A local Big Brothers Big Sisters program that supports the region’s 2SLGBTQIA+ youth received a big boost from the Canada Post Community Foundation.
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The PRISM (Pride Respect Identity Safety Mentoring) program received a $12,100 grant from the nationwide community foundation that will help support both program delivery and activity supplies, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County officials said in a release.
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The program itself was designed to connect local 2SLGBTQIA+ young people with their peers and adults in the community to foster “authentic bonds” while building a sense of community. The program provides both group programs and one-to-one support through screened and trained adult mentors with lived experience within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“These connections will happen weekly between the two parties for a minimum of one year, and are supported and monitored by a professional caseworker,” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County executive director Kristen Ralph said in the release.
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“The match will build a developmental relationship that expresses care, challenges growth, provides support, shares power and expands possibilities. The group programs within PRISM support young people to create connections and relationships with one another.”
Through the group approach, the PRISM program helps connect young people from the “different schools, towns and neighborhoods” of Oxford County with other young people sharing similar experiences.
“PRISM brings youth together, not only to meet, but to take part in various community activities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience,” Ralph said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County also offers drop-in conversations for the parents and guardians of the young people in the program, helping create another system of community and supports as they navigate their own challenges.
Established in 2012, the Canada Post Community Foundation is a registered charity that operates at arm’s length from Canada Post. The charity’s mission is simple — have a positive impact on the lives of children and youth by “building the capacity of local charities, initiatives and programs that support them.”
This year, the Canada Post Community Foundation provided funding to 84 organizations across Canada that offered initiatives to improve the lives of young people.
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