A Few 2023 Year End Notables

2023 was a transformative year for Inner City. It was a year of positive change and sustainable developments for our Association (ICYDA) as we continued to create positive change and personal development opportunities for many of the youth we serve. Here are a few notables as we move into 2024.

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50/50 Draw - Now On!

The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is currently supporting our programing by sharing proceeds raised from a 50/50 draw that is part of Cirque du Soleil’s theatrical show CORTEO.

The production will play seven shows Edmonton at Rogers Place and you can get your tickets until December 31, 2023 at https://www.rogersplace.com/5050-raffle/

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““The building will help provide years of life changing programming for marginalized urban Indigenous youth... and will create a community showcase of energy efficiency and long-term sustainability.” ”

Inner City High School: A Community Model in Sustainability

Last January, we embarked on a Federally funded renovation of our facility that focused on significant retrofits to add greater accessibility and energy efficiency to our building.

Infrastructure Canada selected Inner City High School as part of the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program, making our building more inclusive and reducing our carbon footprint and utility costs.

Indigenous Services Canada provided significant funding to improve and enlarge our building, allowing us to serve 20% more youth with enhanced facilities.

Ultimately, this investment will create a community showcase of energy efficiency and long-term sustainability. The building will help provide years of life changing programming for marginalized urban Indigenous youth and be a long-term example of climate awareness and energy efficiency to the greater community and to the many marginalized youth that learn and build community in the building. 

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A Food And Transportation Focus

Our fundraising continues to focus on support for our Food Program and funding Youth Transportation for participants coming and going from the school. Over the year, we served over 10,500 daily lunches and 4,300 breakfasts to the youth. These meals are provided no charge to those in our programs and are primarily funded by community donations and support from The Edmonton Food Bank. Transportation is generally via municipal transit and by our school van.

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Please consider giving one last gift in 2023

Support our Food or Transportation programs and help Edmonton youth working towards their high school education. Your dollars help members of the community help themselves. Donate before December 31 to receive your tax receipt to count towards 2023. End the year spreading hope!

2021 ICYDA February Update

Now Eleven Months of Pandemic

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Staff preparing a lunch delivery in December.

Eleven months have passed from the start of the pandemic. Almost a year later, we are still here, adjusting to delivering services for marginalized urban Indigenous and other youth within the new framework of COVID-19. While we had prepared for many contingencies, a global pandemic was not something we had ever thought we would face. Safety and flexibility have been at the center of our decisions and processes. We are not operating like normal, but we’re ‘more normal’ than we were last spring.

Staff dropping off food and homework and providing informal counselling in parking lot.

Last March we quickly took our whole operation online, with a small core of administrative and support staff maintaining outreach operations on site. Some youth worked online; others did not have the necessary technology. For those students, paper assignments were delivered. Social workers dropped off lunches to students and provided informal counselling in hallways and doorsteps across Edmonton. Often extra meals were provided for other family members.

We delivered and picked up paper assignments along with a hot meal, and often sent extra meals for other family members.

In September, we resumed in-school services with a strengthened online school platform. Since then, we provide essential supports, such as informal counselling, a food bank, transportation help, and other youth support programming to youth both on and off-site. High school courses are part of this mix of services. Lunches and snacks are delivered to small cohorts throughout the building and to those off-site. Our wraparound services include an on-site Elder three days a week and other cultural supports. Throughout, we’ve adhered to and maintained strict COVID-19 health protocols.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to all our donors and supporters for your contributions and support. Your donations provide life-changing assistance to Edmonton’s marginalized urban Indigenous and other youth by way of our unique programming. 

If you haven’t followed us already, you can connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

Be safe and stay well,

Joe Cloutier,
Chief Operating Officer and Founder