There’s never been a better time to show up for youth and young families.

May 12

Dear Friends,

There’s no getting around it; life feels especially tough in Nova Scotia right now.

At the grocery store, at the gas pump, or trying to plan for the months ahead—families and organizations are carrying the constant weight of rising costs.

We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and what that looks like for many is the quiet, nagging question:
Do we have enough?

And for far too many youth and young families in our community, the answer is no.

As Manager at Phoenix Centre for Youth (PCFY), I witness our staff showing up day after day with compassion and resilience, supporting the youth who depend on us for some of their most essential needs.

From my colleague, Shaina, our Parent Support Worker:

“Youth and young parents rely on the food truck at PCFY several times a week, sometimes daily, because it’s one of their only consistent food sources. They come looking for school snacks and basic nutritious items like fruits and veggies, as well as diapers, wipes, and formula. Because when rent and bills take 90% or more of your income, what else can you do?

More and more youth are relying on our services—and the reality is that the need is only going to grow.

But I see young parents every day showing up for their kids—getting them to appointments, keeping them healthy, doing everything they can with what they have.

I’ve worked with single parents who returned to school once we helped them access daycare and rental subsidies. I’ve supported youth who started in shelters and are now thriving in their own apartments, celebrating milestones like their baby’s first steps. And more often than not, these young adults are learning how to parent without having had a loving, supportive parent themselves.

The youth we work with are remarkable human beings. With the right support, they are breaking generational cycles and rewriting their futures. They want better for their kids, and they work incredibly hard to make that happen.”

– Shaina, Parent Support Worker
Phoenix Centre for Youth

Will you join us in showing up for youth?
Click here to give now.

I have worked at Phoenix for nearly 35 years. When I think of the hundreds of youth that come through our doors each year, I can confidently say that growing up today is harder than it’s ever been.

Even in the last decade, I’ve seen some dramatic shifts. Rental supplements have become the norm for the majority of those we serve, rather than the exception. Landlords used to contact us with vacancies; now that just doesn’t happen. A $25 grocery gift card used to go a lot further in your local store; now youth have to travel on transit for hours to access the additional food supports they need.

And still, every day, I see youth showing up with resilience, reaching for their goals alongside these pressures.

They haven’t given up. And neither can we.

At Phoenix, we stretch every dollar and do everything we can to respond to the needs around us:

Staff are regularly delivering food boxes on the drive home to families living far from the Halifax Peninsula.
Our teams are helping youth accessing our wraparound supports—from education and employment to therapy and healthcare—so that they can build stable futures.
Phoenix leadership is continuing to advocate at all levels of government for stronger social supports and policy change.

For nearly four decades, Phoenix has been one of the first points of contact for youth in Nova Scotia. But we can’t do this work alone.

We all rely on family, neighbors, and community at different moments in our lives. And together, we share a responsibility to ensure every young person feels supported, connected, and valued.

Every act of generosity, small or large, has an impact.

Please join us in showing up for youth and young families by giving what you can.