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Wood’s Homes Youth Shelter with Shauna Cohen
Episode 427th November 2022 • The Trifecta of Joy • Tanya Gill
00:00:00 00:36:39

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Making choices aligned with your values is important.  When I was writing The Trifecta of Joy, HELP yourself in a world of change, I felt honoured to be in a place where I could give back to an organization I care about. 

Wood’s Homes Youth Shelter provides a safe, caring, supportive resource for kids when home isn’t. This organization works with families to create stability.  They focus on the safety and needs of youth that find themselves in challenging times. For that reason 2% of all sales of my book go to the shelter.  To ensure that this safe space continues to be the support kids need.

In a beautiful conversation with Shauna Cohen, Program Director of Wood’s Homes Lethbridge, we talk about the importance, impact, and share real stories about kids that have used the services of Wood’s Homes, including the youth shelter, and how it has impacted their lives.

To purchase your copy of The Trifecta of Joy

https://www.amazon.ca/Trifecta-Joy-Yourself-world-change/dp/B0BMSZ8MBL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ANZASEVSSOD7&keywords=the+trifecta+of+joy+tanya+gill+book&qid=1669143278&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjI2IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=the+trifecta+of+joy+tanya+gill+book%2Cstripbooks%2C175&sr=1-1

About the Guest:

A long-time employee of Wood’s Homes, Shauna Cohen is the current Program Manager of all Lethbridge programs.  She has a passion for helping others as a Child and Youth Care Alumni as well as youth advocate.  She’s the mom of two boys, and believes every youth deserves an opportunity to be their best version of themselves.

Follow @woods_homes on Instagram

www.woodshomes.ca

About the Host:

Tanya's mission is to create a legacy of self-love for women that reinforces trust in themselves through our programs, coaching, podcast, and book, The Trifecta of Joy! As Founder and creator of the Trifecta of Joy Philosophy, she combines over 30 years of research and work in various helping fields, to help you achieve your greatest successes!

Using her philosophy of the Trifecta of Joy, her mission is to empower people through their struggles with the elements of awareness, befriending your inner critic and raising your vibe. This podcast is about sharing stories of imperfection moving through life to shift toward possibilities, purpose, and power in your life!

Having had many wtf moments including becoming a widow, struggling with weight and body image issues, dating after loss, single parenting, remarriage, and blending families, Tanya is committed to offering you inspiration and empowerment – body, mind, and spirit!

As a speaker, writer, and coach, Tanya steps into her life’s purpose daily – to INSPIRE HOPE.

Order your copy of the Trifecta of Joy – HELP yourself in a world of change right here.


Get in touch with Tanya and follow the fun and inspiration in other places too!

www.perfectlyimperfect.wtf 

https://www.facebook.com/PerfectlyImperfect.wtf

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-gill-695aa358/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH9VaHVMPa-Vk0l4LTuc_lQ

https://www.tiktok.com/@perfectlyimperfect.wtf?lang=en


Hugs, Hip Bumps, and Go ahead and SHINE!

Xo Tanya


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Transcripts

Tanya Gill:

This is a conversation that will not disappoint. I am so excited and honored to be able to share with you, our listeners, the amazing guests that we have today. Today we have Shauna Cohen and Shauna is a longtime employee of woods homes. She's been with Woods homes, in fact for over 20 years. And she's now the program manager of all of the Lethbridge programs. Now, the reason my friends that I have Shauna here, Shauna, Hi, I'm so glad you're here.

Shauna Cohen:

Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me, it's a pleasure to be here and an honor as well.

Tanya Gill:

Oh, I am just so so grateful for you being here. And the reason I wanted to have you here is because you and I share a passion and that is a passion around helping others. And we are both parents, you are a parents of two boys. I'm a parents of two three boys and a daughter. And, and we both care deeply for youth and, and really for the best outcomes possible for kids. And so when I was in the process of writing my book, which by the way, is right there,

Shauna Cohen:

congratulations, by the way. So excited to read it, I've pre ordered my copy already.

