Kids and youth connect over free meals every Friday night at Northside Community Centre YMCA
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Since opening in 2019, the Northside Community Centre YMCA in Red Deer has been an important gathering place for kids and teens in the Glendale area.
According to YMCA Northern Alberta officials, the facility’s popular free drop-in youth centre and Skatepark Mentorship program have been a staple in youth’s lives as they look for a safe, inclusive place to go after school and on Friday nights. Now, officials note, they can also sit down together and enjoy a free, hot meal every Friday night at Free Food Fridays.
The organization says Free Food Fridays is a program that launched in February, generously sponsored by Avalanche Integrity. Typically, say officials, a little more than 30 youth arrive at the centre each week to eat together, with as many as 53 taking part in the meal one Friday. Youth who attend can also develop skills in the kitchen with the chance to help prepare the meal. Often, officials point out, the centre sees 70 or more youth attending youth centre drop-in and Friday night Teen Nights, so it’s described as a busy place for kids and teens.
“We already knew that youth in our area needed a place to go to hang out together in a safe space,” says Amy Komarniski, General Manager at the community centre. “Some of these kids’ families may be experiencing food insecurity or economic uncertainty, so we are so grateful to be able to offer a warm, nutritious meal to them at no cost. At the YMCA, we deeply value social inclusion — everyone can have a sense of belonging here, and giving kids and youth the chance to connect with each other over a healthy meal is such a great way to offer that opportunity to those who need it.”
