High resolution (.PDF 5.6 MB) - St. Stephen's Community House

now 2012
Youth Services is a safe hub for neighbourhood youth to drop-in at lunch and afterschool
to participate in alternative social, recreational and creative activities . Youth have
access to specialized services designed for academic success, career information
and leadership skill development . In 2011, over 1,400 youth visited the Arcade or
participated in a workshop .
Hal Smith: from young offender
to ‘pure gentleman’
With a history of selling drugs and
occasional violence, when Hal first
came to Arcade Youth Program,
he was heading down a bad path. “I used to
sell drugs. There was a little bit of violence. I
got in trouble a lot,” he says. “I was expelled
from school and placed in the Expulsion
Program. But I worked hard and did pretty
well. A few days were touch and go; there
were some arguments, but I got to know the
counsellors. They all do a lot for me. They’re
constant in your life. You get the real sense
they want to be involved in your life. To see
how you’re doing.”
In the years he’s been involved with
St. Stephen’s, Hal has participated in the
Alternatives to Hate program, young men’s
group G Spot and Boundless Adventures,
leadership training and community service
program. He graduated high school last
year after what he calls “a long high school
career” of eight years and seven different
schools. Typically, Hal sees the bright side.
“It took a while, but I got to meet a lot of
different people all over the city and experienced
a lot of different learning environments.”
Now a mature, independent, articulate
21-year-old, staff members describe Hal as
“a gentleman through and through” and
talk of him having “a smile and a handshake
for everyone.” Hal credits the Arcade with
helping him get to where he is today. “Now
I have a clean record. I’m working out,
reading, doing artworks. I’m working at
Canadian Tire, paying the rent on my own
apartment.”
“Since I first came to St. Stephen’s, I’ve
cleaned up my life a lot. Now I get a lot out
of NOT doing that bad stuff. A big part of
that is from coming here. I see others going
down that path and that reinforces my own
ideals, it reinforces that I’m doing the right
thing. I’ve kept involved here. I want to be a
role model for the younger guys and bring
out their best.”
social
indicator
The percentage
of those aged 20
to 24 in Canada
who were not
attending school
and had not
graduated from
high school
was 8.5% in
2009-2010.
St .Stephen’s
works to keep
youth in school
and helped 26
youth graduate
in 2011 with
extra high
school credits
earned in Arcade
programs .
st . stephen’s community house 1962–2012 | PAGE 31