My ministry with youth has lately taken me to the Drouillard Road community in Windsor.

My ministry with youth has lately taken me to the Drouillard Road community in Windsor, Ont one time a thriving section of Windsor called Ford City, the 'face' of the neighbourhood drastically changed when the Ford Motor Company mov to Oakville, Ont in the early 1900 Among other initiatives, the desire to 'make a difference' in this area gave birth, about a year and a half ago, to a teen drop-in middle called "A Place of Our Own"

The focus of A Place of Our have is building relationships through networking between teen ages 12 to 17 years. The midst is open 4 days a week. We proffer help with homework after exercise and offer age-related activities in the evening including of course FOOD! Eighteen to 22 teen small quantity in each evening.

About Relationships

My work is about helping build relationships of trust and defer to among the teens that reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point to our centre. It is my trust that when teens leave our middle point they will feel that they are valued for 'who' they are. That is what 'gives' them confidence and self-sufficiency My hope is that they will pass in succession the values learned at A Place of Our have a title to and contribute in a positive way to society. Teen form a closely knit assemblage that support each other in times of need

united of those times of ne occurr in the neighbourhood onward Thanksgiving weekend of 2003. A young mother was manslaughtered in front of her 11-year-old son and many of the teen who reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point to our centre. We were all devastated. After hearing that the boy's grandmother wanted to risk up an educational fund in the boy's name, the centre's teen brainstormed ideas and decided to grasp a bake sale at the local parish. Everyone worked together, including neighbours, baking goodies or donating coin Together we raised $750. Needles to say the teen at the middle were very proud of themselves and realized what serviceable can come from sharing ideas and working together for the benefit of another.

George, a 15-year-old, left a life of chaos and turmoil in Saskatchewan and mov to Windsor. His regular attendance at the middle helped him to develop as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but academically and socially. Although coming from a abode where parents were absent because of physics and alcohol abuse, George because of his association with the midmost point was able to make positive choices about where he wanted his life to make progress His grades improved and he was able to stay abroad of trouble due to the tutoring and mentoring he received from our midst He has an outgoing personality and he reached not at home to the neighbourhood. He was able to talk with anyone, of any age. within the centre he was able to convenient his potential. A wonderful succes story among many.

Anne MacDonald is a Sister of St Joseph of London, Ont www.csj.london.on.ca

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