WHO WE ARE
our MISSION
Following Jesus’ mission, we engage with youth in London by building relationships, developing potential, and exploring faith in partnership with the community and local churches.
our VALUES
COMMUNITY
We want to be fully engaged in and with our neighbourhoods and to nurture healthy community interaction with staff, volunteers, families, local partners and most of all, young people.
God-centered
We believe that personal faith is
important and that spiritual questions can and should be explored with great freedom, respect and integrity.
safe spaces
We strive to provide a safe,
welcoming place where youth can come,
connect, feel appreciated and have great fun.
relationships matter
We desire to journey alongside and build strength into young lives during these important adolescent years: encouraging them to discover, grow, lead and learn.
ABOUT YFC
HISTORY OF YFC
Youth outreach since 1944
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our board of directors is carefully chosen to help provide us with governance
and expertise as we support youth and families in our community.
The Board is responsible for:
• The organization’s mission and purposes
• Executive staff through an appropriate process
• Ongoing support and guidance for the staff
• Effective organizational planning and adequate resources
• Determining and monitoring the organization’s programs and services
• Enhancing our organization’s public image and presence
• Ensuring the fiscal responsibility of our organization
Current Board Members
Susan Gowan, Chair – Consultant
Randy Bird, Vice Chair – Co-Owner & VP of Operations, FCFP
Jeff Ste. Marie, Secretary – Teacher, Laurier Secondary School
Christene Scrimgeour, Treasurer – Chartered Accountant, Scrimgeour & Company
Our staff
Dorothy Babbage
Cafe Connect
Bringing to the team over 35 years of culinary, kitchen and cafe management skills, Dorothy has chosen to use her retirement to empower youth in our city with food and service skills. Her passion for youth and community is very evident as she mentors them while ensuring that food quality and service is never compromised.
Cecil Clark
Custodial Support
Cecil has been with YFC since January 2015 after completing his work placement with Hutton House. Cecil is an immense help at keeping our offices and meeting rooms at the centre clean and free of clutter. He is very reliable and enjoys his work.
DEVON CORNELIUS
Centre Director
Devon brings a diverse background and versatile skillset to the team. He combines a passion for youth development with many years in ministry leadership, as well as experience in marketing, project management, and hospitality. He has the pleasure of overseeing the youth centre and leading a team of talented and passionate community youth workers.
Devon loves to encourage and accompany young people on the path of self-discovery. He sees the unique strengths in others—often gifts they don’t see or are unable to live out because of the barriers in their minds and hearts—and he coaches them towards realizing their potential. He is passionate about seeing people discover and embrace their true identity in Christ.
Jared Dyck
Skate Park Coordinator
Jared has a heart for bringing the Gospel to people and places of society that are often marginalized and distanced from the message of Christ. As the skate park coordinator, he incorporates his love for skateboarding, biking, hockey and music into living this out and making a difference in the lives of young people. The Deck is a place where worth and potential can be realised and the hope of Jesus can be shared with youth who would otherwise never have that opportunity.
Through building relationship and community Jared is able to walk alongside youth as they go through the ups and downs of adolescence, and support and encourage them as they search for identity. In a time where being a teenager is extremely difficult, Jared aims to be a consistent and caring presence in the lives of the youth that he interacts with.
Amie Latta
Associate Streetlight Director
Driven by a firm belief in a missional and holistic approach to helping the human person, Amie finds it a timely encounter to be welcomed into the London YFC team. Holding a Master of Divinity degree in Clinical Counselling with multiple years of experience within mental health services.
Amie has been able to journey with many young men and women who have dealt with issues related to trauma, relationship and family dynamics, grief or loss and various mental illnesses. With expertise in the areas of therapeutic programming, community development, mental health advocacy and program development, Amie is excited to use her skills and talents in her new position with the Streetlight program. Amie’s focus and hope for Streetlight are to better network with community resources and to increase supports for young at-risk females, young parents, and young families that exist in the city of London.
Shaina Lavoie
Custodian
Shaina manages our custodial team and can be seen at the centre each day. Shaina did a placement with YFC through TriOS College and joined our team in April 2015. She is a very hard worker and assists with catering events held at YFC.
Rebecca Rundle
Office Administrator
Rebecca is wife to David and mother to Jonathan, Nathan and Meghan – all married now. When her children were growing up, she home schooled them through to grade 8, encouraged them through their high school years and worked alongside her husband in their home-based business.
As the kids got older, God started stirring Rebecca’s heart to look for a way to support the family differently. With the office administration experience she had over the years outside the home and with their business, Rebecca joined the YFC London team in January 2011.
Cindy Rektor
Partner Development/ Event Coordinator
Most of Cindy’s career was in the financial planning industry until 2010, when she decided to retire from the bank and move her efforts to a local charity as a fundraiser. Cindy felt that the not-for-profit industry is where her passion lies and joined YFC to coordinate our various partner events and partner development programs.
Cindy also supports our various community and youth events and is a great encouragement to the YFC London team.
Kat Warren
Cafe Connect Supervisor