Tanya Gill:

Thank you so so much I am very excited about it is ver it's a dream come true. And I really truly believe that it will land on the hearts that it is meant to. And what but the interesting thing about it is, is that when I was writing it, I realized that I was in a place of privilege where I could use my words to give back. And we all have these opportunities. We all have opportunities where we can can make choices in how we want our decisions in life to impact others, right. And for me, a huge piece of choosing to have 2% of sales go directly to the woods homes Youth Corps shelter was aligned in my own personal values around health and love. Because to me, health and love are about feelings of safety and security and being supported. And knowing that you're not alone. And the US shelter of course, you and I know each other from way back.

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah. Many, many years ago. Lots of work, for sure.

Tanya Gill:

And I think actually when we first started got to know each other You were the one who was running the shelter. Is that right?

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah, well, I actually started as a frontline staff in the shelter fresh out of college, I walked out the back door of the Lethbridge college and I walked into Woods homes three days later. And I was on the team that launched the youth shelter. And I worked in the program frontline for like the first few years that it was open. And then I actually kind of like moved my way on up over the years. And I became team leader, then supervisor, and now program manager. So what was

Tanya Gill:

it like being in those early days of of setting up and offering the shelter to kids in the community?

Shauna Cohen:

You know, it was a really interesting process because I knew like I know, there was a community needs assessment prior to me being hired. So there was a need in the community. And there was a committee that did that. And they kind of set the whole the program up and we refurbish this building and all of the things but I remember coming in on like one of my first shifts thinking like, okay, like, so now, where are the youth? Like, where are we going to find them? Like, how are they going to know about us? Right? And so it did, it was a progression of things over time. And it did take time to establish a reputation to get our name out there. But you know, we did it. And we've been continuing to do that every year with different events in the community and you know, different promotions and all of the things. But I think there's still people out there, even in a small community like Lethbridge, who don't necessarily know about what we have to offer. So that was an interesting journey, that's for sure.

Tanya Gill:

So and the shelter's part of a larger organization, right. Explain what the larger organization of woods homes is about and how it all kind of came to be, if you don't mind? Yeah, so

Shauna Cohen:

we go way back to 1914, where a reverend and his wife, George wood and Annie wood, kind of took in kids while they're found where their fathers went to war. And some of those kids unfortunately became orphans. So it was like a it started as an orphanage and Innisfil, Alberta in 1914. And since then, it's evolved and we are now a nationally recognized and accredited children's mental health center. We have programs in Lethbridge Strathmore, Calgary, Fort McMurray, there's over 40 programs and 500 staff, and it's all of the different kinds of helping sir services that you could ever imagine, like, I don't know that I could even list them all from, you know, street services to group care settings to treatment programs, family programs, walk in counseling, family support, and preservation, like the list goes on and on. So we're really big organization that's really dedicated to the well being and mental health of children and their families.

Tanya Gill:

And, and it's, it's so needed, I understand so deeply that, that all of the programs serve at different levels and at different in different capacities, depending on where families are at. And that is the beauty of the beauty of having resources for families. And, and, and the youth shelter, of course, has a very special place in my heart. And part of the reason that you shelter has a special place in my heart is because I have seen kiddos who didn't have anywhere else to go, and who found themselves there. And, and been in the presence of their fear and their anxiety and their uncertainty, as they've walked through the doors of the shelter, making a personal decision that this was the safest place they could be that night because home wasn't or the streets or some random coach, you know, and and so the shelter was the place. And what I love about the shelter, and what I think it's so important for people to understandable The shelter is, is it's not just a place to sleep. Right,

