CARE Canada is extremely fortunate to receive support for our mission and work from so many different individuals, groups, companies and organizations. Kayla Chutter and Jasmine Renn, two members of The Vancouver Youth CARE Committee, share the story of how this special group of young people came to be, past and future initiatives, advice to young people wanting to make a difference and more.
The Vancouver Youth CARE Committee (YCC) is a group of students and facilitators who are passionate about social justice and women’s rights. Since its launch in 2017, the YCC has evolved tremendously-more than tripling its size, developing a social media presence, and hosting events.
The YCC works in support of CARE Canada’s mission and work by further spreading CARE’s message that the world is better when she leads too, promoting CARE initiatives, engaging with the local Vancouver community, and educating others on intersectional feminism. The YCC also acts as a hub and a support system for youth who are interested in hosting their own initiatives at school or in the community to advocate for women’s rights.
Our committee has about four meetings per year which consist of planning future events, hearing from guest speakers, brainstorming new committee ideas, creating social media content, and reflecting on past initiatives.
Committee members organized and ran Waterloo’s first Walk in Her Shoes event in 2020, hosted an Education Zone at Vancouver’s Walk in Her Shoes event in 2018, organized multiple International Women’s Day festivities at our respective schools, created an Instagram initiative called @wildflower_finds to raise money for CARE Canada, held movie screenings, a Water Walk, a Day of Silence and more!
If you’re a young person eager to make a difference, our advice to you would be to just do it! Whatever causes or issues matter to you-whether it is an ongoing socio-economic issue or creating opportunities for yourself and others-take action! Until the YCC came together, many of us did not realize how many incredible people also share the same aspirations and passions. Especially right now, online platforms are more important than ever and utilizing these platforms can help further your reach and impact!
Sometimes, the change that you want to make is not instant. Consistency is key: do not give up after your first attempt! And certainly, do not think that your idea is not good enough or not worth sharing. Making a positive change does not require a person to hold the highest position in a team. It does not matter if you are a member, executive or president; your contributions are needed and valued.
Lastly, recognize that you are the future. Every action you take is slowly shaping our communities for future generations, so it is important to remember to pay it forward. Together, we can all support one another and be the voices that inspire and motivate others!
As part of CARE’s month-long #March4Women campaign, we’re all listening, learning from and amplifying the voices of women leaders both in Canada and around the world. As such, we’d love to finish this post by highlighting some women leaders who have inspired the council! More recently, our council discussions have touched on the work of role models such as Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Helen Reddy, Greta Thunberg, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and so many more. We all feel very fortunate to live in a time where we have more and more female change-makers to look up to!
Follow the Youth Council for CARE on Instagram