We imagine a future where the 1 in 5 young people affected by the stress of a parent's substance use (addiction) can access resources and supports without shame or fear.
In Alberta, 1 in 5 young people are growing up with the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use, placing young people at double to triple the risk for lifelong poor mental health, suicide, and substance use challenges. At Starlings, our peer leaders are on a mission to change this, by making it easier and safer for young folx (or the inner youth in us adults) to reach out for support. Over the last 3 years, Starlings has provided over 1000 free resources, 50 workshops, and mentored over 20 young people, all as a 100% volunteer based organization.
We've supported teens, youth, and older adults in understanding and healing through their experiences.
"Joining Starlings helped me understand that the reason I was being misunderstood or brushed off time after time was not me or my family, but the stigma external to us, made a huge difference in how I perceived myself, my parents, and the social interactions around parental substance use".
We've supported caregivers of young people to understand the experiences of the youth they care for through our caregiver sessions and hope kits:
"As a child of parents who have an addiction and a sister caring for my younger siblings, your resources are the best I've come across. They are so validating and not like anything else I've read or even talked about in a group setting. Thank you for creating it and making it so relatable. Please translate in other languages so we can share throughout our communities".
And we've supported frontline workers and organizational leaders to better understand and support young people without stigma:
"Your resources and training have taught me how to better engage with youth" I never considered young kids who are growing up with a parent's addiction as a crageiver, but now I actually thank them for all they do for their families, having learned that it is a role they often have to take on because of the lack of supports, and a role that comes with a lot of judgement and isolation".
By supporting us, you are enabling us to enhance, expand, and sustain our peer to peer programming, including resource development and distribution, peer mentorship, peer to peer leadership, and community capacity building, and even to hire our first employee.
Our dreams are big because they have to be, and we hope you can help us reach them.
Highlights
See all activity6Our Why
1 in 5 youth face the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use, leading to increased risks for mental health issues, substance use challenges, and intergenerational trauma. We address the lack of resources and support by building up peer leaders, increasing the capacity and understanding of the community, and developing resources which aim to prevent harm, foster healing, and disrupt the cycle of stress and stigma across generations.
But it didn't start off so formally, it started with a story.
Knowing what it felt like to grow up with the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use, our founder, Agnes, had a dream: that every youth growing up in similar situations could feel seen, supported, and unafraid to seek out support. But turning a dream into reality, especially one so complex and sensitive is no small feat. So in 2021, she founded Starlings Community as a not-for-profit. Since then, our vision has only grown stronger with every shared story, every new resource, and every community member joining our collective mission: To create a society where every youth growing up with the challenges of a parent's substance use can seek out support without the fear of stigma and other barriers.
Inspired by the founder's professional experience as a registered nurse, and trauma-informed consultant, and personal experience with the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use, Starlings was born to fill a large gap in knowledge, resources, and relationships for impacted youth and the natural supports caring for them.
What are Starlings?
We gather and connect so all young people can RISE with hope and healing.
Starlings are birds that murmurate in the evenings to stay warm or when one of their community members feels threatened by a predator. One bird initiates quick, dance-like movements to attract nearby starlings, forming a chain reaction of safety in numbers. This behaviour, where each bird pays attention and connects to the vibrations of its closest 5-7 neighbors, leads to the formation of large murmurations, comprising thousands of birds supporting one another. Inspired by this connection, Starlings Community aims to gather, and connect, so that ALL youth may rise with hope and healing.
