A New Chapter in Our Journey

In the spirit of growth and reflection, we're excited to share some important updates with you. As an organization that has always placed immense value on relationships, we've taken a moment to look inward and reassess our core messages. The conclusion? It's time for our mission and vision to more accurately mirror what lies at the heart of RYSE: our commitment to fostering deep, meaningful relationships.

Introducing Our Revised Mission

Our mission has evolved to underscore the centrality of relationships in our work: "At RYSE, we believe that meaningful connections are essential for helping young people grow and thrive. Our mission: to create a community where every interaction has the potential to lead to personal growth, positive change, and empowerment, ensuring those connections are at the core of everything we do."

This refined mission statement reaffirms our dedication to the connections we build, emphasizing that it is through these bonds that we can truly make a difference in the lives of the youth we serve.

Our Renewed Vision

Our vision, too, has been reimagined to reflect our relationship-centric approach: "RYSE envisions a future where profound connections empower every young person. We aim to inspire personal growth, foster positive change, and promote community engagement. Our vision is to establish an environment where young individuals thrive, possessing the essential skills, support, and opportunities required to attain their full potential."

This vision paints a picture of a future we're striving towards—a future where relationships are recognized as the powerful catalysts for change they truly are.

Why This Change?

While our goals and the essence of our work remain steadfast, this shift in our mission and vision statements is a declaration of what we've always known: At the core of every success story, every breakthrough, and every moment of growth, are the relationships we've nurtured. This change is not just a reflection of our identity but also a commitment to continue placing relationships at the forefront of our efforts.

Looking Forward

As we embrace this exciting new chapter, we invite you to reflect on the relationships you've built and witnessed within the RYSE community. It's these connections that define us, drive us, and inspire us to achieve greater heights.

We're eager to hear your thoughts, stories, and experiences as we embark on this journey together. Let's continue to strengthen our bonds, support our youth, and build a future that celebrates the transformative power of relationships.

Thank you for being an integral part of this journey. Your dedication to fostering meaningful connections is what makes our RYSE family truly special.

Working Together to Achieve Success: Surviving a Pandemic

I recently had a conversation with a long-time RYSE caregiver, who is also an Information Technology student. Many of our employees are students working in their field of passion while financially supporting their post-secondary education. He reached out to discuss some ideas for a paper he needed to write for a professional writing class. The assignment was to explore a challenge within his workplace, noting that our company had experienced a 14% revenue loss due to the pandemic.

Our discussion quickly revealed that, despite significant challenges over the past two years, our struggle was not primarily financial. We spent much of our conversation expressing gratitude for the unwavering support from the Ministry, our community, and, most importantly, our caregivers. Despite having their own families, they made countless sacrifices during those initial 18 months. This included volunteering to quarantine in the care homes when a youth tested positive or isolating at home to remain healthy for work. They endured overtime, relentless sanitizing, temperature checks, mask-wearing, and stressful days on end. The question "When will this end?" weighed heavily on everyone in our RYSE family. Yet, the commitment to providing our youth with a safe, consistent, and positive home remained paramount. Our caregivers' dedication to showing up every day for our kids, despite the challenges, ensured that RYSE continued to fulfill our mission. I consider that a resounding success.

Perhaps Our Longest-Standing Success: "We Don't Give Up on Kids"

This motto builds upon another phrase shared in our first newsletter: "If not us, then who?" This embodies the spirit of RYSE, often being the last resort for services after other resources have been exhausted. Whether it's foster homes, group care homes, or other specialized care facilities, when others have struggled to provide sustainable care, RYSE steps in. We welcome these youth, no matter their past struggles, challenges, or placement history, and we don't give up on them. We firmly believe that every child deserves a safe and, crucially, a consistent environment. This commitment represents our longest-standing and greatest success.

Has it been challenging? Unquestionably. Our caregivers, along with residential technicians, plumbers, locksmiths, and glass companies, are regularly called upon as our youth navigate their journey toward acceptance and belonging. They test the limits of patience, understanding, forgiveness, and love, often expecting adults to give up on them. But our caregivers and their support systems possess the necessary qualities—patience, understanding, forgiveness, and genuine care—to provide everything these youth need and deserve. And so, they stay.

As we conclude this issue of our newsletter, I'd like to express my deepest appreciation for the entire RYSE community. Your steadfast commitment, resilience, and compassion form the foundation of our organization, guiding us through even the most challenging times.

Your personal investment in the well-being and growth of our youth is what truly makes a difference at RYSE. It's the genuine care and dedication that each of you brings to our mission that creates a nurturing environment, where everyone feels valued and empowered.

The stories of your challenges and achievements are what define us. They illustrate the powerful impact we can achieve when we unite around our shared goals. I'm excited to share more of these inspiring stories in upcoming editions, celebrating our collective successes and the individual journeys that contribute to the richness of our community.

Thank you for being such a vital part of RYSE. Your contributions, no matter how big or small, are crucial to bringing our mission to life. Let's continue on this journey together, fostering an atmosphere of empathy, understanding, and unwavering support for the incredible young individuals we serve.

Until we meet again in our next newsletter, let's keep our commitment to connection, care, and resilience at the forefront of everything we do.

-Danielle Kemble

COO, Director

Who is RYSE?

Raising Youth with Skills to Excel

When I set out to create our very first newsletter, the first question that came to mind was, "What if people don't really know who RYSE is?" Sure, we provide specialized homes that support youth, but what makes RYSE unique? Who are we, really? In other words, what makes RYSE "SPECIAL" in the specialized home category? Well, this is the start...

If not us, then who?

What does this phrase mean to you? RYSE prides itself on welcoming youth into our homes, regardless of their past struggles, challenges, or placement history. Often, kids who come to RYSE have nowhere else to turn. Until RYSE... We take them in and welcome them into our RYSE family.

OUR VISION: The Four Pillars of RYSE:

1. Consistency is vital for all our youth. This means staff showing up on time, greeting our kids with positivity, and consistently responding to their needs through protocols, emotion coaching, behavior support plans, and safety plans.

2. Genuine Caring - All human beings need (and deserve) to feel cared for. We understand that change is difficult and it requires time to create new connections. Genuine caring is an integral part of our RYSE culture. Being part of our RYSE family and creating a safe environment for our kids is the cornerstone of our care plans.

3. Solutions Oriented - Being curious, looking through different lenses, listening, and seeing new possibilities that uplift and empower our RYSE kids to be part of their own success. Encouraging the staff and the kids to access support when needed in order to find the best solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

4. Creativity - Our personal growth is based, in large part, on creativity. Art, music, and recreation are all encouraged in our RYSE homes. Being open to new possibilities begins with imagination and creating a vision for the future.

As we close this first chapter of our newsletter, let's reflect on the heart of RYSE's Vision: Our four foundational pillars—Consistency, Genuine Caring, Solutions Orientation, and Creativity—stand as a testament to our deep commitment to creating an environment where every young person can thrive.

This journey is more than just a vision; it's a shared commitment to making a lasting impact through understanding, valuing, and uplifting each other. As we forge ahead, let's continue to build a community where empathy, encouragement, and a firm belief in each individual's potential are woven into the fabric of our daily interactions.

Thank you for being an integral part of this journey. Together, we are crafting a legacy of empowerment, growth, and positive change. Here's to the stories we will create, the obstacles we will navigate, and the remarkable achievements that lie ahead. At RYSE, our collective adventure is just beginning, and the horizon is filled with endless possibilities.

-Danielle Kemble

COO, Director