A youth employment program in Winnipeg's North End is not only helping young people gain work skills but also teaching them their worth as individuals.

Work Force is a program of Youth For Christ Winnipeg that began in 1999. Twenty-three years later it continues to impact the lives of young people.

It's not just a great youth program but a good work program "where I can just be myself through everything," Violet says. She's a 16-year-old that's been part of the program since she was 12.

There are two different training programs for each age group at Work Force. The Summer Work Force training is for ages 12-15. Training for the 16-20 is described as more intensive as it helps prepare the young adults for full-time, meaningful employment.

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"You can tell them anything," Violet says about the staff that not only help train kids but teach them about Jesus as well. "If you need prayer they'll pray for you. It feels good praying with them because it's like letting a bunch of weight off your shoulders.

Violet says that she was personally struggling with online bullying from other girls that she knows. "The were bodyshaming me," she says, an experience that led her to start "starving" herself. That was, until she told Dixie, one of the staff of the program.

"Dixie's still helping me through it," Violet says. "It felt really good because my younger brothers couldn't be there for me. Dixie just feels like an older sister; I can talk to her about everything."

With an older sister to look up to, and meeting other young people through the program, Violet says that her life is better than it's ever been.

"I made more friends than I've had before, and I'm learning how God is working in me, how He's a great father to all of us, and that He loves us how we are, and that He made us specifically for Him to love us and us to love Him."

The Power of Hope radiothon in support of YFC Winnipeg takes place on CHVN from April 5-7. Listen each day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to hear more stories like Violet's. Please join us in praying for this event and the ministry of YFC Winnipeg.