Noah "40" Shebib's Justice Fund partners with Tim Hortons Foundation Camps to support youth from underserved communities in Toronto

Youth in Toronto are divided by poverty – and the dividing line is racialized. On one side are youth who benefit from structured opportunities to grow and develop; on the other are predominantly Black youth, Indigenous youth, and youth of colour without access to the health, academic, and social resources needed to flourish.

It's estimated over 125,000 young people in the city come from a low-income family, with one in five racialized families living in poverty (compared to one in 20 non-racialized families).

To address the impacts of this divide, Justice Fund, a non-profit working with communities in conflict with the law, has teamed up with Tim Hortons Foundation Camps, a Canadian leader in supporting disadvantaged youth through camp-based programs. Together, they are helping remove barriers for youth in Toronto's underserved areas.

"The Canadian outdoor experience shouldn't be limited to a privileged few," says Noah "40" Shebib, co-founder of Justice Fund along with CEO Yonis Hassan. "We're working to change that, making opportunities available to all youth in Toronto, at the same time as we're doing our part to advance truth, reconciliation, and strengthen Indigenous sovereignty."

"Tims Camps has a decades-long track record creating high-impact youth programs. We're bringing that experience to our community partners, opening up new ways of making a difference in Toronto's underserved communities," adds Hassan. "We've created something truly special that puts youth and their communities first, something that will inspire Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities and show them that outdoor activities are more than Canadian white adventurism."

Change supported by community groups and Toronto icons
Through the Tims Camps x Justice Fund Program, youth leaders selected by established community organizations including The Kickback, CSAT (Canadian Somali Association of Toronto), and FYOU Project participate in 10 weeks of programming, taking place both at the Tim Horton Onondaga Farms camp and within the community. The camp-based programming builds confidence and expands horizons through activities such as wilderness adventures and high ropes courses, while encouraging social and emotional development and team building. The in-community programming extends the growth as youth apply their new skills, designing and implementing projects to address issues they face.

"Access and equity in outdoor spaces is a social justice issue," says Katie Wheatley, Executive Program and Operations officer at Tim Hortons Foundation Camps. "We know the power of experiential learning. Partnering with the Justice Fund will ensure more youth have opportunities and can bring their newly developed skills back to their communities to springboard real change."

Building on Tim Hortons Foundation Camps' rigorous learning model, participants develop positive self-identity and critical thinking skills, seeing themselves as agents of change equipped to deal with stress and obstacles. The youth are joined by Toronto activists and community leaders– including mental health advocate and Breakfast Television correspondent Meghan Yuri Young, entrepreneur Abby Albino and many others – who lead workshops on topics ranging from restorative justice to design thinking.

About Tim Hortons Foundation Camps
Tim Hortons® Foundation Camps is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1974 to expand the horizon of what is possible for young people. A leader in youth development programming, Tims Camps support youth from low-income homes between the ages of 12 to 16. Through a multi-year, camp-based program, youth learn skills like leadership, resilience and responsibility, which empower them to achieve their potential. With seven camps in North America that run year-round Summer and School Programs, youth are supported to thrive when they return home, to excel in post-secondary education, to succeed at work and to contribute positively to their communities. More than 300,000 kids have attended a Foundation camp at no cost to them or their families. For more information about Tim Hortons® Foundation Camps, please visit www.timscamps.com.

About Justice Fund
Justice Fund is dedicated to the social and economic wellbeing of communities within the GTA. Violence in Toronto continues to be an increasing challenge and youth who experience poverty are impacted more by this violence than any other demographic. Our team is committed to building safer communities by providing flexible, long-term support and advocacy to communities in conflict with the law, and to the community groups that serve them. We are built on the belief that when provided with opportunities to thrive, under-resourced communities become less violent, thus breaking the cycle of conflict. For more information about Justice Fund, please visit https://www.justicefund.ca/