Oxycontin Awareness Presentation

We are often working with youth in the various stages of addiction and substance abuse. This is information that matters in our community. We are working with a growing number of youth who are using Oxycontin, and it is a rapidly rising drug in our community. If you are interested in finding out more about it, consider coming to a presentation put on by the Collingwood OPP and the OPP Central Region Drug Unit, on Monday, May 31 at the Curling Club in Collingwood. It is free to attend, and is from 7-9pm.

The Team

I've come out of my hole that I retreated to after the the latter-half of April. Things were running like mad, and we needed to focus on the day-to-day stuff that seemed to go a little goofy. I thought for a moment, in the midst of preparation for tonight's Soul Food, that I would take this chance to recognize our team of volunteers who are a part of our community at The Door (okay, I'm going to brag). Here's a few things that I love about them.

I love that we have a diverse team of people investing in the lives of our youth. Some are just fresh out of high school, entering college or the workforce. Some are grandparents. Some are caregivers. Some are moms and dads, some are single, some are married. Some are professionals, some are retired, or at some sort of limbo between working and retirement. Many of those are just the parts that define us, though, the labels that we carry. All of us have unique and complex personalities, and it creates a beautiful rhythm with the youth of the centre as we connect with them in different ways. It's a bit like a band, where all of us have our part to play, and together we create a masterpiece - only this time it is love, care, compassion, mercy, laughter, hope, empathy, sympathy, and on and on.

I love that we have a team of volunteers who care deeply for the community that they are a part of. In fact, I can't think of even one who volunteers simply out of obligation. They are regularly concerned for the well-being of the youth, and often sacrifice time and resources outside of the drop-in centre for conversations and coffee. They value our youth. They empower our youth. They pray for our youth. They don't just maintain a relationship for the few hours a month that they are scheduled to be at the youth centre, if they see them on the street, they talk to them. They express, both in their words and their actions, that they are willing to go to bat for our youth.

I love that we have a team of volunteers who care deeply for the team that they are a part of as well. We had a volunteer meeting on Monday (we meet every night of drop-in too, but try to get together at least a couple of times as a whole team). A few things struck me during this time. First, we get along - not perfectly all of the time (but who does?), but we are interested in each other's lives. I think that this has brought us together as a team. We spent time talking about fishing, about family, about vacations. Second, every one of our volunteers is always striving to grow in their role, to continue to learn, to question, and to seek. This impresses me the most because we have a few valued volunteers who have been investing in youth longer than I've been alive, and I would think that at some point they would have learned everything and accomplished everything, but they continue to grow. I hope that I am never arrogant enough to think that I have "reached it". We have at least five volunteers right now who have been involved in the centre far longer than Aaron and I. They have been most gracious and understanding to us as we began to direct the ship, and have collaborated with us along the way.

To our volunteers, if you are reading this: You play an integral part at The Door. We value your contribution, and particularly the investment you make again and again into the lives of our youth. I hope that you get as much out of working at The Door as we do working alongside you. Thank you, and we love you!

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We are always looking to add to our team at The Door. If this is on your heart, please contact us so that we can have a conversation. This is an amazing family to be a part of, and maybe I'm a bit biased, I couldn't imagine a better team to be a part of.