Media Kit

Back to the 90s: A fundraiser for The Peer Project (Youth Assisting Youth)

KELLY PALTERJEN SAPKOWSKI

GABRIELA SCHILLINGBRITTANY SLIEDELYNDSAY WALLIS

CHRIS WAI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE

Peer mentoring more valuable to at-risk youth than adult mentoring

90s-themed fundraising event hosted by Centennial College seeks to inspire young professionals to reach out and mentor the GTA’s underprivileged youth.

TORONTO, Ontario, November 19, 2015 – According to Statistics Canada, over 125,000 youth ages 12 to 17 were accused of a Criminal Code offence in 2012. For many kids and their families living in Toronto, many financial, cultural, emotional and social challenges exist. The Peer Project is a non-profit charitable organization that manages an award-winning peer-mentoring program. Mentors are trained to stand-up as role models, activity partners and friends for their mentees. Their goal is to help at-risk youth realize their full potential.

Students from Centennial College’s public relations and corporate communications program will be hosting a fundraiser on Dec. 2, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the Time Capsule Café (2183 Danforth Ave. Toronto, Ont.) to support The Peer Project. The 90s-themed event will seek to remind students in attendance of their own youth and the importance of having good role models and long lasting friendships in shaping a healthy lifestyle.

“It is a wonderful opportunity and an experience to help a kid develop, learn and feel good about themselves,” said Carol Campbell, case coordinator for the Peer Project. “There is no better reward than a mentee thanking their mentor for being their friend and more importantly, their hero.”

“We constantly need to recruit peer mentors in order to set examples and inspire our kids to have dreams despite their struggles at home,” said John van Rhee, director of programs and services for The Peer Project. “This event helps us to get our message out to aspiring young professionals to volunteer as peer mentors and help guide these kids to excel in school. Having a younger person to connect with our kids one-on-one is much more effective than having adult mentors. This is where the magic happens.”

Established in 1966, Centennial College is Ontario’s first public college, primarily serving the eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area through four campuses. It has a record of exemplary teaching, innovative programming and extensive partnership building. With a full-time enrolment of 19,000 students, Centennial is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse post-secondary institutions in Canada. For details, visit www.centennialcollege.ca. 

-30-Contact: Chris WaiCentennial College student organizer (647) 234-6638cwai5@my.centennialcollege.ca

Lyndsay WallisBack to the 90s team member

(226) 979-6941lyndsay.m.wallis@gmail.com

www.backtothe90sTO.comwww.thepeerproject.com

THE PEER PROJECT (YOUTH ASSISTING YOUTH)

FACT SHEET

HISTORY: The Peer Project was established in 1976 and currently functions within Toronto, Ont. and York Region. Formerly known as Youth Assisting Youth (YAY), The Peer Project is a peer mentoring organization that matches youth mentors, ages 16 to 29, with newcomer and at-risk kids, ages six to 15, in a one-on-one peer mentorship relationship. The Peer Project program has helped over 30,000 kids since 1976.

VISION: By harnessing the power of friendship, The Peer Project mentoring helps encourage healthy lifestyles for kids who need a helping hand. The program works because kids do better in school, they stay out of trouble and they have a lot of fun along the way.

PURPOSE: When you’re young, your friends have a big influence on you and the choices that you make. The Peer Project’s mentees are kids who face behavioral, social, emotional and cultural challenges. They are good kids who need someone to look up to and someone to have fun with.

GOALS: The customized peer mentoring program uniquely recruits, assesses and matches youth based on personality, interests and location. The Peer Project wants to ensure a successful and healthy peer mentor relationship and provides on-going training and 24-hour support for mentors, as well as organizing monthly activities to bring everyone together.

CALL TO ACTION: The Peer Project currently has over 400 mentees on the waiting list to be matched with a mentor. There is a call for more male mentors to sign-up for the program to decrease the male mentees on the waiting list. The Peer Project is also in need of funding to support more monthly mentor match activities.

Kelly PalterBack to the 90s team member

(674) 982-4955www.backtothe90sTO.com

www.thepeerproject.com

BACK TO THE 90s: A FUNDRAISER FOR THE PEER PROJECT

FACT SHEET

HISTORY: Centennial College’s public relations and corporate communications program puts on a charity event every year as a requirement of the special events and project management course.

VISION: A charity event with a 90s theme throughout the venue. The event includes: 90s music, décor and games. A costume contest for the best 90s attire will win a 90s themed prize. The 90s theme was chosen so that guests could re-live their childhood and remember the importance of having great childhood memories.

PURPOSE: To highlight the social issue of crime prevention amongst at-risk youth and to teach them how to be a good proactive member of the community.

GOALS: To raise money and promote The Peer Project (Youth Assisting Youth), a charity that matches at-risk and newcomer youth with mentors, and to facilitate volunteer applications.

CALL TO ACTION: To highlight the need for volunteers and to encourage young professionals to be involved in their community.

Charity BackgrounderABOUT THE CHARITY

The Peer Project - Youth Assisting Youth - is a peer mentoring program which focuses on helping at-risk and newcomer youth to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Founded in 1976 and The Peer Project has a long-standing rate of success. Since their inception, they have helped over 30,000 kids to a better life. They are based in the Toronto and York Region and currently have 1,200 active mentors and mentees.

HOW IT WORKS

The charity pairs mentors between the ages of 16 to 29 with newcomers and at-risk youth between the ages of six to 15. Before pairing them together, the organization performs in-home assessments for each mentor and mentee in order to ensure the best match possible. Mentors are also trained extensively in order to provide them with the best tools to ensure the best mentoring experience. The mentors must volunteer a minimum of three hours a week with their mentee. They can do all sorts of activities such as helping with homework, going to see a movie or even going to a Blue Jays game. This provides the mentee with positive experiences and gives them someone who they can talk to.

DONATIONS

The donations that the charity receives come from large organizations, private fundraising and individual donors. The donations can either be monetary or products and services. The money goes towards different activities and events for the mentees and mentors. The greatest need is the donation of an individual’s time. There are over 400 kids waiting to be matched with a mentor. Most of these children are teenage boys, which has created a greater need for male mentors.

RECOGNITION

The Peer Project has a long-standing rate of success. The organization maintains a 98 percent rate of success of keeping youth out of the criminal justice system. Their hard work has even been recognized by many institutions. The Peer Project has received awards from The City of Toronto, Diana Princess of Wales Foundation and the Ministry of Citizenship.

The Peer Project - CEO Bio – Sally Spencer

Sally has been the CEO and driving force behind The Peer Project (Youth Assisting Youth) for the last 29 years, providing peer mentoring, educational and recreational services, programs and events for at-risk and newcomer youth across the Greater Toronto Area. Sally’s belief is that everyone could benefit from having a mentor. She has demonstrated true commitment toward promoting the healthy growth and development of young people, strengthening families and responding to the ever changing needs of the community. Sally’s career in social work over the past three decades has included working with street youth, along with the mentally and physically challenged. Sally is a member of CSAE and AFP and is an active volunteer with the EMS White Knights. She is an inductee in the “World’s Who’s Who of Women”, “Canada’s Who’s Who” and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the “USA Who’s Who”. Sally is a past recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in acknowledgement of her contributions to the community through public service and voluntary endeavors; and was the 2011 winner of the Harlequin More Than Words Award. Sally’s hard work and dedication has resulted in Youth Peer Mentoring Services that are second to none and have touched and inspired thousands of people throughout our communities.