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Long considered the stepping stone of Nova Scotia, Yarmouth County is now home to the Stepping Stones; and this week the Justice Minister visited Yarmouth and addressed the local Chamber of Commerce to tell them how he is in support of the local program.
The Stepping Stones Program helps young people in transition to become more self sufficient and more employable.
The Stepping Stones program, under supervision of Emma Halpern, recently held it’s first Graduation Ceremonies the end of February 2008. It was at that Graduation that 10 of the original 12 Stepping Stones participants graduated after the three month course in which they worked on resume building, interview, literacy, and life skills.
It is these skills that are seen as helping to build self esteem and leading participants to maintaining a more stable life.
The program gets to the root of the problems faced by youth in transition and addresses far more than resume building. It helps to build youth into fully functional community members that are equipped with the skills to survive, live, and thrive, in todays hectic and competitive world.
Limited funding for the recently graduated Stepping Stones program participants came in part from the Department of Community Services. Program organizers have been seeking more secure funding to ensure the program can continue to run and that a full-time coordinator for the program can be hired.
After this weeks visit by the Justice Minister to Yarmouth and the address he delivered to the local Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce it seems that those funds may be coming more available.
Seemingly recognizing the needs of the Stepping Stones program to better support youth who are willing to put in the work and improve themselves and become better community members the Minister of Justice left behind a check for $5000 and information that may lead to future funding possibilities.
The Justice Minister in his address referred to Stepping Stones no less than 5 times in his 30 minutes and it was a great opportunity for local politicians and Chamber of Commerce members to be made more aware of the Steppng Stones program, recent success stories, and perceived positvi benefits that will come from the continuance of the program in the future.
Nothing quite like having the Minister of Justice recommend your program to give it some traction in the local community.
After the meeting was over the Justice Minister privately presented the check for $5000. While local community members including Yarmouth Town Mayor Charles Crosby and local MLA Richard Hurlburt seemed supportive.
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For YarmouthCounty.com, this has been Brian Hurlburt, and I invite you to Make it a great day!
Sincerely,
Brian Hurlburt
customerservice@yarmouthcounty.com
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