YIP Blogs
 Dakota's committee This was my first year in YIP, and as a new member into the YIP community I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that the basic premise of YIP was to grant charity money to local charities in Winnipeg, however I was unaware of how the whole year would play out. I expected my experience to be in a way very cut and dry: visit a charity, decide whether they should receive a grant, send the grant. Done in three easy steps. What I didn’t expect out of my YIP journey was to experience the heart and commitment that went into the Youth in Philanthropy program, or how emotionally involved I myself would become in the whole process.
After joining YIP, I was struck with a sense of community that I had not experienced in my school. In the room with me were people who shared my desire to help others and to make a change in our small portion of the world. Being in that room with those people every week was an empowering feeling and made me feel as though I was a part of something meaningful. The energy and the passion that they put into their work inspired me into action and drove me to join them in making a small difference in our community.
While the people in my YIP group are a vital part of my YIP year, the experience that made the most impact on me was going on my first site visit. This year I had the joy of accompanying my group to the local teen drop in center Teen Stop Jeunesse, and the trip is something I will never forget. I immediately grasped how much the people of this organization cared for the people in their service. After touring through the building, listening to all of the stories that the charity had to tell and learning the impact they have on the community, I felt that I was truly experiencing what YIP was all about.
YIP is about so much more than giving grants; it is about giving back to the community, about helping your neighbours, and most importantly about changing the world one step at a time. I feel that being a part of YIP has helped me open my eyes to the world around me and has provided me with the opportunity to grow with my community in a way that no other school program can. I am so thankful for the chance to be a part of this YIP family and I look forward to seeing how I can use my experiences gained in YIP in the future to make my little part of the world a better place.
By: Megan, Dakota Collegiate YiP Committee
 Christian, far right, on a Disney World adventure
By: Christian Martinez, YiP alumni and current Young Philanthropists’ Network member
I come from an immigrant family. When I was 13 years old, my parents decided to pack much of our belongings and leave their comfortable life for Winnipeg – a city which I had not heard of before. To a teenager, the move was baffling. After all, each of my parents had a good career, which was more than many in the Philippines could have said at the time. I was confused. I could not see the wisdom in the decision. Why was my concept of “home” being unnecessarily shaken? Little did I know that the monumental change would lead me to Daniel McIntyre Collegiate; and in my search of “home”, through YiP, I would learn one of the greatest lessons in my 22 short years: philanthropy should be at the centre of our lives.
YiP helped me realize that a fulfilling life involves giving as much of yourself, in whatever way you can. When we conducted our site visits with various Winnipeg organizations, I was mortified to find out that our city, while part of one of the world’s most affluent nations, was experiencing many challenges. Poverty and crime, discrimination, challenges in education, employment and training, and opportunities for improvement in the health and environment sectors. The list goes on.
However, throughout my involvement in the program I also learned that for its tremendous challenges, Winnipeg was truly a wonderful place. Winnipeg was home; its people, my family. YiP was my outlet to contribute to the city which I had grown to love, and lend my voice to community change, no matter how minute it might be. My YiP experience compelled me to become more involved in the community.
Some of my other community involvements include volunteering with Dreams Take Flight Winnipeg, an Air Canada-based organization with the goal to provide the one-of-a-kind opportunity for physically, mentally or socially challenged children to go to Disney World and really be a kid for the day. I have also worked with the Starlight Foundation and Answering the Cry of the Poor.
After YiP, I joined another Winnipeg Foundation initiative to continue giving back as a young adult as one of the first members of the Young Philanthropists’ Network.
Currently, I am pursuing a degree in criminal justice, with further hopes of going into law. One of my personal dreams is to be better able to contribute to the community through philanthropy.
I will be forever grateful to the YiP experience for enriching my life. The program opened my eyes to the fact that we cannot afford to be indifferent while claiming to be humane and responsible citizens. This, without a doubt, has influenced my decisions, and will continue to do so. This is the enduring gift that YiP afforded me.
Maxine @ Nor’West Co-op Community Health
Summer Internship Program (SIP) 2011
Monday….I am really enjoying myself here at Nor’West. I was worried at first that this job would be stressful as the word internship seems so professional, however I’ve found it to be quite fun! The people here are so kind and you can tell they all love their jobs. I am lucky because this job lets me to a variety of tasks. I won’t ever get bored because every day is different.
