From a YouTube idea to a real home for kids
MrBeast is known for giving things away on camera. In Canada, his foundation decided to give something that lasts: a free youth centre run by and for the community.
Give every child the time, space and people to grow.
The Beast Kids Centre exists so that no child in our city has to choose between an empty apartment and the street after school. We offer learning, play, food and caring adults — five and a half days a week, all year round.
Construction and the first three years of operation are funded by MrBeast’s charity foundation. Local businesses, schools and hundreds of volunteers keep the centre running day to day.
Who is MrBeast?
Jimmy Donaldson started making YouTube videos as a teenager in North Carolina. Today, as MrBeast, he runs the most-watched channel in the world.
He reinvests almost everything his videos earn into bigger videos and bigger acts of kindness — from feeding thousands of families to building wells and paying for surgeries.
The Canadian centre follows the same rule as his channel: if it is worth doing, do it big. That is why every room, every program and every meal here is free.
Photo: Steven Khan, CC BY 4.0
Four promises to every family
Go big
If something is worth doing for kids, it is worth doing at the highest level.
Free means free
No fees, no hidden costs, no catch. Families never pay for anything.
Everyone belongs
Every culture, language, ability and background is welcome here.
Safety first
Trained, screened staff and clear safeguarding rules in every room.
How the centre came to life
The idea
MrBeast’s team asks Canadian fans what their communities need most. The top answer: safe, free spaces for kids.
Site chosen
A former warehouse on Harbourview Avenue is purchased and local families help shape the design.
Construction
Twelve months of building: a gym, maker lab, studio, kitchen, library and rooftop garden.
Doors open
The Beast Kids Centre welcomes its first 500 kids in the opening week.
Growing
More than 1,800 children are registered and new programs launch every season.
The people kids see every day
Sarah Whitfield
Centre Director
Twenty years running youth programs across Ontario.
Marc-André Gagnon
Programs Lead
Former teacher from Gatineau who leads our bilingual curriculum.
Nadia Okafor
Family Services
Social worker connecting families with food, housing and health support.
Ethan Liu
Volunteer Coordinator
Recruits and trains our 300+ volunteer tutors and coaches.
See it for yourself
Book a free family tour and meet the team behind the centre.