On Wednesday November 6th, Crime Prevention Ottawa Awards celebrated the individuals, programs and groups making outstanding contributions to the safety of our community.
This year’s winner of CPO’s Youth Engagement Award is Bay Ward’s very own West End Youth Motivators Committee.
The West End Youth Motivators (WE-YM) Committee is made up of an inspiring group of young people from Bay Ward who give back to their community by supporting youth aged 12 to 18. The mentors come from diverse backgrounds. Every one of them has achieved success – either through academics or careers, or both. They serve as valuable role models for youth in the community.
The Committee advocates for local youth on the issues that matter to them and engages them in activities and programs so they can make friends, gain life skills and build resilience. Their flagship project, ‘Balling for Our Brothers,’ is an annual basketball tournament that brings youth and the community together to enjoy sport, food and fun. Last year, the event attracted 250 people and raised more than $3,500.
A key part of the program’s success is the relationships the mentors build as they spend time in the neighbourhood each week. They’ve have formed a community of friends who lift each other up and model positive behaviours and choices for the youth they connect with.
Watch the video below and read The Ottawa Citizen article Tournament Celebrates the Joy of Basketball and Community by Jacquie Miller
The videos of our winners are posted to Crime Prevention Ottawa’s YouTube channel. Please feel free to share the link.
