Letters

North Hastings Youth in Action

July 6, 2016

It has been a great pleasure for North Hastings Youth In Action (NHYIA) to be part of the Grade 8 Grad Dance at the Fish and Games Club this past Tuesday. As DJ enthusiasts Josh and Ryan Sawdon pumped out beats based on the feel of students, the music complemented the moment of pride during an important milestone of a youth’s life. As DJs and members of NHYIA, we would like to take this as an opportunity to share the various programs – like DJing – that NHYIA will offer in the near future.
Developing programs during a precarious economic era is a challenge encountered by many social service agencies. For this reason, it is important for YIA to pursue social entrepreneurial programming that responds to the social needs of our community while raising funds that will go towards new programming based on youth needs and current program improvement. With this new social entrepreneurial vision, NHYIA aims to create programming that promotes youth development.
NHYIA offers DJing as well as a concession stand for person, agency, group or business interested in presenting music or providing snacks for a party, festival, event or meeting. Our prices are flexible and fair, and all profit goes towards sustaining NHYIA. Furthermore, NHYIA has decided to focus on creating a mixed martial arts club, a musical theatre production and a literacy club, which will be led by professionals with the aim of providing spaces for youth to develop physical, mental, and moral competencies.
NHYIA continues to look for seed money in the form of donations, partnerships or grants, with the intent to have these programs become financially sustainable. The NHYIA members and board are working hard to provide programming that resonates with the youth in our community while developing a strong entrepreneurial backbone. Finally, NHYIA is a great volunteer opportunity for our youth and we are always welcoming new members. Come see what exciting opportunities await you! Questions, concerns, comments, or ideas are all welcomed. You can reach Shaan Dhillon, the YIA co-ordinator at 613-334-8262 or coordinator.nhyia@gmail.com.