Hello everyone,
I know it has been a while since you’ve read about my adventures visiting our TNM groups across the province!
A few weeks ago, I got to visit our TNM group in the Peel region with our partner agency EveryMind Mental Health Services. As many of you may know, I used to be a youth facilitator in the network prior to becoming the Network Coordinator…..and TNM Peel was my group! It was where my love and appreciation for the network first began.
As you can imagine, this was a very exciting group visit for me, being around someone who once was my adult ally and mentor, and other youth who knew me prior to my role as Network Coordinator. There was no need for introductions, as we just got straight into reconnecting and laughing.
The youth shared with me that they have been working on creating a series of podcasts discussing “A year since COVID”, self care and mental health. Which was so exciting to hear, since podcasts have been so popular amongst our TNM groups as a way to connect with youth virtually, especially after the very long year we’ve all had. The group will also be hosting a Virtual Wellness Discussion near the end of the month!
As one youth shared that they would be transitioning on from TNM, we spent the remainder of our time sharing the impact TNM has had on us! One of the highlights was hearing the impact the adult ally has had on the youth. Youth shared that the introduction to TNM gave them the opportunity to connect with others, find their voice and gave them the purpose they needed to advocate for themselves, their peers and their community. This reminded me of my own experience within this group, and how this adult ally had uplifted and believed in me, and all that I could bring to the network! Our adult allies are the anchors of TNM, without them we could not do the work we do.
Thank you to the youth and adult ally for welcoming me back to my TNM group and making me feel so special! I can’t wait to see you soon at DTL 2021!
See you all soon on Zoom,
Fizza Abbas, Network Coordinator
