Angels on the street

This morning, I had a chance to learn about another group of people who spend their lives doing good and planting seeds that hopefully will grow and sprout into something beautiful in the lives of others.

I had heard of the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (SASY for short) through some other agencies here in town, but today I got a chance to spend some time with one of their own, and she graciously provided a very brief overview of what they're all about.

There's an amazing amount of cooperation between a whole lot of different groups in town, all of which are doing their little bit to reach out to others in our midst who might otherwise go unnoticed: the modern-day anawim. Examples include the Jubilee Heritage Resource Centre, which offers various programs for children of various ages, as well as parental and family support for young and single parents; the Sudbury Food Bank, which distributes food supplies to an ever-growing number of other agencies throughout the city who in turn make sure that the hungry are fed; and the Native Friendship Centre which provides a place for people of First Nation heritage to interact both with each other and with others in the community.

SASY has been around for quite some time now, offering a variety of programs all aimed toward our younger population. The clientele who normally grace their doors are aged 16-24 years. Most of them are street kids, or those who are struggling or have struggled with addictions of various sorts. Programmes offered by SASY include

• a casual labour program so that youth can provide short-term labour for those in our community who are looking for occasional help of various descriptions;
• a drop-in centre that allows young people to gather in a safe and non-judgemental place to interact and to hang out;
• an outreach program which includes a needle exchange for those with addictions who seek a safe place to dispose of used needles; and
• a housing component which tries to help youth in their quest to find affordable housing.

Whether young people are able to knock at their doors or not, those who are affiliated with SASY all must have an abiding love for teenagers - the often misunderstood generation - who are too often young children who have been forced to grow up much too soon for their own good.

To all those who watch out for our young people, and dedicate their lives to helping teenagers find their way, bravo to you ... you are the angels that some of these youngsters have longed for.