Terra relies on volunteers, financial and in-kind donations to offer services and support our teen parents.
At Terra, our specialized team tailors programs and services to meet the needs of each teen parent. Always safe, never judgemental. Learn more about what we have to offer our young families.
At Terra, we’re lucky to have the support of many individual and group volunteers. The impact of their many helping hands is reflected in our families’ success.
As a sign of our gratitude, we give out Volunteer Awards each year to thank and recognize a selection of our volunteers—those who’ve made a significant impact on our organization and the young families we serve.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 19-24), here’s the list of this year’s recipients, along with their contributions as volunteers.
Terri has been a volunteer with our Child and Family Support Centre for nearly 2 years. In this time, she’s been a constant support to both our educators and children.
Friendly, kind and dedicated, Terri is always ready to jump in, whether it’s playing with the children at their level, supporting them through routines, or taking a quiet moment to read a book with them.
She also leads yoga classes for our entire staff, providing a space to unwind and de-stress at the end of a busy day.
Madison is a participant with Terra’s Family Outreach program and a resident within Terra’s housing partnership at Brentwood Homes.
She loves Indigenous beading and wanted to share that same passion and knowledge with others. So, she started a beading group teaching other Terra participants how to make beaded earrings, necklaces, lanyards, and barrettes.
The group quickly took off and today, it’s so much more: the group has become a safe place to form friendships, share parenting tips and struggles, give and receive advice, and talk about Indigenous culture.
Cindy has been a volunteer with our Clothes Closet at Braemar School since 2019.
Even as other volunteers transitioned out of the role, Cindy’s dedication has remained the same. Creative and innovative, she’s organized the space to both attractively display the clothing for our young parents and ensure the service runs smoothly.
Cindy also acts as a Child Care Support volunteer 3 hours per week.
Tim, John, Rob and Mikayla of the Kozens family are long-time volunteers with our annual Participant Holiday Party.
Every year, they load and transport 30-40 highchairs from our downtown office to the event venue. This allows our staff to stay focused on the event and our families to enjoy a warm holiday meal together making memories. After the event, they’re always the last to leave, helping with clean-up and returning the highchairs.
Their contributions are extra special, honouring the legacy of Kathy Kozens, the heart of our Family Outreach team for almost 27 years before she passed away in May 2019. Through them, Kathy’s legacy lives on.
Global Edmonton is an amazing supporter!
In just 2 years, they’ve donated more than $25,000 to us through their annual Global Edmonton Wardrobe Sale. But, their support doesn’t stop at raising funds. Through advocacy and thoughtful coverage, they’ve also helped us raise awareness about our organization and reduce the stigma associated with teen parents.
Lives in Transition helps women affected by domestic violence re-enter the workforce or pursue further education.
As part of the program, clients complete a community project—and they chose our Braemar School Lunch Program! Clients made and served lunch once per month, ensuring our young moms had a healthy, nutritious lunch at school. For some, this is the most substantial meal they have all day.
Every Tuesday, the team at The Salvation Army arrives at Braemar School with a delicious hot lunch and handles all food service, leftovers, and clean up!
This Christmas, they also recognized that our families could benefit from The Salvation Army Toy and Food Christmas program. Many of our participants received hampers, making it a joyful holiday for all.
To all of our volunteers, thank you for the support! Your selfless acts of time and energy empower teen parents to succeed.