Twelve youth protection foundations announced that they are coming together in a large group on Tuesday. This new organization will help young people from the DPJ transition into adult life. “These are the adults of tomorrow and we want to give them hope,” explained Benoît Duplessis, president of the group.
The 12 regional foundations are already helping young people pursue their post-secondary studies and settle in their first apartment. They offer backpacks and school supplies, Christmas baskets, clothing, moral support services, holiday camps and sports activities.
By coming together in the Regroupement des fondations pour la protection de la jeunesse du Québec (RFPJQ), Benoît Duplessis hopes to make the organizations better known to the population, but also to young people who could use the services. “Yesterday, the foundations worked in silos. Today, the combination creates synergies […] in order to give more to young people who are in need,” he said during a press conference in Montreal.
The new organization also launched the aidonslesjeunes.com website to collect donations. “Make a gift that gives hope. Let’s help these young people to succeed in life, but above all to succeed in their lives,” added Mr. Duplessis.
“The tools to live as an adult”
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Nicholas Zorn
Nicolas Zorn himself would have liked to benefit from the services of a foundation when he was young, but these did not exist. The founder of the Quebec Observatory of Inequalities project lived in a youth center from the age of 11 to 18. He dropped out of high school, dropped out of CEGEP, dropped out again to finally succeed in obtaining university degrees. He is currently a doctoral student in political science.
“When you are a young person from the DPJ, you don’t have the tools to live as an adult. You don’t know where to turn. But today, I know that young people can turn to foundations,” explains the man who is involved in the Laurentian organization.
Mr. Zorn explains that the foundations help young people with simple gestures such as providing them with a cell phone, but they also allow some to realize their dreams. “You can’t know how young people in the youth centers are, they don’t feel part of the group. However, today we are sending them the message that there are programs to give them a hand because yes, they can go to university. Yes, they can succeed in life. Yes, they are part of the group,” Zorn said in a touching statement.
The Regroupement des foundations pour la protection de la jeunesse du Québec offers its services in addition to those of the State. In Quebec, 45,000 reports are retained each year by the DPJ. This figure is constantly increasing.