On May 21 from 6:00-8:00pm, the Youth Encouraging Lasting Leadership (YELL) Group organized a Peace Walk and charity bake sale. Together over a dozen youth and their families walked from Chestermere Town Hall to Millennium Park and back, dressed in pink and carrying posters displaying anti-bullying and peace messages. Peace officers escorted the group during the walk.
Christy Redl, Youth Development Coordinator for the Town of Chestermere helped the youth to organize the event but emphasises that it was the youth you did most of the work. “They have done the peace walk annually for several years, so this year I came to them and asked them what direction they wanted to go with the event in terms of planning.”
Redl went on to explain that the core YELL group took it upon themselves to organize the bake sale, they researched different charities and selected one to support, and they even approached the local Peace officers to invite them to participate. “I am just just here as a support, I am so proud of them – they have done such a great job.”
14 year old Jayde Bailey is a member of YELL and helped to organize the Peace Walk event. She said that she feels the Peace Walk is important because it raises awareness about issues like bullying. She is proud to be a YELL member and feel that YELL is different from other groups because they focus on issues that other groups don’t always want to deal with. “YELL is different because we bring awareness as to why people bully others or even why they might participate in bullying. The YELL members stand up to these problems and help with solving these issues.”
After researching various charities, the youth decided on the Kids Help Phone to be the recipient of funds raised through a bake sale, “We chose the Kids Help Phone because they are Canada wide and they help to stop all types of bullying like cyber bullying and they work to get their message out that they are there for kids who need help,” commented Bailey.
Kids Help Phone is a free, anonymous and confidential phone and on-line professional counselling service for youth. Big or small concerns, they are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
According the Kids Help Phone website, 100% of young people will experience sadness, frustration, grief, and stress. How they are supported is what matters most. Young people can trust Kids Help Phone because Counsellors don’t use call display and don’t trace calls or IP addresses. They don’t even collect names or any other personal information.
From trouble with homework to dealing with loss and grief, from questions about sexual identity to thoughts of suicide, young people can turn to Kids Help Phone. They are a community-based organization that relies almost exclusively on the support of corporations, foundations and individuals to ensure that every child that takes the courageous step of reaching out for help receives the meaningful support they seek and deserve.
YELL is a division of Synergy, an innovative not-for-profit organization with the mandate to provide youth and volunteer development leadership within Chestermere are area. Synergy has three programs for children from the ages of seven all the way up to 19. For more information on YELL and Synergy, visit their website at www.truesynergy.ca.