Shauna Cohen:

right. Yeah, yeah, it's definitely much more than that, you know, it's the safe place to stay, it's a safe place to be, even if you don't need a bed for a night. It's where you can go and chat with staff who are professional, non judgmental, welcoming, and understanding help to find solutions really is the key, right. And, you know, a focus on prevention and early intervention is is also key in the work that we do, because we are trying to prevent further episodes of homelessness, you know, and it's interesting, because kids come from all walks of life, you know, it's not the typical, like, homeless bad kid, or like, you know, something like, like people would assume families have challenges. conflict happens, like that's been our number one reason for referral over the years is family conflict. So you know, it's nice to have a safe place to go where your young person is, the basic needs are going to be met, they're off the streets they're cared for. And then there's professionally trained staff who can help the family sort of solve kind of whatever problems are going on. And, you know, with the hope of, of returning home, if that's a possibility, right. It's a it's definitely a family's first view, from our perspective, but definitely we open up other options just based on you know, what the needs are.

Tanya Gill:

So it is a youth shelter that serves families, what age of kids do you serve?

Shauna Cohen:

So under the age of 18, you know, we've had a wide variety of kids over the years. Typically, it's, you know, the average age is 1516. But we've had kids, I remember one day, when I was the team leader of the shelter, having a, like a nine year old, dropped off at the door by his mom. And, you know, although that was very sad and disheartening, the things that mom was saying, were just not something that a kiddo should, that he should have to hear or be part of. So we took him in. And, you know, we called for additional supports, you know, probably from the environment you were working in at that point in time. And we called for just different supports and services, to be able to provide a an additional level of service to this young person, because, you know, as much as we are a safe place to stay, there are risks involved when you're very, very young to be, you know, connecting with with older youth or, you know, different things on the streets when we would when we unfortunately closed for the day.

Tanya Gill:

Right, right. The shelter isn't open 24 hours. Can you explain that a little bit?

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah. So you know, we, it goes back to the beginning, you know, when we were trying to figure out, okay, who was going to fund the shelter. And we actually had like a joint funding model between the city of Lethbridge and children's services, but we still had a shortfall because it was initially started as a pilot project. So We fundraised for that additional money. But unfortunately, we have never really been able to provide daytime programming Monday to Friday. So we are open from 5pm till 8:30am. And then we have a team leader that works in the day and she helps you know, with school reengagement, the families, the family peace of the work, helps kids find safe places to go during the day, if they don't have that. But luckily, we have done lots of grant writing over the years and we've had remarkable support from the United Way of Lethbridge and southern Alberta and they've funded us a lot for like we You can daytime hours. So although we don't have the funding for the weekdays, we do have an opportunity to keep our shelter open when we're able to over the weekends in the winter, colder months. So that kiddos are, you know, out on the streets on Saturdays and Sunday mornings at 8:30am.

Tanya Gill:

Right, right. And that's the piece to have of being able to recognize that, that these kids needs are, are quite unique, right? If, as adults, we can generally problem solve things a little bit better, but but these are children. Right. And, and I think that there is sometimes a perception that, you know, oh, people have a fight with their kid. And so then their kids just going to run off to the shelter. And and, you know, what is your experience of that? Do you find that the kids that enter your doors or kids that are are in need of intervention, more often than not,

Shauna Cohen:

you know, they're I, you know, this goes back to my school days, there's always a reason for behavior, always, you know, whether it's, you know, not listening to rules, there's always a reason why there's, there's breakdowns in different areas, and there's always something that's a root cause of those behaviors. And so, you know, we definitely do an assessment at the beginning of like, any kind of intake or any inquiry about our services. And basically, what we do is we will just, you know, we will determine what the needs of that youth in that family are. And it might not be shelter at that point in time, we have another youth program, and they're called the Youth support navigators. And they help support young people in connecting to services in the community. They do supported referrals, and like warm handoffs to make sure that they're not just getting the info, but they're attending the appointments, and they're getting to meet the people. So, all in my experience, nine times out of 10, there is some sort of need. So you know, it depends on the level of need, or the acuity of the situation, but there always is something that we can do is what I found, right, you know, and sometimes they just sometimes families, just communication breaks down, and they can't talk and they can't agree, or there's something that happened, or, you know, there's those things, or there's kiddos that have adverse childhood experiences, and we look at those things, too, from a trauma informed perspective.

