Steinbach Youth For Christ has a strong connection with at risk youth in the community and plays a role in educating and mentoring youth in drug awareness.

Executive Director Reuben Singh says YFC works primarily with at risk youth at the Backstage Drop in Centre and skate park in Steinbach. He says their goal is to help them fall in love with Jesus Christ through responsible evangelism, and bring them into a healthy community. He notes it is a very hands on process that can be very hard work sometimes.

Singh says YFC works with a lot of broken people who are looking for ways to numb their pain.

“The young people that we work with, some of them will be involved in drugs and will be involved in alcohol and other addictive behaviors, and so we enter into that with them and we walk with them.”

Signh says building relationships and journeying with youth is very important.

“Through conversation and interaction we get to know them, we build relationships and learn about their life, then we can enter into their space and walk them in some of this stuff. If they just talk about things that are just going on in life we can have a conversation about what it is that they are doing to cope in those types of situations.”

Singh says drugs are absolutely not allowed on their premises and when they become aware of them it is called into the RCMP. He notes it is important to confront individuals with drugs and make sure they know it Backstage is not a place where drugs are welcome.

“Because of the type of young people that we work with who are using drugs, it does get brought here, and unfortunately we don't always catch it, but those young people in our community still need people to help them through their tough times. When the young people themselves come that is a good thing, when they bring their substance it is not.”

Singh says some of the youth that come to YFC have a very relaxed view of drugs, noting some of them do not even consider marijuana a drug, they only classify 'harder' drugs as drugs. With that in mind Signh says there is a need for a greater awareness about the effects and dangers of drugs.

Singh says YFC has a big responsibility in Steinbach to at risk youth, but they are not alone in this journey. He refers back to the old adage “it takes a community to raise a child”. He says that includes the schools, churches, the RCMP, Addictions Foundation, and Families.

“I just think we have a great opportunity right now to educate the young people in our community, to walk with them and care for them right now. That is an opportunity that not only we have at Backstage but in our community in general. we have a good opportunity to walk with them and care for them and support them.”