For the last three years a national organization of dedicated volunteers has had teams of young citizens travel to St. Albert, working tirelessly with various community groups and learning about life here at the same time. All of that has finished now as Katimavik wrapped up its local operations last Wednesday.
Over the course of its time here, there were nine groups of several members each, all between the ages of 17 and 21. They all spent several months on their mission to understand and contribute in the spirit of bringing the expansive country of Canada just a little bit closer together.
Focusing on an area dubbed LeMoSt (referring to Legal, Morinville and St. Albert), the local Katimavik crews volunteered an average of 35 hours a week assisting numerous social agencies and non-profit organizations. The list includes Ă©cole Citadelle, the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club, City of St. Albert, St. Albert Community Information and Volunteer Centre, St. Albert Food Bank, Ă©cole Alexandre-TachĂ©, Michif Cultural and Resource Institute, Chrysalis, the Morinville Public Library, Legal School and the Association Canadienne-Française de l’Alberta-Centralta, among others.
Leslie MacEachern, the executive director of the seniors’ club, said Katimavik members filled in beautifully wherever help was needed, whether it was working in the kitchen during special events or assisting with the day program. Now that the crew is gone, she notices the significance of its impact.
“The seniors seemed very appreciative of them here,” she said. “[I’m] extremely sad to see them go. I’m honestly not sure how we’re going to carry out some things without them.”
Lyndi Woo, the last project leader for the area, explained the departure wasn’t because of a disagreement but was pre-planned. It was just time to move on.
“We feel it is important for the program to benefit as many communities as possible in Alberta,” she said.
Katimavik has enabled more than 30,000 Canadians to travel from their homes to 2,000 communities across the country. It fosters civic engagement and promotes sustainable communities by challenging the youth to step outside the box. They benefit by developing healthy lifestyles, discovering new cultures and taking care of the world and its people.
You can learn more about the group by visiting www.katimavik.org.
