Next up in our #GCFGrantStories series, we spotlight Community Grant recipient The Grove Hubs, which received funding for The Guelph and Wellington Grove Outreach Program.
The Grove Hubs provide youth with mental health and wellness programs and services in a safe space. The Outreach Program connected the Grove Youth Ambassador team with youth across Guelph. The team delivered in-school presentations, tours of The Grove, thousands of summer program postcards for students, swag bags and educational videos. As a result, The Grove has seen an incredible 180% increase in the number of youths seen monthly!
The program has also allowed for the growth and enhancement of partnerships with organizations such as Anishnabeg Outreach, Chabad of Guelph, and the Guelph Sikh Society and with the schools, administrators, and teachers across Guelph and Wellington County.
Additionally, The Grove Hubs Guelph has received funding from Mental Health Research Canada to work with the Homewood Research Institute to understand better who staff see in the Hubs and who they don’t, so they can better target their outreach efforts. The sites are busy, and staff see 120 to 150 youth daily across their four fully open sites, but “there is more to do,” they say.
They plan to continue “meeting youth where they’re at,” engaging with those from various backgrounds, interests, and communities. This plan includes refining their communications and social media strategy, for example, advertising on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to reach and connect with youth.
