Across Newsletter May 2022

MAY 2022 ISSUE

Across U-hub Let's get together!

CONTENTS Message from Executive Director - 01 Appreciating our bi-cultural identity - 02

Message from Executive Director This year marks the 20th anniversary of Across U-hub.

Now is the time to celebrate our commitment to creating an environment where every young person feels a sense of belonging to build connections and relationships. We especially celebrate our positivity, initiative, resilience and our continued commitment over the past two years to support young people throughout the challenges of COVID-19.

While it’s hard to make predictions about the future, one thing is certain – that our youth communities have an urgent need for human connection. The challenges of pandemic life do not discourage us – instead, it has inspired us using social media and other online tools for enabling our youth to meet others, develop friendships, and create a real, human connection with other people. We continue to strive to provide safe spaces for young people to express their feelings, emotions, and desires. Our goal is, and continues to be, the creation of a deep sense of community and connection among our youth.

伙

This month, we begin work on “ Wall”, a mural that illustrates the stories of young people. The walls of the Across U-hub will be transformed into blank canvases where young emerging artists, will guide young people into sharing their stories in a visual way. The results of “ Wall” will be presented at the Across Uhub centre this summer.

伙

Nicole Wong

Message from Executive Director con't During brainstorming sessions with emerging young artists, I was inspired and amazed by their stories, creativity, and passion to teach others how to express themselves through art. I am sure you are as eager as I am to meet the young people who come to our center and draw their own stories on the walls. I promise to keep you posting, so stay tuned.

More than ever, our young people need spaces where they share and be supported. Please join us in creating these spaces, by making a donation to the “ Wall” mural. Donations can be made by calling 905-944-1944, or online at https://acrossuhub.app.neoncrm.com/forms/generaldonation-form

伙

We thank you for your continued support, and look forward to you joining us in celebrating our 20th anniversary.

As always, have a blessed day.

Appreciating our bi-cultural identity Tiffany Ore Three months ago, the staff team at Across was brainstorming some possibilities of workshops that our audience might be interested to join. One of our good friend’s name came to our mind: Jireh Leung.

He was born in Toronto and raised in a family that practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Under the influence of his father, he gained first-hand clinical experience starting from a very young age.

However, in the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine, there was a stigma that it is done by THE OLD, for the SENIOR population. As a young Canadian born TCM practitioner, Jireh’s journey was certainly not easy. He went from not knowing how to read a single Chinese character and speaking very limited Cantonese, to communicating fluently with his patients in Chinese. I was also touched by how he took up the responsibility to carry on his father’s business. He worked towards reinterpreting and expanding the acceptance of TCM, making it more known and accessible to younger and Canadian-born generations and the community.

As a practitioner, Jireh’s approach is to dig deep into his cultural roots, reflect and learn from it, and then integrate his knowledge with western culture. He acts as a bridge to promote the valuables that are in his Chinese culture background.

Appreciating our bi-cultural identity con't Similarly, many Chinese-Canadian youth may also act as a bridge between the two cultures, carrying-on family traditions. It can be frustrating and bring on feelings of lostness. Sometimes they might be confused about their identities. Jireh’s story provides a perspective of how a local-born individuals can embrace their roots and cultural background.

I sincerely invite you to join us at the “Chat with TCMP” workshop on June 23rd, not only to know more about TCM but also to chat with Jireh and other participants that may have had similar struggles.