Aldergrove Community Secondary School students debated the merits of seven local charities in their first Youth and Philanthropy Initiative event Thursday.
All of the seven non-profits or charities were worthy but in the end the Encompass Support Services Society was awarded the $5,000 grant by the school’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative program.
Seven school teams did their own research in recent weeks on issues and services relevant to current social problems such as homelessness, addictions and abuse.
“Above all was advocacy and raising awareness,” said ACSS principal Jeremy Lyndon. “When people are connected with charities those connections are communities.”
A full school gymnasium and five judges listened intently as the presentations were made on behalf of seven causes in the community.
The charities which were promoted by the speakers included Hope for Women Pregnancy Services, Our Lady of Good Counsel Society, Salvation Army-Gateway of Hope, Immigrants’ Services Society of B.C., SARA for Women, Ishtar Transition Housing and Encompass.
Encompass Support Services Society (ESSS) is a grassroots, non-profit agency that provides a wide range of enriching and essential programs and support services to the communities of Langley. They offer a variety of free, accessible community programs and activities for all ages with a primary focus on children, youth and families including: family mediation and reunification, youth homelessness, sexual abuse counselling, after school activity programs, pre-and-postnatal support, parent-child drop-in groups, and parenting support groups.
ESSS has just opened a Youth Resources Centre in Langley and offers services to 600 youths in the Aldergrove community.
