Big Brothers Big Sisters resume their work

INNISFAIL – The town's youth mentoring programs from Big Brothers Big Sisters have been rescued by Red Deer.

Following a long and often heartbreaking process that led to the sudden decision by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Prairies to Peaks of Innisfail to close its doors last May, the agency's Red Deer counterparts have stepped up to reboot the community-based and in-school mentoring programs for Innisfail and area youth.

“The service is very valuable and we appreciate them helping us. It is great and we are doing our part to fund these kids to keep them in the right direction,” said Mayor Brian Spiller.

On Aug. 28, town council unanimously agreed to grant $10,000 of FCSS funding to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Red Deer and District -- Innisfail to provide in-school mentoring programs to local youth until the end of this year. The Red Deer agency has also secured FCSS funding for programs in Bowden, Penhold and Spruce View until the end of June of next year.

Jacquie Boyd, executive director of Red Deer BBBS, said discussions with Innisfail agency officials began about a year ago, a process that also involved provincial and national representatives.

“The original intent was to help Prairies to Peaks to stay open and then it transitioned to, ‘what do we do, they are closing, how can we fill gaps where we can at this point in time,'” said Boyd, adding the Innisfail situation ultimately become dire by the spring of this year. She said additional discussions also took place with board members of the Red Deer BBBS to make sure the needs of Innisfail fitted into the agency's mandate and strategy.

“It (Red Deer BBBS) was the most logical agency to investigate whether or not we could assist in any way, a bigger way,” said Boyd.

She said last week that Phase 1 of the agency's plan to reboot youth mentoring programs in Innisfail and area is underway with two community-based long-term matches in Penhold.

“By doing that we opened the door for others because it was a very heartbreaking situation, and we are making it known that if there were others we could support that,” said Boyd, adding a Phase 2 plan, which is scheduled to start in late October, is focused on the agency's in-school teen mentoring program. Boyd said both programs are free and rely on funders, sponsors, donors and volunteers for their delivery.

“We are only just launching it again,” said Lana Kennedy, family wellness worker at Innisfail Middle School, of the in-school teen mentoring program. “There is a lot of work that has to get done. We have to do the recruitment of kids and the training. We just don't stick kids together. There is safety training, matching kids to the right personalities.” Boyd said the in-school teen mentoring programs will be conducted twice a week in Innisfail. For Mondays, the plan is to have 12 matches of middle school youth with high school students, and the same number on Thursdays with elementary school students matched with older middle school youth.

“It's just really essential, I think,” said Kennedy, adding she has been involved with in-school mentoring programs since about 2005. “I just saw huge benefits for that, especially for our Grade 5s.

“I really found it gave them a solid anchor. It made the mentees, the little guys, feel really important and special and more secure and made the older kids feel pretty important, like they had a really significant role,” she added.

In the meantime, officials with Red Deer BBBS have been busy getting the word out in town that the youth mentoring service is back in business. Boyd and others set up a booth last week at the annual Fall Registration & Information Night.

“It was very busy. I had all kinds of conversations with people,” she said, noting the Innisfail Kinsmen have been supportive of her agency's Camp Alexo summer program. “I was very impressed with how great a turnout you had.”