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.
HISTORY OF YFC
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:
• Maintaining the organization’s mission and purpose
• Ongoing support, accountability and guidance for 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
Randy Bird, Chair – Co-Owner & VP of Operations, FCFP
Jeff Ste. Marie, Secretary – Teacher, Laurier Secondary School
Christene Scrimgeour, Treasurer – Chartered Accountant, Scrimgeour & Co
Sue Gowan, Former Chair – Consultant
Graham Stuart, Board Member – Owner, McHardy Vacuum
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.

James Coolidge
Executive Director
James brings to the team over 30 years of leadership and ministry with youth. As a child, he had an innate passion to see people discover the love and hope of following Jesus. Nothing has changed today. His desire is that every young person in London would have an opportunity to make an informed decision about following Jesus.
James has the privilege of leading a passionate and engaged team of leaders who journey with youth in all walks of life, while bringing the hope of Jesus to every relationship. Our hope is that London’s future will be filled with compassionate community engaged leaders who have their identity secured in Christ.

Jared Dyck
Youth Worker - Recreation and Leisure
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
Director of Program Development
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.

Jay Lawrence
Youth Worker - Recreation and Leisure
Jay was born in South Africa, and his passion for youth ministry began there. He later moved to England where he was the director of a non-profit organization working with inner-city youth through soccer and projects in schools.
In 2012, Jay moved his family to Canada to join the staff at YFC London where he now focuses on engaging with community youth through sport. Jay leads the Community Basketball program and coaches teams at Laurier Secondary School in the community.

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.

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.

Sarah Webb
Cafe Connect Barista
Sarah has been a barista for 3 years and fell in love with how easily an amazing community can be built around a well executed cup of coffee. She is looking forward to bringing that atmosphere into our cafe.
Sarah has had 5+ years experience working & leading youth through her church in Pennsylvania.
She’s passionate about helping youth to see their full potential in the kingdom of God and hopes to do so while teaching them the ins and outs about specialty coffee.

Kat Warren
Cafe Connect Supervisor
