Sharing friendship
A Social Life group enjoys their time together at the New Westminster Youth Centre.
By Stephanie Frey
Hi, my name is Stephanie Frey and my son just turned 19 last year.
During the transition process, I realized that my son would always need some support when it came to friendships. I decided to start A Social Life group and partnered with the City of New Westminster Youth Centre and CLBC’s Simon Fraser Region.
We meet every second Sunday for two hours at the brand new Youth Centre complete with gaming tables, kitchen, video games, indoor basketball court and a great outdoor space. To date, we have had a great amount of interest and good turnouts. Individuals are coming from all over the Lower Mainland to hang out, be active and cook together.
Parents and caregivers stay to enjoy a coffee, share stories, chat about resource ideas and find some positive connection. Community volunteers assist with set up, activities, social time and clean up. These times together might seem simple and brief, but the support and time together is invaluable. While we are focusing on basic connection time, it is my hope that they might blossom over time to be lifelong friendships and it’s exciting to think about where that might lead.
To learn about upcoming meetings of A Social Life group, please visit www.asociallife.net or e-mail asociallife@yahoo.com.
