Strathmore Youth Club continues to have an impact

Sabrina Kooistra
Times Junior Reporter

 

To answer a growing need within our community, The Strathmore Youth Club has been promoting youth well-being by providing affordable activities and counselling for kids aged six to 17 throughout the many hours of the week.
Over the past five years, participation has continued to increase and the club is seeing the effects of Alberta’s economic situation on its enrollment, specifically in the usage of its lunch program, Essential Edibles. Wheatland County Food Bank along with other donors, provide schools, churches, Family Community Support Services (FCSS), and children’s services with lunch vouchers to distribute to children and youth. Others are able to purchase a lunch for about four dollars. On May 3rd alone, 40 youth and children were served lunch provided by the Strathmore Youth Club. Independent of Essential Edibles, the after-school ABC program for children which has a maximum of 25, sees between 20-25 kids each day, Outreach sessions generally are at full capacity, and programs for the summer are quickly filling up, even faster than last year.
“The youth club I think is really important to the town because we have a lot of parents who sometimes struggle with finding things that their kids can be involved in that are affordable”, said Councillor Pat Fule, a board member since 2010.
Now, in 2016, the Strathmore Youth Club is serving more kids and youth than ever with statistics showing that 48 percent are from rural areas and 52 percent are from urban areas. They now have their own building and are able to provide transportation for participants with two buses. With these resources and growing number of staff, the club is able to offer programs such as Junior Chef classes; field trips to malls, theatres, and sports games; life skill sessions; free and subsidized lunches; leadership training; and summer camps. The hope is that the Strathmore Youth Club will be able to enrich the lives of the children and youth it serves while ensuring that entertainment and counselling are within reach and very affordable.
Councillor Fule concluded, “it’s a really necessary program and it helps kids and it helps youth and it helps families and the stronger those things can be, the better the town is in the long run.”
Please view the Strathmore Youth Club website for information on enrollment, programs, and how to make a donation.