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Melanie, A Role Model of Unconditional Love & Support

Every year the province of BC recognizes Child and Youth in Care Week to raise awareness of the strength, diversity, talents, contributions, and dreams of youth in and from care in the province. Aunt Leah’s celebrates the strength, determination, resilience and virtues of the young people we serve. Our staff and peers come forward with nominations and our leadership team votes for winners in 5 categories. Then we gather at a special event to honour the winners.

One of the 5 awards is the Leah Award.

This award is given in honour of, our friend and long-time supporter, Bruce Ambrose. He was known by family for his unconditional love and support as he shared his wisdom while helping in fundraising endeavors as a donor and dedicated volunteer of Aunt Leah’s. In honor of Bruce, Aunt Leah’s gives an annual award and bursary to a program participant who has shown unconditional love and support to others.

Meet Melani, this year’s Leah Award Recipient.

After surviving many hardships, Melani came to Canada to make a better life for herself and her baby. She was 8 months pregnant when she began her stay at Thresholds, one of Aunt Leah’s supported homes.

Here, she found a stable, safe, and loving home environment where she is learning how to care for her baby with the guidance of our family support workers. Through weekly programming designed to support Melanie’s parenting and life skills development, Aunt Leah’s Thresholds staff have been thrilled to watch this caring, helpful, and courageous young woman become an amazing mother to her 6-month-old baby boy. Melanie is very independent and takes care of others in the house.

Melanie is getting ready to successfully parent and live independently with her baby. Her long-term goals are to become a Canadian citizen, attend schooling for estheticians and/or cosmetics and get a full-time job that allows her to provide for herself and her son.

With her independence and dedication to looking after others, Melani serves as an excellent role model of unconditional love and support.

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