Abbotsford Youth Worker Alvina Jones grew up in chaos.

Her early childhood took her from Saskatchewan to California and, at four, to Manitoba with her mother and brother. The family spent nearly a year in a shelter before settling in downtown Selkirk, MB.

“We lived in poverty,” Alvina recalls. “There was drug use and alcoholism in my home, and we were in and out of foster care until I was nine. My mom could hardly take care of herself and my needs were often unmet. I felt very unseen.”

By her early teens, Alvina’s life threatened to fully unravel. “Home wasn’t safe and I was exposed to a lot,” she says. “I remember waking up to the smell of crack.” She began experimenting with substances and unsafe relationships, and faced significant mental health challenges. At a desperate point, Alvina’s childhood best friend walked in just as she was leaving to carry out a suicide plan. “Thank God someone found me,” Alvina says.

ONE IMPORTANT MEAL

Alvina first showed up at a Selkirk Youth for Christ program at 13 in search of a meal. “They provided a warm, safe space, food, a ride home,” she says. “I usually didn’t have any of that.” So, she kept

coming back. There, youth workers began building a real relationship with her, modeling much-needed consistency and stability. “I didn’t feel much love in my life, but they always communicated that they loved me, and that there’s a God who loves me so much more than I could ever imagine.”

In this place of safety and belonging, Alvina began to encounter Jesus. “Looking back, I so clearly see God in it all – even the messed up stuff.”

Alvina points specifically to how Jesus helped her understand her Indigeneity. “He helped redeem what it means to be Indigenous for me,” she says. “Before, a lot of my identity was formed around being a ghetto Indigenous kid with trauma. Jesus helped me reshape my experiences, restore my culture and be proud of my identity.”

A NEW VISION

In her later teens, Alvina began to make her own mark at the drop-in. “I started volunteering,” Alvina says. “And I was really surprised when I saw the impact that my story had with kids who grew up similar to me. I realized I was making a difference.”

Wondering if this was her calling, Alvina applied to Lifeteams in her grade 12 year and, to her surprise, got in. Working three jobs just to get by, she didn’t have the money, but at her youth worker’s urging, wrote to the Selkirk YFC network and had her tuition covered within a month.

At Lifeteams, Alvina completed her practicum alongside veteran youth worker James Parlee and loved it. “I’m going to come work with you!” she told him. Deciding to stay long-term in BC, Alvina completed a counselling diploma at Rocky Mountain College and returned to GVYU in 2023 to work alongside James, just as she had pledged.

Writing New Stories

Today, Alvina connects with a mosaic of young people facing significant vulnerabilities through weekly programs and individual mentorship. “There are a lot of crappy stories,” says Alvina, “but I know what it’s like to feel alone. It helps me relate.” Alvina uses her own history to inform her work. “Learning about my own 

trauma helps me understand what is happening for these youth,” says Alvina, “and equip them with helpful techniques.”

Recently, on a camping trip, a youth asked to speak with Alvina and opened up about an eating disorder. “I was the first person she told,” says Alvina. “It’s been really cool to see how sharing about it helped her release some of her shame and find kindness for herself. She’s doing much better now.”

These moments of vulnerability, safety, and connection remind Alvina why she’s in this work. “If my youth workers hadn’t walked with me in my hard moments or told me about the goodness of God, I don’t even know if I’d be alive,” she says. “So when things hit the fan for the youth I serve, I’m grateful they feel like they can reach out to me.”

For Alvina, that first meal in Selkirk opened the door to what is now happening in Abbotsford. “I really fought to change my story,” she says, “and now I get to walk alongside others in theirs.”

 

YUNITE OUTSIDE: JOIN US ON NOV 13

The day is almost here! Are you ready for your best worst sleep of the year?

If you haven’t registered to sleep out yet, there’s still time! Register online or support a sleeper at youthunlimited.com/yunite

Join us in changing someone’s tomorrow.

 
 

 

CREATE OR SPONSOR A CHRISTMAS Hamper!

This December, you can change a family’s Christmas.

For the past six years, we have been providing hampers to youth and families to bring hope, joy and abundance during the holiday season.

Whether you shop to fill a hamper or give funds for our volunteers to do it, you’re helping provide youth and families with the essentials they need—and reminding them that they are not alone.

Create or sponsor a hamper today at youthunlimited.com/hampers

 

Christmas IN Our Communities

Christmas will be joyfully celebrated across our programs! Our Young Families program in Surrey will host its annual Christmas Dinner on December 14, expecting to welcome nearly 100 families, alumni, volunteers, and community partners.

Our MY House program in Mission will host a Christmas dinner on December 25 for youth experiencing homelessness. Thanks to our Christmas Hamper program, youth will also receive backpacks filled with much-needed supplies and care.

…and so much more across our communities. Thank you for making these celebrations possible!

 
 

  

 

Dear Friends,

When Sherri and I were still dating and contemplating our future together, I recall one evening when she asked me something no one had asked before. She invited me to share the things in my life that I felt guilt and shame over, the parts of my story I’d kept hidden and never wanted anyone to know about.

I didn’t want to answer. Part of me felt that if she truly knew those things about me, it would end our relationship. But I loved her, so I took the risk. That night, I told her.

What happened next surprised me. It was hard for Sherri to hear, but instead of pulling away, she told me her love for me had grown. What I was sure would push her away drew her closer. I had never experienced anything like it. For the first time, I felt truly seen.

I’ve come to believe this is what we were made for: to know and be known, by each other and by God. David captures it in Psalm 139, a prayer from someone who has stopped hiding:

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” – Psalm 139:1

God looks into our innermost being, the parts we work hardest to hide, and his love doesn’t shrink. It remains full.

In this issue, you’ll meet Alvina, who grew up feeling unseen until youth workers in Selkirk, Manitoba, kept showing up for her. Her story is a picture of what can happen when a young person is noticed and loved. That’s the heart of Youth Unlimited. Across Greater Vancouver, many young people feel invisible. Our youth workers are there to notice them, walk alongside them, and point them toward the One who knows them best.

You’re part of this. When Alvina couldn’t afford her Lifeteams training, supporters in Selkirk covered it in a month, and, as a result, young people in Abbotsford are feeling the impact today. Your gifts and prayers do the same here.

As the year’s end approaches, would you consider giving generously so that another young person can be truly seen? Your gift puts a caring youth worker in the life of a young person longing to be known. Give today at youthunlimited.com/donate.

With deep gratitude,

Mark Koop

Executive Director