Apply to join the NL Youth Forum
The Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Forum gives youth members an opportunity to make their voices heard and ensure girls have a say in Guiding in the province. Volunteering with Youth Forum gives girls the chance to meet other girls from across the province and make a difference in the future of Guiding. Youth Forum is a way to make new friends, develop new skills, strengthen leadership skills, and build a resume.
We are currently looking for a Youth Deputy Chair, Secretary and Pathfinder Liaison to join our already strong group of youth members and make the next Guiding year a great one! The application deadline is June 20. Apply now and be sure to share this opportunity with Rangers and third-year Pathfinders in your unit.
2022 Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Gathering
Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Forum members would like to thank the presenters and attendees of the provincial Youth Gathering.
Unit Takeovers
This year, the GGC NL Provincial Youth Forum is proud to announce an exciting new program to get girls interested in joining us in the future and taking on responsibility, leadership, and planning while having a bit of fun along the way. It’s called Unit Takeovers.
What exactly are unit takeovers?
To sum it up, a date will be set, and due to the current Guiding protocols, we will set up a completely interactive and accessible virtual experience for you!
We’ll play some games, do some activities, and talk all about the Forum and what it means to be a part of it. This is all about learning what else Girl Guides has to offer – outside of regularly scheduled meetings. Ever wondered who comes up with and plans provincial service projects? Who sits down and implements ideas that have real impact? Has the idea of being part of something bigger ever excited you? If so, take this opportunity and learn how you can make the most out of your Guiding experience!
**Closed for the 2021-2022 Guiding year**
If you have any questions, email us at nl-youth@girlguides.ca. We can’t wait to meet you!
Sincerely,
The GGC NL Provincial Youth Forum.
Lend a Hand, Give a Can Service Project
For many of us, the word “need” is spoken without thought. How many times have you
heard your friend declare that they “need” a new pair of jeans, or that they “need” a new tablet?
These possessions are wants, whereas a need is considered the possessions a person requires to
survive and live a safe and healthy life. The most common thing people need but go without is
food. Across Canada there are approximately 1 in 8 households living with food insecurity,
meaning they often do not know where their next meal is going to come from or if they will be
able to eat again in the near future. This adds up to approximately 4.4 million Canadians at a loss
for food and basic needs.
This is why the NL Youth Forum is launching a new service project known as “Lend a
Hand, Give a Can.” This service project will consist of units and Districts across Newfoundland
and Labrador coming together to construct and fill food pantries in their local communities. The
food pantries will be a small structures where members of the community and members of Girl
Guides can leave or acquire donations based on their individual and family needs. The idea
behind the pantries is to support if you have the means, and take if you need the resources. A
detailed list of how your unit/branch can participate will be provided. All of your donations will
remain in your community, either in an existing food pantry or in one a unit in your district
constructs.
As well as supporting those in need, girls will also be rewarded in completing aspects of
the Girls First program, specific to your branch’s program. Units can pre-order a special,
one-time crest designed by the Youth Forum for their participation in the service project. We
would like to thank everyone in advance for their participation in the “Lend a Hand, Give a Can”
service project. If you would like more information on how to participate, please reach out to
nl-youth@girlguides.ca.
Resources:
- Downloadable Poster
- Food Pantry Blueprint Materials List
Sparks
A Food Pantry is like a little cupboard that you may find in places like a parking lot of a store or
church, or even at the end of someone’s driveway. These pantries are filled with items such as
canned food, cereal, rice, pasta and sometimes even soap or shampoo. Food pantries are looked
after by members of the community in which the food pantry is located, and they are placed there
to help people who need help getting food for their families. This means that the food in the
pantry is free for people to take and once people take an item the community will come together
and stock it back up with food for the next person that may need it.
Activity: Collect non-perishable food donations that will be going in the pantries! Find a pantry
in your community to drop your donations to or connect with a Pathfinder/Ranger Unit in your
District who may be building a pantry that needs to be filled.
