Peggy Revell
The Good Life for Young People Foundation (Oshki-Aa-yaa’aag Mino Bimaadiziiwin) is receiving almost $300,000 in funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The three-year grant totalling $293,700 will go towards expanding the foundation—the first and only one in Ontario that focuses on supporting aboriginal youth initiatives—by helping to pay for a CEO, implementing programming, and covering administrative costs as it grows.
“As many of you know, the Ontario Trillium Foundation is a agency of the Ontario government, and each year we make nearly 1,500 grants to not-for-profit and charitable groups that are making communities across Ontario healthier and more vibrant,” said local resident Linda Hamilton, who made the announcement on behalf of the OTF at a wild game benefit dinner for the foundation Friday night at the Nanicost building here.
“We especially love to learn about new and innovative ideas that are engaging the youth and encouraging them to take a more active role in helping build more vibrant communities,” Hamilton said.
“When we received [the foundation’s] grant application to build the very first provincial aboriginal foundation with a youth focus, we saw possibilities because this is going to give young people the opportunity to find their voice and discover their potential,” she noted, adding the grant also will see the building of partnerships between various community organizations.
“It’s my pleasure to formally congratulate Good Life For Young People on becoming the recipient of a three-year grant in the combined amount of $293,700,” Hamilton said.
“That’s the largest grant that I’ve been able to announce, by the way.”
Extending a big thank you to all who have helped out with the foundation since its formation, founder and president Al Hunter said this is just the beginning of the foundation and its goal to help aboriginal youth.
“We want to have a CEO in place by April,” Hunter said, stressing he won’t be filling this position.
“We will hire someone who is experienced in running a foundation, who has a track record in raising money, who has a track record in accountability,” he pledged.
“This is what we want to do and we’re going to do it first-class, just like this dinner.”
The idea for the foundation first began a few years ago when there was a crisis in the community, Hunter told those on hand for the dinner.
While listening to the radio, he thought “maybe it’s time to start making good stories out of the stories, and also the people who are affected, the young people, to do something with them.
“And so that’s how this whole crazy idea started.”
From there, Hunter went on to enlist various people as the foundation’s first board members.
The foundation has held annual benefit concerts at the Assabaska Ojibway Heritage Park in Morson, and last summer Hunter and many youths walked around the Treaty #3 territory to raise awareness—a walk they plan to do again this year.
“I want to say to the young people that are here: that’s all it takes,” Hunter remarked. “That’s all it takes is to take an idea, a lot of determination, a lot of hard work, never ever give up.”
“I’m very happy and honoured to be able to present this on behalf of the Ontario government and the Trillium Foundation to this foundation so they can continue with the great work that’s already done,” said Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP, John Rafferty, who attended the benefit dinner on behalf of Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton.
Along with the funding announcement, Friday night’s benefit dinner also saw the premiere of a short video about what the foundation has done so far and plans to do in the future, created by board member Cal Kenny.
The video is available at the foundation’s website at www.goodlifeforyoungpeople.com
The evening, which featured a gourmet meal created by the culinary arts students with Seven Generations Education Institute, also showcased the talents of two local aboriginal youth musicians, Larissa Desrosiers and Angus Jourdain, who provided the entertainment after dinner.
