Over the months of October, November, and December in 2018, local high schools carried out fundraising activities for the United Way’s Youth 4 Community program. A total of $11,692 was raised which includes a generous $4,000 donation from Scotiabank, as well as $3,200 raised from the GenNext Let’s Get Quizzical Trivia Night in support of this initiative. Thank you to our 2018 Participating High Schools: Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School; École Secondaire Catholique De La Vérendrye; Hammarskjöld High School; Westgate High School, and St. Ignatius High School.
These funds were raised to support local youth programs and services, and each year students from the participating high schools are invited to form the United Way Youth Granting Committee. On April 23, the United Way Youth Granting Committee was pleased to present grants to 3 organizations that are supporting local youth in very different and important ways.
Through the $5,000 Youth 4 Community grant, the Evergreen Kitchen Upgrade Project will purchase a new fridge, stove, and dishwasher. Hoped outcomes are an increase in youth attending the program, as well as mobilizing area youth to be resilient and healthy.
Through the $5,000 Youth 4 Community grant, The Cultural Awareness Project will carry out a Pow-Wow and a leadership retreat. The hoped outcomes of this project are a better understanding, greater knowledge, and appreciation for the Indigenous culture, and steps towards truth and reconciliation within the school community and their youth moving forward.
The $1,692 Youth 4 Community funding grant will help support the Wake the Giant Music Festival. The hoped outcomes of this project are to make Thunder Bay a more accepting community, to break down barriers, and build understanding and appreciation in a meaningful and lasting way.
The Youth 4 Community funding program was developed to help students learn how to understand and address needs that are important to youth in Thunder Bay. This unique program gives local high school students an opportunity to learn about the whole funding process from start to finish, and to present the funds to the successful agencies.
Abby Brown, Chair of the United Way Youth Granting Committee, was pleased to help lead the work this year. “This is my second year participating in Youth 4 Community”, said Brown. “It’s been a great experience and a real eye-opener to the challenges facing local youth. I’m happy to be part of the solution, along with the other students, and am hopeful that these programs will make a real impact in our community now and into the future.”
