Big Brothers Big Sisters is finding it financially challenging to expand services in Sundre to meet the need for child and youth mentoring.
As it enters Year 2 of service the Innisfail-based organization currently has 16 matches in Sundre.
“At this time the response from Sundre has shown us that there is a great need for mentoring in this community. That being said, we are finding it financially difficult to maintain our existing matches and therefore expanding our services cannot be done at this time without your financial support,” Sherry Dijkstra, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Prairies to Peaks (BBBS) told council last month.
The $5,000 in funding Big Brothers Big Sisters asked for was cut from the draft 2017 operational budget as administration sought to bring tax increases to three per cent and under.
Despite the probability of council not funding the organization -- the operational budget was slated for approval last night and could have had additions made to it -- Big Brothers Big Sisters has had financial support from other Sundre organizations.
So far, River Valley School has given $1,200, ATB $1,450 and Sundre Agricultural Society $2,000.
Volunteer Big Brothers and Big Sisters spend two to four hours a week with a child in the community.
The organization estimates it spends $1,791 per one-on-one match.
There is both individual and group support in schools and in-school mentors spend one hour a week with the child in the school playing games, doing crafts and just being a friend.
Fundraising is an ongoing mission of the organization.
It recently raised more than $10,000 with its Christmas-themed fall gala.
“We raised about $11,000. It was pretty close to what we were hoping for,” said Dijkstra. “We're quite happy with that amount.”
The annual event, held at the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion on Nov. 25, is one of two major fundraisers for the organization every year.
All money raised from the annual gala goes to mentoring programs in Sundre, Innisfail, Bowden, Penhold, Olds, Spruce View and the five surrounding communities that BBBS serves, noted Dijkstra.
Despite tough economic times facing many communities and families in Alberta, money raised from the gala is really needed at this time, said Dijkstra. She added the funds will go a long way to help programming and will benefit the children.
- With files from Kristine Jean
