1 in 4 Canadians will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
That's pretty significant and something that cannot be ignored. The YMCA will be starting a new project thanks to a few folks who want to see that number go down in the community. Elizabeth Sabine and Anuschka Naidoo applied and received a small grant from the YMCA Innovation Fund so they could begin the YMCA Youth Mindfulness Group - a mindfulness-based group for youth ages 18 to 30 who experience anxiety. If you've ever found your worries affecting your day to day life then this program may be of interest to you.
Every year, the Endowment Fund of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver commits $40,000 to encourage innovative ideas from its staff and volunteers to offer a new program or service that aligns with its vision in building a healthy community. Sabine and Naidoo saw the need for support in the community and have put together a small team to volunteer for this pilot project.
We can all relate with one another when it comes to experiencing worries and anxiety. The purpose of this group over the course of six weeks is to teach others how not to let it stand in the way of what you care deeply about. The group will meet once a week in a safe, supportive, and friendly environment and will learn healthy coping skills with the support of a registered counsellor and best of all, it's completely free!
Space is limited, so if you're interested please contact Elizabeth and Anuschka for more information at youthmindfulness@gv.ymca.ca. Program is scheduled to begin in February 2015.