Tanya Gill:

So let's talk about adverse childhood, Aces adverse childhood experiences, okay. So adverse childhood experiences of those, for those who are not familiar, are significant experiences that someone may have experienced as a child or be experiencing as a child that ultimately will impact the outcome of their wellness in the future. And one of the leading ways to is the word manage No, one of the leading ways to what is the word I'm looking for? Hmm,

Shauna Cohen:

I think just like maybe you're trying to say support and understand where they're coming from,

Tanya Gill:

you know, it's it's the the mitigation of the adverse childhood experience,

Shauna Cohen:

like how to intervene, right? Like,

Tanya Gill:

it's Yes, exactly. So one of the leading ways to impact the outcome of those adverse childhood experiences, is around having a caring adult. Research shows that that having a caring adult makes all the difference in how kiddos navigate, and are able to thrive in life. So what I what I always come back to is sometimes kiddos don't feel like they have that caring adult. And when they walk through the doors of the shelter, they are met with a caring adult.

Shauna Cohen:

Absolutely. Right. They are what it takes one stable and caring adult for sure to make all sometimes a world of difference in a young person's life, right? I think we take a lot of us take for granted, you know, you know, if you've had a, you know, a healthy, well adjusted life, we take for granted certain things that others don't have. And this, this work over the years has really shown me how fortunate I am and you know, how much knowledge I have and how much passion I have in helping these youth that don't necessarily have those, you know, networks of family or natural supports or, you know, the stable home environments or you know, all of those things, right? And so, it's been amazing over these years to be able to give that back to as many youth as we possibly can.

Tanya Gill:

That is so awesome. How many beds does the shelter have? So we have eight beds. Okay, okay, that's yeah, when a youth arrives, you do an intake what other what supports do they get? They get a bed. They get somewhere to sleep for the night and they've got some privacy for their sleep. What else what, what is the shelter like? Can you describe it for sinners. Yeah, so

Shauna Cohen:

they would come in. And you know, of course, safety is at the forefront. So we have to ensure, you know, there's a search completed, and they don't have any sort of contraband or weapons or anything like that. And it's always explained to them that like this is for the safety of you, as well as the others and the staff, right. So they come in and we do an intake, we've basically just sit down and all we talk about at that point in time is, okay, what brought you here today? What what is the issue that brought you here today, we get a little bit more history as we get to know them. And you know, as the we build the relationship, if we can, but we do the intake, we give them a tour around, kind of show them our small space, because it isn't huge. I would welcome anyone to come down for a tour or arrange that with us if you'd like to see it for yourself during business hours. But yeah, like we assigned them a bed, they get a little bit of a locker for purse, their personal belongings that need to be locked up there like cubicle spaces. And so there's curtains in front of them for that privacy that you mentioned. There's showers and bathrooms, there's a laundry facility, there's a kitchen, a small kitchen, where we prepare meals, and they get sent out with a bag lunch after breakfast. You know, it's really, there's really not a treatment component to our services, there's no, you don't have to comply with anything other than like the basic rules of like respect and those kinds of things, right and keeping safety. But it's really, you know, then you meet with staff who just listen and understand help you to, you know, come up with solutions, goals, all the tools that a young person might need to be successful and productive and move forward from where they're currently currently at. So I guess we just determined, you know, we kind of see what the needs are, and then we would determine what services they may need thereafter, do we need to get the family involved? Do we need to refer to our youth support navigators? Do we need to work with the school and re engage them in school? Is it a need for housing, like it just it's really based on the individual needs, and we really, our goal is to not let anybody go without having some sort of support being given some sort of support, to enhance their well being, their safety, all of those things. And just, you know, typically, they maintain their connection with us and do do take that support from us.

