EPCOR matches donations up to $25K for Edmonton non-profits

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As the need for youth services increases, EPCOR is promising to match donations up to $25,000 for two Edmonton-based non-profits in its Giving Tuesday campaign.

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Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS) and the Bissell Centre have seen a rise in demand for their services over the past few years, particularly among children and youth ages 15 to 24. One in six Edmonton children are living in poverty, and more youths need mental health crisis support, a press release said.

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Corey Mowles, president and CEO of YESS, said this year, the organization is raising donations for its Community Youth Support Centre, where youth can get immediate crisis help 24-7.

Mowles said over the past few years, the organization has moved away from a traditional shelter model to a youth centre that allows those in need to be assessed and given the support they need.

“Instead of having a traditional shelter where they have to go somewhere else the next day, they can stay with us for an indeterminate amount of time based on their needs, and once they’ve kind of manifest, we determine (the supports they need),” Mowles said.

“Today, we have a wellness integration team on site that helps the youth to build skills and expertise so they can just be well. So it’s more of a holistic approach than that traditional shelter space.”

YESS offers 16 beds in the youth centre and eight housing beds. Mowles said increasing capacity is something they are looking to do, but instead of adding more beds in one centre, they want to have various intake centres around the city to make access easier for youths so they do not have to travel so far away from the community they’re used to.

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“This is our most important month of the year. We get 50 per cent of our annual donations in this month,” Mowles said.

“It’s cold out there, and we want to make sure that youth have the supports they need.”

Nutrition is ‘foundational’

The Bissell Centre, an Edmonton-based organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities, is starting up its annual Feed Our Little Ones program, which provides meals for children in its child-care centre.

Jaye Brown, manager of the early child-care education program at the Bissell Centre, said in a press release that nearly 80 per cent of children in its program come from families that would be considered low-income or experiencing poverty.

“Healthy meals and nutrition are foundational to a child’s development. The contributions from EPCOR and Giving Tuesday will go towards not only filling our little ones’ bellies but also their minds, giving them the best start in life possible,” Brown said.

From now until Jan. 3, EPCOR will match any public donation to the Bissell Centre or YESS up to a total of $25,000 per organization. A $25,000 donation equates to 3,000 meals at the Bissell Centre and will support three youths at the YESS for the year.

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ctran@postmedia.com
@kccindytran

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