LOVE Nova Scotia welcomes new director
Posted Sep 12, 2020 04:45:10 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
After 20 years, LOVE Nova Scotia is welcoming a new executive director.
Dennis Adams, who has worked for the organization for 19 years, is taking over the role after helping the organization grow to what it is today.
“I think what I can do is I can make it bigger,” he tells NEWS 95.7’s The Sheldon MacLeod Show. “There are communities in Nova Scotia that need this, and I think it’s my job to grow LOVE and make it bigger.”
In 1993, LOVE was founded in Montreal, Que. by Sheila Rudberg who wanted to end violence in the lives of youth. In 2000, the Nova Scotia chapter began running in Halifax. It started with one program and 15 youth enrolled; now, it runs eight programs for over 300 youth each year.
“LOVE is a formula here where it’s pretty simple,” Adams says. “I’m going to really dice it down to basics. It’s, ‘Who am I, what goals do I need to set for myself and how do I action out my goals?’ That’s sort of what happens when someone comes to the LOVE program.
“We use positiveness in every way and this family effect that I’ve never seen before in an organization. And as we grow, that’s something we have to keep, is that family effect.”
Youth leader Shawntay Rose also says the LOVE organization is like a family. She says being around people in the program allows participants to develop leadership qualities and recognize what it means to be a leader.
“Having that family dynamic of when you walk into the room you’re getting heard, you’re feeling like you’re wanted, and this is a warm place to be and so welcoming that you never want to leave,” she says. “That’s where the growth comes, that’s where the development comes.
“That’s what the introduction was coming into LOVE. Automatically, you were loved from the moment you walked into the door.”
Adams is taking over for Sarah MacLaren who founded the Nova Scotia chapter of LOVE. She began running the chapter out of an old car.
“Its been incredibly satisfying,” says MacLaren in a news release. “There comes a time when every leader and founder realizes that it is time for new leadership and that time for LOVE is now. I’m proud of the foundation we’ve built and the legacy of young people whose lives have been changed, and I have no doubt that that will continue for years to come. I am beyond excited that Dennis Adams has chosen to take it on.”
Adams, who has been the first point of contact for youth in LOVE Nova Scotia, has a background in social work. He sits on the Board of Examiners of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers.
As a member of Halifax’s African Nova Scotian community, Adams says he’s a proud North Ender and credits his mother, Rose Adams, for where he is today.
Those interested in referring youth to LOVE Nova Scotia can call 902-429-6616. More information about the organization can be found on its website.
