Three northern Wellington municipalities have joined the Mount Forest Family Health Team to provide on-going funding to keep a youth resiliency worker in place.
In 2013, the Mount Forest Family Health Team received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to begin youth resiliency work, including increasing awareness of opportunities, programs and services for youth and establishing a youth action council.
Youth action councils have since been established in Minto, Mapleton and Wellington North.
Other priorities included increased accessibility of programs and opportunities for community interaction.
“In March 2016, Gabriella Ieropoli was hired as the Community Youth Resiliency Worker and through her work many of these priorities have been addressed and expectations surpassed,” Minto economic and business manager Belinda Wick-Graham advised Minto council at the May 22 meeting.
With Trillium funding ending, Minto, Mapleton and Wellington North have been working together with the Mount Forest Family Health Team to determine how the position and the work being done can be sustained, Wick-Graham explained.
A memorandum of understanding, which will see Ieropoli work four days a week, stationed out of each partner’s location one day a week, was arrived at between the parties. Under the initial agreement, which runs until March 21, 2019, the cost to each partner to maintain the youth resiliency worker is $13,000.
For 2018, Minto utilized the County of Wellington Business Retention and Expansion funding to contribute $5,000 towards the project.
In Minto, Wick-Graham said youth entrepreneurship initiatives, working with schools to developed a youth strategic plan and continued assistance with the Minto Youth Action Council will be among the duties assigned.
“Everyone knows the great, amazing work that these action councils are doing and we just want to keep that momentum going,” she stated.
Councillor Ron Faulkner asked if the Mapleton and Wellington North youth action councils were as large as the Minto council, which has about 20 members.
“We definitely have the largest youth action council, probably in the province,” said Wick-Graham, noting the councils are a relatively recent innovation.
“I am so proud of the work that they’re doing, because there wasn’t a lot to go on,” she pointed out, noting local staff are now being asked to make presentations to other municipalities attempting to establish youth action councils.
Mapleton council approved the memorandum of understanding at its May 22 meeting.
“This day’s been coming for a long time,” observed councillor Michael Martin. “I think we all knew that the grant funding was going to dry up on this initiative. But it certainly is a great initiative. I’d like to see it continue.”
“I’m certainly going to support it. Youth is our future,” said councillor Dennis Craven.
Wellington North council approved the memorandum of understanding at its May 22 meeting as well.
