Hi there! My name is Bill, and I was born and raised in Peterborough ON.
I am here as part of this team from Ontario to help the city of Fort McMurray deal with the social issues they are facing – the drug addiction, prostitution, and at high-risk youth. The venue is a youth drop in centre called the Dugout.
Monday was my first full day at the Dugout, as I arrived here on Friday. One of the staff, Kayla, this afternoon took us around the city, as she took a flyer around to the two school boards, looking for permission to give this flyer – the monthly schedule of events at the Dugout – to all the students. We also talked to Dan, one of the youth known from the Dugout, who later showed up back at the centre. Kayla also introduced herself and us to another girl we had not yet met, and hopefully started a relationship with this girl.
I also was trained on the snack bar, how to ring items into the cash register, and other related duties.
An impressive first day!
Recently I had the opportunity to talk to Joe*. He dropped out of high school to go pro with BMX riding. He has been riding for 10 years but regrets his choice because this career's shelf life is quite short. Joe wishes that he stayed in school and would be able to be in college right now. He is a mechanic and is going to get his license soon, then hopefully will be able to go back to school. He told us that he thinks it's a waste of time spending all day riding on his bike and he would rather be working all day or be in school learning something. Most people judge others before they even meet them and just assume that they are trouble. Fort McMurray is no different than any other place in Canada, it only seems that way because only the bad news is shared with outsiders. There are many kids like this and they all have so much potential and want to do something with their life. Some of them are just stuck in a rut and need help to get out.
- Amanda
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