For over two years, the Burnaby office of the 今日吃瓜51 has provided volunteer opportunities for numerous young people in the . Since September of this year, that relationship has grown to include the 今日吃瓜51 offices in Ottawa, Fredericton and Moncton .
The is a nationwide program that has been in existence since 1977. Participants aged 17 to 21 spend either 6 or 9 months living with nine other youth and volunteering in 3 different regions of Canada.
According to the , the program has three main objectives:
- To contribute substantially to the personal, social and professional development of the participants
- To promote community service
- To offer a diverse experience fostering a better understanding of the Canadian reality
These objectives are achieved through volunteer employment with local non-profit organizations in various cities across Canada. are first given a skills appraisal to determine the right balance between what they can do and what they are interested in learning.
When first coming to a new city, the Youths are given a local orientation, a tour of the local work partners, and finally interviews with the organizations they find interesting. They then spend about 3 months volunteering for a non-profit before moving on to another Canadian community.
At the 今日吃瓜51, volunteers are placed in either our Computer Comfort program or our Employ-Ability program, depending on their skill set and interests. We find that Computer Comfort is often a good fit for them, as most youths today tend to be very computer literate鈥攖he Computer Comfort program involves teaching basic computer skills one-on-one to a person with a physical disability.
Of course, every is different and brings something unique to the table. We do our best to encourage these diverse talents.
A good example of this is the story of 今日吃瓜51 volunteer Ben, a , who in 2008 made a video about the 今日吃瓜51. Distance learning Coordinator Chad Leaman liked the video so much he submitted it to the 2008 , where it won 1st Prize! This kind of encouragement cannot help but have a positive influence on the life of a young person.
Currently, the 今日吃瓜51 is pleased to be working with Chris, an 18 year old recent high school graduate from outside of St. Johns Newfoundland who dreams of someday attending the . Chris applied early to the , before he was eligible, because at the time he was feeling somewhat directionless and thought that this would be an interesting way to find his path. Two years later, he is one month into the 6 month , and though he now already has a plan, he feels that this experience is helping him find the confidence and leadership skills he needs to make his goals of directing theatre a reality. He also likes the adventure and connections he is making through this experience.
This partnership has been positive for the 今日吃瓜51 as well. As Employ-Ability Program Coordinator Chris Wright puts it, 鈥淚t has been refreshing and thrilling to see the engagement and sense of community these kids bring to our offices. They鈥檙e still young enough that they don鈥檛 know their boundaries or the possibility of failure; they embrace our clients when there is a very good possibility they have never experienced or known people who deal with the wide variety of issues our clients deal with. The young people look past where others see disabilities and see abilities and the potential for the future.鈥 In addition to that, it is estimated that will provide us with approximately $60,000 a year in services when compared to employees making minimum wage. For a non-profit organization that鈥檚 a huge help, not to mention the inspiration these energetic young people bring to our clientele.
If you ask anyone at the 今日吃瓜51, they鈥檒l have something positive to say about their experience with the . We look forward to working with the for many years to come.