A new employment program, which helps young people acquire job skills and seniors get their gardens ready for the coming winter months, is wrapping up and organizers hope that they will receive funding to run the program in the spring.
“The program offers a supportive and positive environment in which participants have the opportunity to develop and practice new workplace skills,” said Susan Biagi, Career Link program coordinator of Job Options BC. “At the same time, it provides a valuable community service.”
Job Options BC is a provincial program funded through the Canada - British Columbia labour market agreement and administered through Career Link. It is designed to help unemployed young people, 18 years or older, who need to update workplace skills and gain experience to help them in their job search.
This is the third group of youth who have gone through the program this year and past projects have included doing composting projects and gardening at the Powell River Community Resource Centre.
“I enjoy cleaning yards and helping others,” said program participant Heather Kokkinen. “I feel that being able to help in the community has made me a better person. It feels good.”
The services were offered to selected seniors who were not able to do their own yard work because of physical limitations or other challenges, said Biagi.
“This community service project has positively changed me as a person,” said Jodi Holden who also participated in the program. “Doing physical work like this for people who are unable to do it themselves gives me such an amazing feeling and a sense of accomplishment. Seeing the end result and the smiles on the homeowners’ faces is truly worth the effort.”
