WAK Youth Program

10/15/2026

🌟 A little glimpse of the fun we've had this week at WAK! 💛

From doing activities with the lovely ladies from Open Doors and getting creative in the kitchen; cooking with Coral, there's been plenty of fun, laughter, and lovely moments along the way! 👩🏼‍🍳

It's all about trying new things, spending time together, and making memories. What a great week it's been!🥰🙌🏻

10/13/2026

💻📱 Parenting Tweens & Teens in the Digital World

The online world is a big part of our kids’ lives, and staying connected starts with open communication, trust, and understanding. 💙

Talk to your tweens and teens about online safety, healthy relationships, privacy, and recognizing red flags. Remind them that they can always come to you for support—without fear of shame or judgment. ❤️

Let’s work together to help our young people navigate the digital world safely and confidently!

📌 Save and share these helpful tips with a parent or caregiver.

10/12/2026

🍂🧡 In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to say THANK YOU! 🧡🍂

We are incredibly grateful for the amazing community partners and supporters who are always going above and beyond for our community and, most importantly, our youth.

Whether you’re cooking alongside our youth, generously donating food to help fill our freezers so we can make sure our WAK kids have meals and snacks, coming in to lead activities, or simply showing up and spending time with our kids — you make a difference. 💛

A special thank-you to the 12 wonderful ladies- The Bakers Dozen, who continue to show up with homemade baked goods, kindness, and so much love. 🧁❤️ Your thoughtfulness never goes unnoticed!

Sometimes it’s the little things; a homemade treat, a shared meal, an activity, a conversation, or simply knowing that someone cares that means the most to a young person.

We are so thankful that our WAK kids have a community of people cheering them on, supporting them, and reminding them that they matter and they are cared for. 🫶

From all of us at WAK, thank you for being part of our village! 🍁🧡

The Garden Market for your monthly meat donation
Open Doors for your monthly programming and ongoing support RNJ Youth Services for your consistent collaboration and support of our youth
Smiths Falls Police Service for your ongoing support and education Rideau Community Health Services for your monthly cooking program
The Table Community Food Centre for your monthly cooking program & food donations

10/06/2026

🌟 Parenting a teen can be challenging — but you don’t have to navigate it alone! 🌟

Are you parenting a youth between 12–18 and looking for support? The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program offers 1:1 and group sessions to help parents navigate the teen years, including risky behaviours, transitions, communication, and everyday parenting challenges.

💙 Support is available, and you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

📩 Interested in learning more? Connect with Conner, a licensed Triple P Parenting Practitioner, at [email protected].

10/06/2026

🚨 WAK Closure Update 🚨

Unfortunately, we are still without hot water at WAK, so we will need to remain closed today.

We know this is an inconvenience and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to get this issue resolved. ❤️

We’ll keep everyone updated and hope to have the hot water situation sorted out as soon as possible.

Thank you for understanding! 💙

10/05/2026

🚨 WAK CLOSURE NOTICE 🚨

Unfortunately, WAK will be closed today due to no hot water. We want to make sure our space is safe and comfortable for everyone.

We apologize for the short notice and any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding! 💙

10/01/2026

🍂🎨 What’s Happening at WAK This Month? 🎃🍎

Fall is here, and we have lots of fun planned at WAK! 🍁

This month, we’ll be enjoying fall crafts, cooking activities, games, time together, and so much more! 👩‍🍳🎨✨

It’s a great opportunity for kids to get creative, learn new skills, make new friends, and have fun in a welcoming space. 💛

📅 Don’t miss out on all the fun!

If your child is not registered for WAK yet and would like to join us, please reach out to Courtney at [email protected] for more information and registration details.

We can’t wait to see everyone this month! 🍂😊

09/30/2026

🧡 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 🧡

Today, we honour the children who never returned home, Survivors, their families, and Indigenous communities. As a youth centre, we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive space where young people can learn, listen, reflect, and help build a future rooted in respect, understanding, and reconciliation.

🧡 Every Child Matters.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 🧡

Today, we remember and honour the children who never returned home, survivors, and reflect on the lasting impact of residential schools.

Today is an opportunity to listen, learn, reflect, and recognize the truth of Canada's history. Reconciliation is an ongoing journey, and one that calls on all of us to continue learning and taking meaningful steps forward.

If you're looking for opportunities to learn, reflect, or come together as a community, be sure to check out the local events we shared in a recent post!

Every Child Matters.

09/30/2026

🍕 A Big Thank You to Mayor Pankow! 🍕

We want to send a huge thank you to Mayor Pankow for bringing pizza to our WAK youth and, even more importantly, taking the time to hang out and spend some time with them! ❤️

Our youth loved having you join us, share some laughs, enjoy some pizza, and simply spend time getting to know them. It means so much when members of our community take the time to show up for our kids and let them know they are valued and supported. 🥰

Thank you for helping make our afternoon extra special! 🍕🙌

We appreciate you! 💙
Shawn Pankow, Mayor of Smiths Falls