Head and Hands reported a small surplus this year, but was quick to note that its financial situation is similar to many not-for-profit organizations: precarious.

For 35 years, Head and Hands has been providing services to “at risk” youth to better both their mental and physical health. The organization held its general assembly June 15 at the Empress Cultural Centre to celebrate its achievements as well as look to the future.

As outgoing President of the Board of Directors Michael Spivock wrote in his annual report, “many of the sources of funding […] are not renewable and increasing sources of revenue to ensure sustainability of our services remains a challenge.”

The staff and volunteers at Head and Hands have managed to complement varying degrees of government support with fundraising in order to keep the organization afloat.

This permits them to keep on providing services such as social workers, nurses who

educate youth on matters such as sex education and drug education. The centre also provides access to legal advice and help to young parents. Also, Head and Hands has partnered with the city of Montreal to provide the NDG area with a youth house.

The Head and Hands centre looks to the community to give back if they can.

“Think outside the ivory walls, we live in a very diverse city where some youth and families live in marginalized conditions.”

“Students can help,” said Marlo Turner, executive director of the organization.

“They can call us to volunteer for a short or long term; they can show up at our events,” he said. “I’d just like to challenge students; think outside the ivory walls, we live in a very diverse city where some youth and families live in marginalized conditions.”

The centre is inherently political—some of Head and Hands’ major grievances include the cuts to sexual education in the new provincial education reform, the proposed increase in the age of consent by the Conservative government as well as the increased police profiling in the city’s metro stations.

It’s in reaction to this last issue that a rally in conjuncture with CKUT radio will be held today, June 20, in front of the Vendôme metro station. The goal of the event will be to end racial profiling. Head and Hands will also be holding a series of concerts, the first one being the Urban Blueprint on July 13 at Sala Rossa. All proceeds will be going to the J2k program, NDG’s youth house.

The general assembly was followed with an exhibition called “Raising Mom” created by the parents from the Young Parents Program. The artists, all of them young mothers, attended workshops while their children were cared for by volunteers. Some of the art includes three casts of pregnant tummies filled with poems, colours, collages and paintings. The expo runs until June 26.

Get information about Head and Hands and ways you can help by signing up for the e-newsletter at www.headandhands.ca.

Visit the art exposition at the Empress Cultural Centre, 5560 Sherbrooke West.