5th on 5th Youth Services has two new allies fighting in their corner to help them survive a financial crisis. Last month, the service appealed to city council for emergency financial aid, but was denied. Now, local MLAs are stepping in to advocate for the organization before it’s too late.
Gail McKenzie, executive director of 5th on 5th, has been working long hours to ensure that the provincial government is paying attention to their current crisis. “We have sent hundreds and hundreds of letters to the MLAs, who have forwarded them up to the Ministries that are relevant,” says McKenzie. “Just showing that Lethbridge actually cares about this organization and the impact we have on young people’s futures.”
As a result of forwarding these letters to local MLA’s, Greg Weadick of Lethbridge West and Bridget Pastoor of Lethbridge East have also joined the fray. “We’re operating on three fronts right now to try and move it forward. The first one is the Community Initiatives Program Emergency Funding,” says Weadick. “We’ve put in a grant application for that, or 5th on 5th has which we’ve supported, and we’re expecting to hear something in the next week or so on that grant.”
The two MLA’s are also exploring the options of a grant from the Canadian jobs program and potential funding from a new provincial program starting up in the fall. 5th on 5th has been accumulating letters of support for months now, all to be forwarded to the MLA’s. Many of them are written by those who have experienced the benefits of the youth service firsthand. “They got me labour jobs to get me on my feet and running. In a way, this program showed me how to work,” reads McKenzie from a letter of support. “If you take this program away, the next generation won’t have this opportunity to learn the ropes of workplace, and could potentially turn to gangs and other groups of acceptance.”
With the full support of the Lethbridge community and a pair of new allies, 5th on 5th is remaining optimistic about their future. “I feel that because of the overwhelming community support that we have gotten the attention of the province,” says McKenize. “And that they realize that Lethbridge really cares about this organization and their youth in this city.”
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