Alexander residents will make a plan this fall to keep crime out of their community thanks to a recent grant from the province.
Alexander First Nation and the Yellowhead Tribal Community Corrections Society got a $75,000 grant on Aug. 10 to create a crime reduction strategy for the band. The money comes from the Safe Communities Innovation Fund.
Alexander has a relatively low crime rate, said project lead Herb Arcand, and wants to keep it that way. By getting elders, youth, community members and the RCMP together, they hope to head off problems of drugs and gang violence before they start.
Research suggests that cultural and educational opportunities are effective ways to reduce community crime, said Rupert Arcand, spokesperson for the Yellowhead Tribal Community Corrections Society. "When you have those in place, conflict with the justice system significantly lowers."
The band has a committee of about eight members who will meet with youth, elders and residents over the next few months to create a plan, said Herb Arcand, with an aim to have it done by December. Anyone interested in participating should call the band's office at 780-939-5887.
Hope comes to Hobbema
The Hope Foundation of Alberta also received $383,772 over three years to run the Hope Kids youth program at the Montana School in Hobbema and the Mother Earth Children's Charter School near Stony Plain. The program will be aimed at gang violence and drug abuse among students aged 13 to 16.
The foundation shows teachers and students how to work in their schools and neighbourhoods to foster a sense of hope, said Lenora LeMay, director of education services. "We see hope as a process," she said, one that can help people find a sense of belonging in their community.
St. Albert's Steven Roy invented Hope Kids in 1995 when he decided to visit sick people on his 10th birthday, LeMay said. The program gives students positive role models and builds self-esteem and leadership skills through community involvement. In recent years, St. Albert students have volunteered at the Youville Home and collected food donations under the program.
This is the first time that the society will run the program for three consecutive years, LeMay said. She predicted measurable improvements to attendance, student interest, and parental engagement.
Call Alberta Aboriginal Relations at 780-643-1733 for more on the grants.
