Lina Ibrahim, Recreation Technician, RVP-CCSMTL; Audrey Miller, Teen Rehabilitation Coordinator, RVP and CCSMTL Community; Tatiana Dias, Department Head, RVP-CSSMTL; Geneviève Paquette, General Manager and Vice President, Community Engagement, Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation; Marie-Hélène Vendette, Senior Director, Philanthropic Development and Communications, Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ; Chentale de Montigny, Interim Director of Programs, Impact and Community Relations, Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ.
The Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ had the honour to inaugurate a new outdoor fitness circuit, funded by a generous $46,000 donation from the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, represented by Geneviève Paquette, the Foundation’s General Manager on the occasion. This circuit is for the teens in the care of the DYP living at the Centre jeunesse Rose-Virginie-Pelletier youth home.
Teens aged 12 to 17 attended the fun event, where the Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ hosted the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation to highlight the contribution the structure makes to the lives of youth in care. The course is a great way to encourage the girls to be more active in a fun setting. It was set up in the middle of their home environment and allows them to stay active while having fun.
Currently, four out of five youths are not active enough, according to findings by the World Health Organization (WHO).* This is all the more true for young people at youth centres. In fact, it was shown that youths in the care of the DYP living in a home have two to four times more challenges than the general population. **
On top of the undeniable benefits to mental health, physical activity is a fundamental way to fight sedentariness among youths and helps them adopt healthy lifestyles, while deeply nurturing their self-esteem.
I’m so thrilled that this project has become a reality. The fact that this structure is right in front of the youths every day is a real advantage for them to embrace a regular sport. They’re trying it out, solo or a few at a time, figuring out their abilities little by little, and approaching sport in a fun, non-judgmental way. It’s a great way to nurture their self-esteem.
This is the 20th year that the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation is joining forces with our foundation to promote the well-being of youth in the care of the DYP through sports. By boosting recreational and sports projects that are part of our Self-esteem and Healthy Living Habits program, it makes a significant and direct contribution to the development of children and teenagers who do not have easy access to various forms of outdoor activities where they live.
By investing in projects that allow vulnerable youths to be active, we’re helping to reduce the disparity, thereby guaranteeing each child has the opportunity, regardless of their socioeconomic situation, to reach their full potential through physical activity.
*https://www.who.int/fr/news/item/22-11-2019-new-who-led-study-says-majority-of-adolescents-worldwide-are-not-sufficiently-physically-active-putting-their-current-and-future-health-at-risk
**https://www.csdepj.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_clients/Documents_deposes_a_la_Commission/P-194_Memoire_Regroupement_medecins_infirmieres.pdf