2013 Youth empowered for Community Action: Fund-raisers conducted by youth leaders

Youth Empowered for Community Action (YECA) is a youth leadership and community service organization that focuses on Youth Empowering Youth. YECA works to prepare and empower youth to think critically to identify issues and come up with their own solutions to address them.{{more}}

Thirteen youths, between the ages of 17 and 25, successfully completed the Youth Leader Training between July 15 and 19, at the Helping Hands Centre. The training prepared the youth leaders to lead two overnight, weekend camps for 30 youth participants, where they will be developing group community service projects. Additionally, youth leaders participated in training on leadership, conflict resolution, communication, job skills, career development, fund-raising, team building, facilitation and public speaking.

YECA believes that youth have the ability to empower themselves and gain necessary job and life skills through experiential, educational activities. As a part of the programme, youth leaders are required to work in groups for a fund-raiser competition. Three groups will be competing to raise the most money for the youth-led community service projects in October 2013.

YECA is held two fund-raisers last week – one group held a food sale Friday, August 2, outside the Income Tax building and on Saturday, August 3, another group held a food sale at Singer. The last fund-raiser will be a sponsored walk starting at 7:30 a.m. from the Peace Memorial Hall and ending at Indian Bay Beach. Tickets for the walk are $5 for adults and $3 for children and participants are asked to wear a red or white shirt.

Individual donations can also be made to any of these groups. All proceeds from these youth-led fund-raisers will be used to support six youth-led community service projects addressing HIV/AIDS, environment and socio-economic issues, in October 2013.