Possible Donations
- Canned soup
- Canned pasta
- Canned vegetables
- Canned tomato sauce
- Canned beans
- Canned milk
- Pasta noodles
- Kraft dinner
- Cake mixes
- Pancake mix
- Bottle syrup
- Sugar
- Juice Boxes
- Granola bars
- Baby food and Formula
- Teabags
- Coffee grounds
Platform Program Area: Take Action
Theme Area: Your Action
Activity: Hunger Helpers
Brownies
Some people in our communities can’t go to the store or don’t have enough money to get
food, so almost every community has food pantries and food banks to help these people get
enough to eat on a day to day basis. Food Pantries are starting to show up in more and more
communities and are filled by more fortunate people, like us, and looked after by members of the
community. Pantries can also be filled with hygiene items, such as toothpaste or shampoo. This
year, we’re collecting non-perishable food items to fill these food pantries to give help to people
who may need it.
Activity: Collect non-perishable food donations that will be going in the pantries! Find a pantry
in your community to drop your donations to or connect with a Pathfinder/Ranger Unit in your
District who may be building a pantry that needs to be filled.
Possible Donations
- Dry pasta
- Jarred sauce
- Canned vegetables
- Canned fruit
- Cereal
- Juice
- Granola bars
- Cake mix
- Fruit snacks
Platform Program Area: Take Action
Theme Area: Your Action
Activity: Hunger Helpers
Guides
Food Pantries are little holders that can be found in the parking lot of a store, in the driveway of
someone's home, or somewhere else in your community. They are there for anyone who needs
them. Non-perishable food items are put inside for people to take, and once the pantry is empty
the community will fill it back up again. We are doing this service project because food pantries
aren’t very well known or popular in some places in Newfoundland and Labrador. We feel if we
get the word out there, more people will start to know about them and help out in their
community. Guides will be collecting food items to donate to the food pantries.
Activity: Collect non-perishable food donations or essential hygiene items that will be going in
the pantries! Find a pantry in your community to drop your donations to or connect with a
Pathfinder/Ranger Unit in your District who may be building a pantry that needs to be filled.
Possible Donations
- Canned goods
- Quick meals
- Cereals
- Complete meal bags
- Kids lunch bags
- Fresh bread
- Canned soup
- Hygiene products
Program Platform
- Program Area: Take Action
- Theme Area: Your Action
- Activity: Hunger Helpers
Skills you'll build
- Planning
- Character
- Social Awareness
Pathfinders
Did you know that out of every single Canadian city, St. John’s has the worst food insecurity?
The rest of the province isn’t doing so hot either. This needs to change.
As Pathfinders, you girls already know all about food insecurity. You’ve most likely participated
in food collections before - but this service project is different. Now, you get to be in the hot seat.
Your task is to build a free little food pantry for your community. A list of locations where food
pantries already are and a blueprint to build them will be provided to you by the NL Youth
Forum to help you narrow down your area (and will also give you places you can donate to)!
Once the pantry is built you can go to town with decorations and finishing touches. The most
important part is that the creation of these pantries help those less fortunate have a decent meal
on the table, seven days a week. This is what helping your community is all about, so go get
excited!.
Let's go Pathfinders!
List of Donations
- Canned vegetables
- Canned soup
- Brown rice
- Red or white beans
- Hats
- Gloves
- Toothbrushes
- Tea Bags
- Boxed pasta
- Chapstick
- Applesauce
- Pudding
- Canned Tomato Sauce
- Granola Bars
- Trail Mix
- Dried Fruit
- Nuts
Program Platform
Experiment & Create: Design Space
Build Skills: How-To
Take Action: Your Action
Connect & Question: Local Communities
Rangers
Food insecurity is still very prevalent in Newfoundland and Labrador, with the provincecurrently having the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada. 15.9% of households currentlyexperiencing food insecurity, which is far too many. This year our goal is to make non-perishablefood items more accessible to anyone, and everyone by supporting already existing FoodPantries, or building new ones and introducing Food Pantries to more of our communities.
To help fight food insecurity in the province, the NL Youth Forum has compiled a list of alreadyexisting Food Pantries your unit can donate to as well as a list of items to donate, and we alsoprovided a blueprint, as well as a list of build materials you will need to help your unit build one!
Activity: Ranger units are encouraged to build a pantryto erect in their community, and connectwith younger branches who can collect food items to fill them! Ranger units can also collect fooditems and fill existing pantries in their communities to help make food accessible to all.
