A $50,000 donation is an "amazing statement of support" for the Youth Wellness Hub, according to its executive director Anne Vincent.
Saturday, Newmont Porcupine made the donation to the Timmins organization that offers programming for youth ages 12 to 25.
“It’s an amazing statement of support for what we do and an incredible statement of support for youth in our community that what we do matters and that our corporate and other community partners support that,” said Vincent.
This is Newmont Porcupine's second $50,000 donation to the Youth Wellness Hub. Vincent said the first was in 2018.
Vincent said the organization also recently incorporated as a not-for-profit and has an inaugural board.
“We’re now incorporated so we’re going to start fundraising in 2021. We haven’t fundraised to date, we also receive significant funding from the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board and we also get funding from the United Way,” she said.
Before COVID-19, the hub offered programming at 13 locations throughout the city.
In March, Vincent said they pivoted and started doing Instagram Live three days a week, and Zoom programming once a week.
Starting again in January winter outdoor hubs will be offered Saturdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. She said they'll be doing programming such as snowshoeing, skating, or winter hikes. The location will likely rotate between Hollinger Park and Gillies Lake.
“We want to make sure that they’re very central for our youth and that they’re on a bus route and they’re easily accessible,” she said.
Even once the Youth Wellness Hub is able to go back to indoor in-person hubs, a virtual component will stick around.
"It’s definitely a way to reach youth who may not, for whatever reason, be able to come to a hub. It also extends our programming,” said Vincent.
At the start of the month, the Youth Wellness Hub posts a monthly calendar of events.
More information on the hub, programming and COVID-19 protocol is available here. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
