After a year in operation, Powell River’s Youth Resource Centre (YRC) will celebrate its first birthday this Thursday, June 21.
The centre offers a drop-in program for youth in grades eight to 12 and hosts a variety of activities every week—anything from karaoke to board games to scavenger hunts. “We’re always thinking of different ideas and fun stuff to do,” said YRC coordinator Tracy Tunstall of Powell River Child, Youth and Family Services Society.
Open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, YRC hosts different activities depending on the evening. It also serves as a safe and inviting place for youth to simply put their feet up and spend time. “Any night that we’re open they can come in and use the computers, grab a snack and hang out with their friends,” said Tunstall.
While it isn’t hard to see the attraction such a place would have for youth, Tunstall said the centre ended up being a bigger hit than she had initially imagined. “We knew that the community needed this and that’s why we worked so hard on getting it going, but to be honest we were even surprised at the success we’ve experienced,” she said. “There are so many young people that take advantage of the program. Just last Thursday we had 42 young people come in throughout the evening.”
Tunstall said that the centre’s numbers are quite high, even compared to statistics in larger cities. “Our averages throughout the year were around 30 a night,” she said. “It’s definitely a thriving youth centre. We’re really proud of that.”
Tunstall described the centre as a preventative service. “Most of the youth who come here are 13 and 14 so we’re really seeing some major transformations happening with that age group,” she said. “We really see [those transformations] providing long-term benefits throughout the community.”
In addition to the more obvious ones, Tunstall said that there are many unseen benefits as well. “Kids are keeping busy and getting some great opportunities but what people don’t see is that we’re able to make some really important interventions at times when they are really at risk or needing support.”
Tunstall credited staff at the YRC with a large portion of the centre’s achievements to date. “That’s really the key to our success,” she said. Along with one part-time staff member, a summer intern and two other casual employees, Tunstall works full time to keep the centre running.
Despite the YRC’s success, its future is always a bit uncertain given that there is no constant or reliable source of financial assistance. “There’s no actual pocket of funding for youth centres nationally or provincially so that’s our biggest challenge right now,” Tunstall said. “We’re just hoping for some grant opportunities that will come through to keep us going.”
YRC staff aren’t waiting for a successful grant application before they put their party hats on, though. This week’s birthday is the perfect occasion to celebrate. A barbecue and open house is scheduled between 4 to 6 pm on Thursday, June 21 at the centre, 4746 Joyce Avenue. Following that, a dance will take place between 6 and 9 pm. Youth aged 13 to 18 are welcome to attend.
For more information on YRC and its programs, interested readers may visit the centre's website.
