Youth Club secures funding
Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor
Council agreed to fully fund two part time positions, at 29 hours per week, for the Strathmore Youth Club and subsidize up to 40 hours per week for facilitors that work with the youth until December 2013.
In Jan. 2014, the part time positions will become full time.
“The youth are our future here in the community,” said Mayor Grajczyk.
“We are all together on looking after the future of our youth. Some of them will be sitting in this chair one day. It’s up to us to teach them, to lead and show them there is a future in this community. It doesn’t take long to look after 60 or 70 or 100 thousand dollars of damage from graffiti and if we keep them active, those things don’t happen.”
The club will still exist as a charitable organization and the agreement would be similar to the partnership the Town has with the Handi-bus.
Councillor Pat Fule sits on the Youth Club board and said the new partnership will give the board stability, help with grant applications and lead to future partnership possibilities. All councillors agreed it was a valuable program for the youth.
The cost will be $60,000 for the balance of 2013, with funds coming from the Town Stabilization Fund. Discussions with FCSS determined that running parallel programs for the youth was inefficient and this option prevented duplication of services.
In 2009, under the umbrella of the Boys and Girls Club of Airdrie, Summer Camp began. They registered as the Youth Club of Strathmore in September 2011. The club has provided opportunities for children to form positive relationships, strengthen self esteem on confidence and develop skills.
The cost to the town was questioned as the $60,000 would double after January 2014.
“This is a small price to pay to secure something for the youth of this community. Whether it is $60,000, $100,000 or $150,000 it is a small price to pay. I think we owe it to them,” said Councillor John Remple.
Councillor Rocky Blokland said it shows we are serious about making youth a part of our community and Councillor Bob Sobol thought it would pay off in the long run.