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Responding to the needs of children, youth and families in rural communities can present unique challenges. Often there are a wide range of needs, and there are challenges in meeting these needs such as: a narrow menu of services, limited numbers of volunteers, finite sources of funding, difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified staff, and confidentiality issues. Hurdles such as these have characterized the experience of community groups in Wainwright, Alberta … at least until recently.
The Municipal District of Wainwright, located in east central Alberta, is made up of the town of Wainwright – population 5200 – and several other villages and hamlets. The area is home to a large military base, the Western Training Centre of the Canadian Armed Forces, and is also sustained by farming, ranching, oil and gas industries.
This community, in the mid-1980s, faced a dearth of supports for its young people. The Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society was consequently formed by a group of community members who believed that a youth centre was needed to serve the young people of the area. The youth centre did not happen, but by 1984 a Big Brothers Big Sisters program did. A board of directors was formed, (separate from that of the Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society), and the organization began operating a traditional, community-based matching program with the help of a part-time staff position.
Although there was clearly a need for a mentoring program in Wainwright, Big Brothers Big Sisters never really flourished in the area. At its peak, it had just ten matches, and in recent years it averaged only three matches. Being in a small community with a fairly transient population, the agency struggled with high staff turnover and difficulties recruiting long-term volunteer mentors. It had a large caseload of children waiting to be matched, which it ended up serving through alternative group programming. Despite these challenges, one major asset the organization did acquire was the ownership of a building. The facility gave them a recognizable community presence and a source of income. This building has housed several community services, including the Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society.
While Big Brothers Big Sisters delivered its small but meaningful program over the years, the Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society remained active. It developed and operated a number of youth services, such as an after school program, with its own board and staff, while co-locating in the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ facility.
By about 2002, it was clear to the Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society that the existing programs and organizations were not adequately meeting the needs of Wainwright’s children, youth and families. At the same time, the Big Brothers Big Sisters board of directors recognized that their program simply wasn’t sufficient in its existing form. Both boards knew they needed to reach more young people with a wider array of services, and through a strong, reputable and recognized organization. And so, they began to investigate other ways of doing business.
Their investigations led them to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Affiliation with this national organization fit for these groups, as it would allow them the opportunity to offer a diverse menu of services that were tailored to their community, while benefiting from association with a national brand identity. When they discovered that the Boys and Girls Club mission and values matched the vision that they had been developing, they began to pursue affiliation.
Throughout early 2003, the groups conducted the required community needs assessment and program plan, and developed a new organizational structure. They were able to use the services of Alberta Community Development - a provincial government department charged with assisting community initiatives - to guide them through this process.
In May 2003 the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society held a joint meeting, at which they voted to accept the mission and values of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. The following month a new board of directors, consisting of four members from Big Brothers Big Sisters and five members from Wainwright Youth Initiatives Society, was elected at the first Annual General Meeting of Boys and Girls Club of Wainwright and District. By October 2003 the new organization had been granted provisional affiliation with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, and the predecessor organizations began the dissolution process.
Renay Bradley was hired as Executive Director of the new Boys and Girls Club in November 2003. She reports that, under this new organizational approach, some of the pre-existing services have been maintained and others have been altered. For instance, mentoring is still a part of the program offerings, but it is delivered through a peer mentoring model. More programs have been added to the menu of services, new programs are currently in development, and services are being extended to the surrounding area.
“Boys and Girls Club is growing exponentially,” observes Renay. She believes that the needs assessment and program planning process was a key to the growth and success of the new organization, and she recommends this process to other communities considering initiating or changing services for young people. “Both [Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys and Girls Club] have great things going on. But be sure to take the time to see what is going to work in your area,” she advises.
Renay also believes that their success has depended upon the ability of the board members and other stakeholders to let go of their separate interests and loyalties to one organization or the other, and focus instead on the best interests of the community. “Get rid of your personal agenda, and work for the best interests of the youth, the people you serve. Don’t get bogged down in the political junk,” she recommends.
As for the future, Renay envisions the Boys and Girls Club needing to hire more staff and find a new home. She believes that by partnering with other services and reaching out to more young people from all over the district who have a variety of issues, they will build a comprehensive program for youth that will truly meet their needs. Renay expresses her confidence in the strength of the new organization, “I see Boys and Girls Club being a mainstay in Wainwright for a long time.”
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