Liberty For Youth founder Frederick Dryden started his journey at Mohawk College in Hamilton on Thursday, April 28. He intends to run 21km a day for 10 consecutive days in an effort to raise $300,000 for at-risk youth programming. Photo credit: Liberty For Youth
The pandemic was hard on a lot of people, particularly young people.
Youth suffered tremendously in terms of education, employment, and mental health. Graduation delays and dropout rates, job loss, and depression all saw marked increases. Suicide attempts quadrupled.
And while the worst of the pandemic is now behind us, young people continue to feel the effect of a long two years.
To raise awareness and funding to help at-risk youth still suffering from the pandemic and beyond, founder and executive director of local non-profit Liberty For Youth Frederick Dryden is running 210km over 10 days across Hamilton, Brantford, Brant County, the Six Nations of the Grand River community, and surrounding areas.
Dryden started his ‘Recovery Run’ on Thursday at Mohawk College’s Fennell Campus. He will finish his journey May 7 at Liberty For Youth’s 7Rs Ranch in Brant County, running a half marathon (21km) per day and hosting speaking engagements focused on youth education, employment, and mental health along the way.
A number of local business owners, public officials, and community leaders will join Dryden at various stopping points.
The goal is to raise $300,000 for three years of programming and initiatives.
“We’re having success helping youth see past their current circumstances,” said Dryden in a statement earlier this week. “Through engagement, encouragement, and empowerment, many can move past systemic barriers and lead productive, enriching lives with purpose. Post pandemic, the interventions, mentorships and community-based supports we offer are needed more than ever.”
Dryden immigrated to Canada from Jamaica at the age of 11. As an at-risk youth himself, he suffered abuse, made mistakes, and even struggled with homelessness.
One of the lucky ones, Dryden managed to break the cycle that so many get lost in. He decided to help others upon his recovery and started visiting youth detention centres in the early 2000s, eventually founding Liberty For Youth in 2004.
“We cannot accept the current reality of many at-risk youth as their only option,” said Dryden. “Their past does not define them. With the right support, we can help them refine their next best step. I’ve been there. I’m living proof of how truly lifechanging the right interventions and support can be.”
A not-for-profit charitable organization, Liberty For Youth provides prevention and intervention mentoring programs aimed at youth ages 12 to 25, and alumni beyond 25, living in the Hamilton and surrounding areas who take part in or are at risk of criminal behaviour.
To date, over 900 at-risk youth have benefited from its programs.
“Liberty For Youth does incredibly important work in the Hamilton area. They literally turn lives around!”, Conservative MP for Flamborough-Glanbrook Dan Muys told The Hamilton Independent.
“Frederick is the driving force. His boundless energy and deep, deep commitment to youth have put Liberty For Youth and the Recovery Run on the map.”
Muys, who is one of public officials participating in the initiative, said it’s an honour to support the Recovery Run and called the team at Liberty For Youth “inspiring”.
“We’re all searching for support as we recover from the pandemic. Mental health challenges and financial impacts persist,” said Muys. “At-risk-youth were hit particularly hard. The pandemic forced many organizations to innovate, including LFY. How Frederick and his team met and rose to this challenge is inspiring. The Recovery Run is the culmination of that effort and the start of a new chapter.”
This year’s Recovery Run isn’t the first time Dryden committed to such a feat. In 2016, he ran over 700km from Ottawa to Hamilton to raise awareness for gun violence and generate funds for programming.
Dryden’s 2019 book Running for Their Lives chronicles both his incredible journey across southeastern Ontario and his time as an at-risk youth.
Major sponsors for the 2022 Recovery Run include the McKeil Family Foundation, RBC, and LiUNA 837.
“We’re most grateful to be a key partner of the Liberty For Youth Recovery Run, supporting their efforts to enrich lives and communities, helping at-risk youth find new hope while enabling their pathway to future success, including through education,” said local philanthropists Blair and Kathy McKeil.
“The ripple effect of their work in Hamilton and the region is real and pervasive and is more critical now, given the ravages of the pandemic on employment and mental health, especially affecting youth.”
To learn more about Liberty For Youth and to donate, go to the organization’s website here.
