sets than we’ve had in the past. In
particular, we hope to see people with experience
in volunteer management, public relations &
marketing and fundraising initiatives, who are
willing to commit about 10 hours per month. But
we’d like to talk with anyone who has a passion to
making a difference in the lives of young people.
Applicants can send a resume and cover letter,
outlining their interest, relevant strengths and
community involvement to my attention at
We also ask you to consider becoming a member
of our Patrons Club, a dedicated group of
community-minded citizens who generously donate
in the order of $500 each per year. Through this
initiative, Routes has raised $25,000 per year since
2011 – again a significant sign of community
support. In addition to supporting our regular
programming, this contribution helps us to manage
through the ups and downs of our fundraising
cycles.
John van Vliet
SAVE THE DATE
Annual General Meeting - Mon, Nov 11
7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Routes Youth Centre.
Keith Sharp Photography -Sat, Nov 23
1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m.
Routes Youth Centre
*Free Family Portraits 1 8x10 and 2 5x7. Sign
up at routes as spaces are limited.
Cake Walk Fundraiser -Fri, Dec 13
6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
Routes Youth Centre
*Youth Council lead. More Info to come!
Christmas Drive Dinner –Thurs, Dec 19
3:00 p.m. –7:30 p.m.
Routes Youth Centre
**Contact if you would like to contribute a
donation.
“Dundas Rotary Club cheque presentation to
Routes at the Family Wing Night”
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
*The Association of Dundas Churches
*St Mark’s United Church
*Dundas Baptist Church
*The Rotary Club of Dundas
* Dundas Sunrise Rotary
* The Lions Club of Dundas
*Hamilton Community Foundation
*Copetown Lions