emilyWith the help of our donors, Emily turned her life around

At twenty-one, Emily has already worked with some of the city’s hardest-to-serve populations.  She’s worked with homeless youth and adult sex-trade workers.  Her work has taken her to inner-city neighbourhoods – many with a history of violence and crime, and often in the last hours of the night.  It’s demanding work.  It requires strength and perseverance.  But it’s work that Emily is definitely up for.

We’ve known Emily for many years and are not surprised at all by her success, but even Emily agrees that things looked very different for her when she first arrived at CDI just twelve years ago.

A tough time at school leads to a tough time at home

“Things were hard for me as early as grade three,” recalls Emily. “I was bullied and tormented by the other students. I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t participate in any activities. I’d often eat lunch in the bathroom just to avoid confrontation.  At school I was closed off and withdrawn.”

But once she got home from school, she lashed out. “I’d explode at my mother and younger sister. I’d fly off the handle in a matter of seconds and even trivial disagreements could escalate into full blown fits of rage. I was so angry.

“For years my parents tried to get me help.  Nothing seemed to work for me. I admit I had given up on the idea of getting better or feeling normal. And then we found what we were looking for.”

Emily remembers arriving at the Girls Connection program at the age of nine. It was very different from what she was expecting. “I didn’t feel judged at all by staff or the other girls. The setting had a very positive vibe. It was a safe place to be who I was and work on my problems with people I trusted. CDI came to feel like a second home.”

Thanks to you, things began to look up

Things did eventually begin to change for Emily. She felt better about herself.  She learned how to make friends. She felt happier and more relaxed.  After a couple of years, Emily went on to volunteer with CDI, first mentoring girls in the same program that had helped her, then working at Camp Wimodausis.

Twelve years after Emily first walked through our doors, she knows the positive effect CDI has had on her life. “My past experience has made me compassionate to others and fuelled a passion to advocate for people who are marginalized ‐ a group I can relate to. My experience at CDI has also taught me that even when things are bad or seem hopeless, they can change. That’s a lesson I carry with me every day.”

Thank you to all the donors who support CDI and Girls Connection. Your commitment means that every year women like Emily get the help they need in time.