Six Junior Volunteers Making a Difference at Mark’s Club

By: Kerris Montgomery

The West Central Community Program is a non-profit organization funded by the United Way. We work with elementary school aged children in the West End of Winnipeg, providing them with safe recreational opportunities after school and in the evening.

We would like to recognize six volunteers between the ages of 13 and 18 who are working hard to give back to the community. These six individuals are a part of West Central’s Junior Volunteer program, which was created to give youth the opportunity to develop responsibility and skills that will serve them well in the future.

Since our programming serves children from ages 6 to 12, once our children move on to Junior High, they are no longer able to participate. Developing a junior volunteer program has allowed children to stay connected with our agency.

To become a Junior Volunteer, youth must have attended West Central’s programming, which is affectionately known as Mark’s Club. All of our present Junior Volunteers are kids who previously attended our program. Some started in our program when they were six years old and have now graduated high school. They presently attend University or work full time and still manage to remain greatly committed to the children in our community.

West Central Community program is an agency consisting of two staff. We rely heavily on our Junior Volunteers in order to maintain the quality of our programming. In fact, without them, we would not be able to reach as many kids as we do. Being former clients of our program, they offer a unique perspective and understanding of the children they work with.

When asked about her experiences with West Central, one volunteer offered this observation, “Since volunteering, I have developed a relationship with every kid that has walked through the door and nothing means more to me. These kids have so much potential just like I did when I was attending Mark’s Club. They just haven’t found it yet.”

Lisa Barnes grew up a block away from Wellington School, where she attended Mark’s Club with her sisters on Thursdays and Fridays. After moving on to Junior High she came back to volunteer and has been with us ever since. She has just turned 18. Lisa’s desire to remain connected is the reason why we developed our Junior Volunteer program, and she was the first.

“This is my seventh year volunteering with WCCP,” says Lisa, “and I have learned a lot. I have gained patience and a new respect for the children that come to the program. I love volunteering. Helping out children in the West End makes me feel good. Knowing that the kids that come out to programs are staying safe and out of trouble makes me feel good as well. Through the years I have had so many experiences that I would never have had if it wasn’t for WCCP. I have gone to camp, been in Rotary and I even had a summer job as Rotary Supervisor.”

Jenny Tran grew up on Victor Street. She came to us late in life, with her connection to the program being her cousins. She has been with us 5 years and is now 18 and attending University.

Jordan Omand is an example of a neighbourhood child whose parent came to program when they were young. Jordan attended Wellington School and came to Mark’s Club regularly. He came back to volunteer in Junior High and is now in grade 10. Jordan is a natural athlete and is most at home playing games in the gym with the kids.

Sabrina Ferreia attended Mark’s Club for all six of her elementary school years. She came back to help us at various events but didn’t commit to the program until she was sure it was the right decision for her. She is in grade ten now and has been with us for two years. She is becoming more self-assured both in dealing with the children and the people in the community.

Cory Klassen is 14 years younger than his brothers and sisters but still came to the same program only at a different school. Cory was a regular at Mark’s Club throughout elementary school and came back to volunteer when he was in grade seven. He is now in grade nine and volunteers at all three schools where our program is held. This past summer Cory received additional training through the “Coalition’s Leaders in Training Program” where he worked with children of all ages and from different parts of the city.

Rhoda Fiddler-Johnson is the newest member of our team. She is in grade seven and has been with us since September. Rhoda was asking to be a volunteer when she was in grade six and shows much enthusiasm to learn from both her fellow volunteers and the children she now works with.

These six youth show responsibility, leadership and dedication with everything they do in our program. They take pride in contributing to the next generation of West Central children. This article was written not only to showcase this dedication but to show our appreciation to them for all that they do. The West Central Community Program cherishes the time these youth commit to us and we wouldn’t be the same without them.