Tanya Gill:

This is what makes the shelter something I'm so passionate about, because it is not just a bed, it is about that caring adult, it is about and it is about it. Honestly, for some of these kids, it's about the food in the bag lunch, too, because some of these kids are are really struggling to be fed or to feed themselves. And if they had landed on a friend's couch, then you know, they might have had somebody who listened to them, but not someone with the resources and abilities to help make the connections to set them up. So that success moving forward was possible. Totally. You have any stories that you can share of clients that have had success?

Shauna Cohen:

You know, we definitely have so many success stories, like more than I can even count and even just little tidbits of information that I can think of like, you know, even kids coming back years later to show us their baby being invited to graduations. I had a it was interesting, and it was so like heartwarming, just before I actually share a story with you. But it was so heartwarming last year, because I think I remember the third kid that we ever did an intake with. She came back last year around Christmas time as an adult, and shared her story and her family and kind of where she was at, at that point in her life. And she actually brought a card, a handwritten card about how the shelter can help and gift cards for eight kids, because we have the eight beds. And she donated that to us as an adult and spoke in the card about the profound impact that the shelter had had on her as a as a as a young person. So that was like, I just had to share that because that popped out into my memory. And I just, I worked with her. And you know, there were times where her and I were toe to toe back then. But you know, seeing her, like almost 20 years later, it was like, unbelievably impactful. And it's such an amazing reminder of why we're here. And you know, you don't see those small successes right away. But the impact that you can have on a person, like the direction a person takes in their life is so rewarding. On that note,

Tanya Gill:

it really does come back to that never meet the impact of how you show up, right? Yeah, because you never know even like you said, You guys went head to head nose to nose toes to toes didn't see eye to eye. It may have been challenging and Yeah, years later, she came back with gifts from herself to kiddo, she doesn't even know. Because she believes so deeply in the help that you offer. And you know, like, I want to, I want to just talk about help, because my acronym for help is honor, empathy, love and presence. And I really truly believe that doing things is one thing, but how you show up is the most important part. Right? And, and when kiddos are in crisis, and they show up on a doorstep of a shelter, they're really asking for help. They don't just need the bed, they need someone there who will honor them and where they're at, have empathy for their situation, love them as they are, and be present with them so that they can trust that it's going to be okay.

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah, totally. And they don't always show up, just humbly asking for help. Asking for help comes in different behaviors and different forms.

Tanya Gill:

Right, so you can kids showing up very angry. Right? They can show up in all kinds of different emotions, because of course, they're going through stuff, Otherwise, they wouldn't be showing up at the shelter. Right? Right.

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah, a lot of hurt a lot of hurt, right. And that's what we've seen over time. But, you know, to be able to, to make a difference in, you know, any little difference in any of their lives. It's just, it's just so remarkable. And it's, you know, one of the many reasons why I've stayed at this organization for all of these years is just the values of the organization and what we do and what we strive for. So, it's, you know, it's been a really great, it's been a really great run.

Tanya Gill:

Amazing. I'm so grateful you're here. Okay, so, yeah, I understand my friends, that there are lots of rules around sharing stories of clients because of confidentiality. What is beautiful, though, is that you actually have clients who have provided their story in their words to share. And before we started recording, you shared one with me that almost had me in tears. So I just was wondering, would you share that with our listeners, please? It would be my pleasure

Shauna Cohen:

to do so you. Okay, so this, this is about a youth who shares personal struggles and challenges. And she says, I'm really grateful for the influence and the impact that what's homes in Lethbridge has had on my life. The support they continue to provide to me as I go through my journey is more than I could ever ask for. I came to the emergency use shelter when I was 16. Because I had nowhere else to go. I stayed a couple of months until I could find a job. The staff then helped me find a place to stay first on my own. And then through the stabilization units when I got more secure work and could live on my own. I needed help with my mental health because things weren't going so well. But the staff really helped me and showed me how to cope with things and they gave me strategies. They also pointed me to a program called forward life impact where young people like me learn skills about life and work. They also connected me to my therapist and a place called home base that helps me stay stable with my mental health and housing. After being under the wings of woods homes for five years, I have learned a lot about relationships. I've come a long way, from not wanting anything to do with my family to now my relationship with them is much better. And I see them pretty often. None of that would have happened without the dedication, patience and support I received from the staff. I'm really grateful for all they have done for me. And I feel like staff is still there for me with open arms kind of feels like a second home. There's always someone who I can talk to. They've been really patient with me and forgiving during times I was feeling low. But I can't say enough about how their encouragement has made all the difference in my life. I found out that Woods Holmes is always there to help you no matter where you are in your journey signed a grateful youth.

