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The Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa has been part of my life for 17 years. I first came to them as a young person, looking for help. I was in a very vulnerable place in my life, and needed help [...]

I can tell you from my years of experience as a police officer—YSB is an essential and vitally needed service in this community. Without YSB there’d be a lot more youth on the street, lined up at [...]

I received therapy through YSB a few years ago as a 20-year-old university student living downtown.  Despite having everything so together on the surface (I was a full-time Health Science student [...]

When Jordan was 13 he started to use drugs, which led to him hanging around the streets at night. “You can’t go home [high] at three in the morning or your parents will question you. Slowly, I [...]

I was 18 when I first got involved with the drop-in. My friend referred me—said it was a good place to go. I used the drop-in for 2-3 years before I decided to join the Youth Engagement program. [...]

When I was almost 17, my daughter was almost a year old. I was depressed and living at home in an abusive situation. My parent was constantly at my back to get out of the house, and things got so [...]

This is a story about a kid I know. He’s actually 23 years old right now, but he says most of his teenage years were wasted on getting high and trying to be an adult. He’s trying to relive his [...]

I ask myself where I would be today without the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa. I wouldn’t have the education I have today, a B.A. and a Master’s degree. When I became a mother at a [...]

Alicia’s mother started using drugs, which led to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) being involved with her family. She was removed from her home after about four months of involvement and placed [...]