Program Platform
Take Action: Your Action
Connect & Question: Local Communities
Experiment & Create: Design Space
Existing Pantry Locations
These are some of the existing pantry locations, if you know of more, let us know!
Tuckamore Area
- 141 Frecker Dr, St. John’s
- 721 Southside Rd, St. John’s
- 46 Field St, St. John’s
- 85 Cumberland Cres, St. John’s
- 168 Water St, St. John’s
- 38 Linegar Ave, Shea Heights, St. John’s
- 37 Penney Cres, St. John’s
- 7 Buckmaster Circle, St. John’s
- 64 New Penneywell Rd, St. John’s
- 10 McFarlane St, St. John’s
Ocean’s Edge
- 4 Commonwealth Ave, Mount Pearl
- 14 Pollux Dr, Mount Pearl
- 18 Princeton Cres, Mount Pearl
- 78 Keith Dr, Goulds
Con Ba Su
- 1489 Topsail Rd, Neils Pond Plaza, Paradise
- 93 Ashgrove Dr, Paradise
- Chamberlains - There’s an installation to come by the SUF Lodge.
- 38 Conception Bay Hwy, Manuals
- 528 Conception Bay Hwy, Foxtrap
- 1219 Conception Bay Hwy, Upper Gullies
- 974 Conception Bay Hwy, Kelligrews
- Seal Cove, Robert Parsons Softball Field
- Kennedy’s Lane, Holyrood
- Holyrood South Side, near mailboxes
- Holyrood North Arm, near Healeys Cove sign
- 6 NL-63, Avondale, next to the train station
Eastern Bays
- North Harbour, across from the mailbox
Trefoil Central
Meet the Provincial Youth Council
Sarah S.
Hi! My name is Sarah and I'm from Paradise! I am currently the Youth Chair for the 2021-2022 Provincial Youth Forum. I've been in Guiding for 13 years now - a very long time! I am currently a Bridging Member and in the past I have volunteered with Sparks and Brownies, attended many provincial camps, and even travelled through Guiding. I'm very glad to have the opportunity to be on the Youth Forum this Guiding year and I hope many other girls will get this amazing opportunity as well.
Rebecca V.
Hello! My name is Rebecca and I am from Torbay, NL. My role on the Provincial Youth Forum is Deputy Youth Chair. I have been involved in Girl Guides for 12 years and I am the treasurer and a leader with the 3rd Torbay Brownies. My favourite Guiding activity is making traders for camp! I am very glad to be on the Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Forum and I am excited to see all the great opportunities this year will bring.
Emma C.
Hi! My name is Emma, I am a 4th year Ranger and a 1st year student at Memorial University! I'm the secretary on the GGC Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Youth Forum. This is my third year as secretary and I'm very excited to be back! I'm also a junior leader with the 3rd Torbay Sparks and 3rd Torbay Brownies. In 2021, I won the Shelly Patten Girl of the Year Award!
Rebekah G.
Hi, my name is Rebekah and I am a third year Ranger with the 1st Torbay Rangers. I have been in Girl Guides for 13 years. In 2021 I was the recipient of the Newfoundland and Labrador Ranger of the Year Award. My position on the Youth Forum is Activities and Service Project Coordinator. I am a junior leader with the 1st Torbay Guides and love volunteering with the organization. My favourite part of Guides is camping. I am very excited to be a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Youth Forum!
Sera T.
Hey there! My name is Sera, and I’m from Conception Bay South. This year, I am the Bridging Member and Link Liaison on the Forum. I am a 2nd year Ranger with the 1st Chamberlains Rangers and have spent eleven years in Guiding as a whole. I was a Junior Leader for Sparks last year, and this year I volunteer with a Brownie Group, so I always have something fun to look forward to! My favourite part of Guiding is experiencing a new skill each week. I am super excited to be a part of this Forum and I cannot wait to see what the future holds!
Caroline E.
Hi! My name is Caroline and I am from Conception Bay South, NL. My role this year on the Provincial Youth Forum is Pathfinder Liaison. I have been in Girl Guides for 10 years and I am currently a first year Ranger with the BayShore Rangers. My favourite part about Guiding is doing tent camps. I'm very honoured to be on the Provincial Youth Forum and can't wait to see where this year takes us!