Tanya Gill:

A grateful youth. That is such an incredible example of how the shelter truly works, right. Like lots of people think a kid goes in, they have a rough night they have a fight with a parent, you know, you start putting in some resources and the kid goes on but this this, this youth actually was there for a significant significant amount of time because of the challenges that were going on. And so temporarily the shelter was their home. And then in that process of engaging in connection, they described the different resources that you connected them with them. made a difference in their mental health, in their housing stability in their relationship with their family, and how they're managing to move forward. And also being able to say, I know at any point, I can go back to Woods homes, because they'll be there to support me. Right?

Shauna Cohen:

Absolutely. And, you know, it's so wonderful that she still does, you know, I just, we, you know, we help them when we can give them a leg up some grant money, okay, you need a bus pass to get to your new job, like, perfect, we're gonna help you. And you know what she does to give back, it's so cool. She is the most amazing artist. So when we have like online auctions for raising money for our shelter, which is one is coming up, actually, this December, she makes us art to auction off. And I actually have one in my office and the art is unbelievable. So potentially, stay tuned for some of that, because we would like to include some art of maple, like a few of our youth in our upcoming auction.

Tanya Gill:

That is so beautiful, and such an interesting reciprocal way for these kiddos to say thank you, right, like, it's their way of contributing to something that has made such a difference for them. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and I think it really comes down to our values, right? At the end of the day, it comes down to our values, what, what is important to us what is important, what really at the core of who we are, is important around, taking care of others taking care of ourselves, and being able to recognize that we are all connected in some way. Right? The shelter is a small piece of woods, but it's an important piece to me, because again, it's about that safe place to start. And then the resources moving forward. Yeah. And, and, and any information that you have about upcoming stuff, I would love to be able to share it on my social media, and any links you have, I'll send it in my emails, because, again, I just believe so wholeheartedly in the importance of these kinds of resources for kids. And without them, I fear, and I'm just being really honest, I fear that they may find themselves in other places that are significantly less safe, and especially don't have resources for them.

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah. And like that, you know, that is sort of like a huge piece that guides us, right. Like, there's so much risk of vulnerable youth being exploited in so many ways, by so many unsafe and unknown individuals. That is like, at the forefront of our concern, right. So, you know, even if a parent is saying, Nope, I'm not giving consent for my child to stay at the shelter, you know, sometimes we'll get on the phone and say, you know, what, like, we're a safe place, as opposed to, you know, the other kinds of risks that are out there on the street, right, like, so I think it's more just about explaining and understanding and not, you know, not keeping the family out of out of the journey, right, like involving them as much as we possibly can. But you know, also educating the family as well around the risks to young people in our community. So

Tanya Gill:

well, and that's another element that I think it's really important people understand is when when a youth comes to the shelter, you will have the responsibility to reach out to their legal guardian to get consent for them to stay.

Shauna Cohen:

Yeah, yeah, we definitely don't admit a young person without some sort of consent. We go to the family first, if that's feasible, sometimes there are situations where we can't go directly to the immediate family, but we definitely have a close connection with other services in our community. One of those is Children's Services, right, if we involve them if we absolutely have to. But there's always someone who is aware of the whereabouts of the young person accessing our services.

