Youth building skills at Young Guns Garage.

Hey, this is Chad, and I would like to invite you to contribute toward the growth of our youth program over this holiday season.

Young Guns Garage is a non-profit automotive program by Youth Unlimited focused on giving youth opportunities to develop skills, build into who they are and find a place of value in the world.

There is a big need for skilled and confident people to join the workforce, yet many high school shop programs are shutting down, and it has become harder to seek out places to learn these skills. On top of this, issues with depression, drug addiction and apathy have all been growing rapidly, greatly affecting our youth. Our space allows young people to try out different things, see what they enjoy doing, and then work alongside peers and mentors to develop their abilities while building character in a healthy community.

Here's a short video:

https://www.younggunsgarage.com

Our ask:

A brief history:

We started out in 2019 offering a free after school mechanics program in a highschool shop. On the first day we had 25 kids show up and from there the program took off.

In 2020, we were forced to move due to the covid pandemic, however a shop space was generously donated and we continued to build our program and community.

In 2021, support continued to grow and we signed a lease on our own shop space!

Today, we offer multiple drop-in times in our shop, while continuing to run the after school program at a local highschool.

The shop environment has been powerful not only in its ability to create practical skills, but also in the community it shapes and the impact it has on mental health. By coming together around a shared passion and working together to complete projects we see a huge amount of growth in confidence, health and character development. In many ways working on projects becomes a powerful form of therapy.

We have found that there are so many young people looking for opportunities to try their hand at different things and be a part of a strong, healthy community. Not only that but we have found a great group of volunteers willing to give their time and teach what they know. Many of our volunteers are experienced and qualified in skills and trades of their own such as mechanics, CNC machining, plumbing, business and much more. Multiple times a week these students and volunteers come together and create an environment that is accelerated towards learning and personal development. We build cars, go-carts, robots and a variety of different projects. We participate in local events, we build friendships, and we grow together.

Looking at the bigger picture there is an urgent need for skilled individuals to join the workforce. Trade shortages are already becoming an issue, and in Western Canada it is estimated there will be a shortfall of 60,000 skilled workers by 2025. As a society we need to find new ways of promoting skills development and provide opportunities for young people to try their hands at different things to see what they excel at.

We are asking for your help.

We want to come together as a wider community for our young people, together seeing them become all they can be.

Thank you for your consideration,

Chad

This is a program operates under Greater Vancouver Youth Unlimited, a non-profit youth organization. Charitable receipts will processed by Paypal Giving Fund.