Supporting Kidz, Impacting Futures

Growing up, I didn’t feel all that different from other kids around me – which is miraculous when you consider the obstacles my family overcame. Even though my mom fled an abusive relationship, left the U.S., travelled to Canada and moved my two siblings and I to Bolton to be near her family, my childhood looked a lot like the friends I went to school with. We had Caledon Community Services (CCS) to thank for that, as they supported my mom with the enormous challenge of solo parenting and with the additional need to care for a kid with special needs, as my brother is autistic.

Like thousands of university students, I needed a summer job after completing my first year at the University of Toronto (U of T) in Engineering. When I saw CCS Canada Summer Jobs posting for an IT Intern right in Bolton where my family still lived, it seemed like the most natural thing to apply. After all, CCS helped ensure I felt like every other kid growing up. They made it possible for me to participate in sports and recreation, where I developed the confidence that made attending University a possibility. Joining their ranks for the summer just felt right.

Despite all the obstacles our family faced while I was growing up, me and my siblings were still able to attend overnight March Break camps, and our fridge was never empty. Our table was full at Thanksgiving and our tree had presents under it at Christmas – we didn’t miss out. And although I didn’t know it when I was young, I came to realize once I got older that CCS had a big hand in relieving my mom’s worries and making sure me, my brother and sister were well supported.