It’s getting harder for bullies to push victims around thanks to a recent funding boost for a Morinville and Legal mentoring program.
Last week Ken Kowalski, MLA for Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, presented a cheque for $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton (BBBS). The money came from the Community Incentive Fund of Alberta Children and Youth Services’ Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying program.
According to Ruth McIntyre, manager of development for the local BBBS office, the money was a welcome surprise, coming right after other funding had been cut off. She said that this would go a long way to help kids by stopping bullying before it becomes a problem.
“One of the benefits of mentoring is that it helps to educate and inform children,” she said. “It provides kids with one more outlet and support. It gives them a person and advocate who can help to prevent some of those things from occurring.”
According to statistics provided by the volunteer organization, kids matched with a mentor are less likely than their peers to use drugs, start drinking and skip school and are more likely to have better relationships with family and peers. Children who participate in the program learn about anti-bullying techniques and safe family strategies by discussing various situations and concerns.
“They are positive reinforcers. It’s not that the program is specifically talking about behaviours such as skipping school or taking drugs. It’s just that the positive influence of having a mentor in their life makes a significant difference.”
This is the agency’s fourth year of operations in Morinville with an office run out of école Georges P. Vanier School. This year over 3,000 children between the ages of 6 and 18 have been matched with mentors in the Edmonton area, including about 20 in the Morinville chapter.
For more information about the organization or getting involved, call 780-424-8181 or visit www.bbbsedmonton.org.
