A Message We Wish We Weren’t Writing

There are messages that are hard to write. This is one of them.

We are reaching out today to tell you that Take a Hike will close our Mission and Penticton (Okanagan Skaha) programs at the end of the school year, June 2026. Our remaining 14 programs continue to run, thanks to our donor community.

Due to economic uncertainty, the shifting political landscape, and a challenging funding environment, we had to make the hard decision to close two programs to protect as many youth as possible by concentrating our resources where our clinical model and partnerships are the strongest.

And as we write these words, it’s youth experiencing vulnerabilities who we have at the forefront of our minds. The young person who, for the first time, felt safe enough to talk about what was happening at home. The youth who found something steady in themselves while out in nature when everything else in their life felt unsteady. About the youth who told us, quietly, that Take a Hike was the reason they kept going. 

These young people are why this news is hard to share and why we remain so deeply committed to this work.

Youth experiencing vulnerability don’t get to pause while the world around them is figured out. They are in our schools, our communities, carrying weights that most of us will never fully understand. When a program closes, the need doesn’t close with it. The young people who counted on that support still wake up the next morning. They still need someone in their corner. And thanks to you, for 275 youth, Take a Hike will keep showing up for them next year. 

Take a Hike has been navigating an incredibly difficult funding environment. Rising costs, shifting government priorities, and a youth mental health crisis that keeps growing, all at once. We have fought hard to hold on to every program and every young person we serve. These closures are not a reflection of the transformational work that was done within both locations. They are a reflection of the uncertain times youth are navigating, and the ripple effect this uncertainty has had in our communities including within Take a Hike. We are committed to our mission and hope to begin growing to support more youth in the coming years. For now, we are focusing our resources to ensure as many youth as possible still have access to our transformative program.

We are telling you this because you are a valued member of our community and deserve honesty and transparency. You are someone who chose to believe in these young people, often before they believed in themselves. You have changed lives, and because of you, we can continue to transform young lives.

Until then, please know that your support has mattered. You helped a young person who could have fallen through the cracks, find themselves and change the trajectory of their life. Thank you for being part of our community.  

With immense gratitude,

Gordon Matchett, Chief Executive Officer, Take a Hike Foundation

Dave Byng, Board Chair, Take a Hike Foundation