The Well Community Collective recently celebrated the grand opening of two new youth hubs in Huron County.
Shannon McGavin, Executive Director of The Well Community Collective, says the hubs are meant to be a "one-stop shop" place for youth aged 12-25 to access a wide range of free support services in a stigma and judgement free space.
"When they're in there, and as we develop relationships with them, or, if they just happen to pop in, they're able to access free mental health support, primary care support, substance use support, employment help, education, housing resources, et cetera," McGavin detailed.
Youth can also come in and just hang out with peers and get some food, and if they want, the access to services is there.
McGavin adds that they have locations across Huron, Perth, Grey, and Bruce to try and address accessibility needs for these services.
"Youth can't just drive to a certain place and hope to just get everything in one place. They can drive different places, but it's also hard for youth to get full access to the broad range of services that are all throughout Huron-Perth and Grey-Bruce," added McGavin.
With such a large area to cover in Midwestern Ontario, McGavin says access to these services in rural areas can be difficult, especially when transportation is factored in.
"I had an interesting conversation with Minister (Lisa) Thompson when she popped in the other day to our Exeter site. We can definitely say that transportation is a huge barrier for rural youth right now. So we really need to make sure that we're helping to fill some of those gaps," McGavin pointed out.
A Listowel youth hub will be opening soon on Main Street. Work is also being done to try and set up some type of transportation services for youth that want to access the hubs but find it difficult to do so.
The Well Community Collective works with a number of organizations to operate the not-for-profit youth hubs. That includes CMHA Huron-Perth, CMHA Thames Valley, Huron-Perth Children's Aid Society, Huron-Perth Centre for Children and Youth, Perth-Huron United Way, as well as the Ontario Health Teams in the region and the YMCA.
Also, the youth hubs are led by a Youth Action Council, which helps direct The Well Community Collective on what the youth want to see in the hubs. All decisions made regarding the hubs do get vetted by the Youth Action Council, and any interested youth can join that if they wish.
To find out more, including on how to volunteer or access the hub nearest you, visit TheWellCC.ca.
"The Well is honestly one of my favourite places to go. Everyone’s really chill, and you don’t feel judged for being yourself. You can just show up, grab some food, hang out, or talk to someone if you need to. It’s not like other places where it feels awkward, it just feels safe, like people actually care,” shared an anonymous Huron County Youth, aged 16.
"This investment in youth wellness is exactly the kind of collaboration rural Ontario needs. The Well Youth Hubs in Goderich and Exeter are a shining example of how community-led innovation, supported by trusted partnerships, can make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people and their families. Our government is proud to support initiatives that strengthen rural communities and ensure every youth has the opportunity to thrive," added Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs and MPP Huron–Bruce.