Tanya Gill:

Nice. Oh, this has just been so lovely. This has been so lovely. And I you know, it's, it's a funny thing, because the trifecta of joy is about awareness, befriending your inner critic and raising your vibration. And, you know, as youth who are in that situation, I really see that, that the services and the support of the shelter is about them taking the awareness of the situation there and being in a space where they're getting support, to be able to be friends, that inner critic and work with all of the challenges that are happening so that they can move forward and move through with more positivity and more goodness and basically a raised vibration by being supported by the caring adults that are there. Yeah, and, and it's so incredibly important again, it's why I am so excited about being able to contribute a small portion of the book sales to the shelter on an ongoing basis. And also, with the book launch locally in Lethbridge, having you come with people having an option to buy a bed. Alright, I know you've done the via bed several times in the past. And I really just think like, people don't realize that a donation of $25 can go such a long way, in making a difference for a youth for a night, and ongoing.

Shauna Cohen:

Unbelievably So, right, like, it's just even the awareness piece, right. But every little contribution helps in some way, whether it contributes to the operation of our services, or it buys like hygiene items, so that we can provide those to youth when they come or, you know, maybe they need haircuts for a job, or, you know, the list goes on and on, right? Like there are so many things that you can contribute with just that small amount of money that those kiddos wouldn't necessarily have had. Right? So every little bit helps. And we rely and we appreciate so much the, you know, the support, it's not even just now, Tanya, like, let's be honest, you've been a attendee of our gala, as you've been a friend of woods homes over the years, and you've promoted us, and you've nominated us, and you've done all these things, because of your passion for helping people and you know, your work over a long time with with youth and families. Right. So, you know, we appreciate that, and we appreciate every donor out there. Even if it's just a small amount, it's it's a contribution, and it's awareness, and it's word of mouth. And it's knowing that people are going to know where young people and families can go for help when they really need it, and they don't have anyone else to turn to. And you know, it's just, there's no shame in asking for help, because sometimes families just can't handle it alone. I mean, you just need help, or kiddos they need a leg up, right. And that's what we're here for. So we're honored to be a part of this whole your book launch and the success of it, and I'm excited for the event. Yeah, it should be really great.

Tanya Gill:

I'm just thrilled, I'm just thrilled that I can, in my small way, contribute to something that I care deeply about. And I think that we all can find our own ways to contribute to things that we care about, whether it be financially or in time or in donations, or in energy, there are always ways that we can make choices that align with our values to make the world a better place. And, and I know, Shauna, that you having been with that organization for 20 years, clearly, are there still because of the deep way that you care about making the world a better place for families and youth?

Shauna Cohen:

100%. And, you know, like, I mean, I've grown up in this organization, right? Like, not only have, have they, or have we helped people, many, many people 1000s of people in our community, but you know, you learn and you grow as a person within a caring organization that really puts as much effort into their staff group as they do, the clients we serve, right, like, and we've seen the outcomes that have proved the successes that we've had over time. So I just I honestly couldn't imagine myself anywhere else.

Tanya Gill:

So wonderful. It is so wonderful. Shauna, thank you from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to have an interview and to be able to chat with our audience about something that is so near and dear to my heart. For people who are interested in getting the book, or attending the events, the links will be in the show notes. And again, this is this is Shauna Cohen, from Woods homes, w o de apostrophe s homes, Children's Services, right, is that the full title? Woods homes. So

Shauna Cohen:

we're what's homes and then we just we have different programs. So the core is the emergency shelter. Yeah. And then we have the family connections, and we have a youth support navigators, like we've got all we've got things going on all the time. But if you want to learn more about our programs, or the agency go to www dot what's homes.ca

Tanya Gill:

Perfect WWW dot woods homes.ca To find out more about the programs, the shelter and all of the wonderful things that they do. Shawna from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here.

Shauna Cohen:

Thank you so much for having having me and taking the time to share our our work.

Tanya Gill:

Absolutely. It is my pleasure. And my honor to our listeners. Thank you so much for listening and take a look at the things in your life that matter to you. What organizations do you fall behind and why? What difference do they make in your community? And how can you share yourself in whatever way to keep making the world A better place from the bottom of my heart I'm so glad you were here have a gorgeous day and thank you mwaaah

Shauna Cohen:

thank you so much

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