GIVING KIDS REASON TO HAVE BIG DREAMS
City Kidz steers North Central children toward positive futures
It’s a community of gangs and poverty. We want to encourage children to overcome those circumstances.
In this season of giving, reporter Pamela Cowan is profiling some of the organizations and people working to make the lives of Reginans better. Here she puts the spotlight on a program that helps kids from a troubled community stay on the right path.
Donna West doesn’t want kids in North Central to abandon their dreams like she did.
In her younger years, West aspired to be a teacher.
After she gave up on that dream, West bounced from one job to another for years until she founded City Kidz Regina in 2010.
The non-profit group provides Saturday afternoon programming to children in North Central.
“We believe that every child should have the right to have hope, the right to have a positive future and the right to have big dreams,” she says.
The need is great in North Central.
“It’s a community of gangs and poverty,” West says.
“We want to encourage children to overcome those circumstances.”
She’s observed many breakthrough moments in the children attending the program.
One young boy’s negative attitude improved drastically over the seven years he’s attended.
“He told me that he wouldn’t be volunteering when he’s a youth, but now, at 12 years old, he’s there helping us,” West says.
“As soon as I ask for a volunteer, his hand is up there. We see that with all of the kids. It’s building that relationship so they know that someone is there who really cares.”
Buses with volunteers on board pick up the children from their homes.
There are 120 kids, ranging in age from five to 12, registered to participate in the Christian-based program. Every Saturday, about 80 kids perform skits, sing songs and listen to stories.
One of the children’s favourite competitive games is Dangling Doughnuts.
“The kids have their hands behind their backs and try to eat doughnuts off of a broomstick handle,” West says.
“And they enjoy Brain Freeze. They try to eat a Freezee or drink a Slurpee without getting a brain freeze.”
Between games, time is set aside for life lessons.
“Some of the things we teach them is how to be a member of the community and what the community offers for them,” West says.
“The goal that we try to achieve with our children is that they thrive amidst adversity.”
It’s not unusual for North Central to have a heavy police presence. Children are taught that police officers are their friends who are there to protect them.
The group also talks about anger management.
“Emotions and feelings are a part of life, but how do you deal with that anger?” West says. “Don’t let it blow up. Don’t start saying things you’re going to regret afterwards.
“The lessons we were teaching last week were when you’re angry at somebody, just take a deep breath, step aside and keep breathing and letting it out.”
The non-profit group has a partnership with Souls Harbour Rescue Mission. The City Kidz program is held at the mission’s youth centre, Zeike’s Place.
City Kidz operates with donations from churches, corporations, individuals and from fundraisers.
The goal is that City Kidz meet weekly, but currently the program is being held biweekly because of a funding and volunteer shortage.
The program has 10 volunteers, but it requires 10 more to increase registration. To ensure the children’s safety, the ratio of volunteers to children is one to eight.
Every child registered in the program receives a weekly home visit by a volunteer.
“The idea is to build a stronger relationship and trust with the children,” West says.
“We get to know them and their environment and introduce ourselves to the parents. We take a flyer with us so the kids know what’s happening on Saturday.”
In North Central, almost 41 per cent of high school students drop out.
“We want to encourage these kids that school is important and an important part of their life,” West says.
Helping kids stay in school is close to her heart.
“One of the things I share in our volunteer orientation is not to make that mistake I made and walk away from your dreams,” West says. “Take what you can and pursue them.”