THUNDER BAY – The United Way Youth Granting Committee presented their Youth 4 Community grants to three local registered charities’ programs on April 10th.
Last fall local high schools raised monies as part of the United Way’s Youth 4 Community Fundraising and Granting Program. This was the first year to have full program participation from all eight high schools in the community, and together these youth raised $11,316. Since its beginnings in 2010 local high school students have raised $64,734 for this fund.
In addition to fundraising, the students also had the opportunity to sit on the Youth Granting Committee and work through a detailed allocations process to determine how to grant the funds. This year the committee members consisted of 12 students representing Churchill CVI, Superior CVI, Ecole Secondaire Catholique de La Verendrye as well as Hammarskjold, St. Ignatius and Westgate High Schools.
Committee members Allie Jones, Luciana White and Kurtis Halvorson presented the Youth 4 Community grants to:
BaySafe Harm Reduction Program (Thunder Bay Drug Awareness Committee)
This is a harm reduction service that connects with youth and young adults to reduce the potential harmful effects of using recreational drugs and alcohol with emphasis on providing education and awareness about the dangerous substances and activities that young people may encounter when partying.
Youth First Supervision Program (Community Clothing Assistance)
This program teaches youth about job dedication, responsibility and successful service delivery within a storefront environment. Participants will come away with a practical understanding of not-for-profit policies and use of technology, as well as supervisory skills.
Dew Drop Inn Soup Kitchen (St. Andrews Soup Kitchen Inc.)
In a safe, non-discriminatory environment this service provides free, nutritious meals to 200 people daily; of that number 5% are teens and another 3% are children. This program is addressing the growing need for emergency food access in the north core.
“Working with the Youth Granting Committee is always the highlight of my year. The young people who come to the table to learn about the granting process fully commit to determining how best to allocate the funds that they have raised to needed programs and services here in Thunder Bay,” says Sandra Albertson, United Way Director of Community Impact,