I arrived at work this morning just before 9:00am. It was a very chill day at Nor’West today, very much like the weather outside. Once my co-worker Jessica arrived, we began sorting through strawberries, separating the good from the bad. This job needed to be done as tomorrow we are going to Players Golf Course to promote Hans Kai and we will be making fruit smoothies for everyone. Hans Kai is a program that teaches small groups to monitor and maintain their own health. I took my lunch break early to register for my University classes next year then Jessica and I went to Safeway and Dollarama to buy more ingredients for the smoothies.
We ended the day with a short meeting to double check that we had everything prepared for the day at the golf course, then I continued cutting up fruit and loading the vehicles with supplies. I jumped on the bus and began my long journey home (it’s about an hour bus ride).
Tuesday. . . . It was a very long day for me here today. We had our outreach for Hans Kai at the golf course so my mentor Michelle picked me up at 6:40AM so we could arrive at the club for 7:00AM! Once at the club, I spent the morning on the bike blender (a blender powered by your cycling) whipping up smoothies for all the golfers to help promote healthy living and eating. It was a great success.
 Maxine blending up smoothies! Athletes were also able to get their blood sugar and blood pressure tested as well as learn some stretching tips from a personal trainer. These are all things they will learn how to do on their own if they join a Hans program. In total we had over 90 golfers through the stations that were dispersed along the holes.
Afterwards, I went to Meadows West School to help run the drop in Summer Fun program for youth. Kids from the community get to participate in free summer day camps organized by the Green Team. This team is also hired on by Nor’West and I work with them if they need more staff.
At our session today, we had only four kids but we were able to play various games such as grounders, basketball, and earth bingo. We also had a scavenger hunt out in the field. The Summer Fun program ended at 3:30 and I returned to the office to work on this assignment.
Wednesday . . . . When I arrived into work this morning I continued with the A Week in the Life assignment. My co-worker Jessica and I began to start thinking about the BBQ that we will be planning for sometime in August. This will be my major project while I am here at Nor’West. Also we did some research about literacy programs in Winnipeg. We are hoping to get some reading circles started for the Inkster and Seven Oaks areas. Literacy seems to be a focus in these areas, so a reading program would help develop this important skill.
We were then given the small task of making a survey card for the clients that come to Nor’West and headed out to buy some colorful paper for it. In the afternoon I was needed at the Prairie Rose Day Care. I was put with the 3-4 year olds for the afternoon. We played outside with the kids in the blow up pool, prepared snack and then got them ready for home time.
After, I returned to Nor’West and was able to get a ride home with a co-worker a little early! It felt so nice to get a ride home for once!
Thursday. . . . Today when I arrived into work, I began working on the survey cards. I had problems trying to print them so I am holding off until tomorrow to finish them also I have to make sure everyone likes the design.
I started looking through the information binder about the barbeques that have been organized in the last few years. Every summer Nor’West plans several barbeques for the community. They invite the Mayor, police officers, and the fire department to join in on the fun. It’s totally free so lots of people always come out. This year it is my job to plan the barbeque, everything from food, staffing, activities, and publicity. It is going to be a lot of work. The barbeque is a huge success and the community looks forward to it for so long so I hope I do a good job planning it.
In the afternoon, I went strawberry picking in Grunthal, Manitoba. It was quite a hike but totally worth it. We took a Hans Kai group out there on a big yellow school bus. It was a beautiful day for picking and it was a great way to spend an afternoon and a nice break from the office.
It’s payday today so I get my first pay check which is pretty exciting! The week went by fast with all the different activities that happened however it never felt rushed or too busy. I am still very tired and looking forward to the weekend!
Friday . . . . Hooray, it’s Friday! At work this morning, I worked on this assignment finishing up old entries. I then began finishing the survey cards after waiting for approval of the design from the executive director.
The afternoon was spent planning activities with the Green Team for the Summer Fun program. We organized daily activities and weekly themes for the programs.
The weeks are just flying by. I can’t wait to see which project I’ll be doing next!
 Tosin working with the Children's Hospital Foundation on the CN Miracle Match As a former Yipper, it is very exciting to be able to look back and see how much the Youth in Philanthropy (YiP) program has impacted my views, my future, and my willingness to see beyond poverty and lack, but instead see how important it is for us as a society to support each other.
My name is Tosin Odeshi and I became a part of the YiP in my grade 12 year. Previously attending Fort Richmond Collegiate, I was one of the co-chairs of our school’s YIP committee. Serving on the committee gave me the opportunity to learn the importance of giving back to the community and how best to do so. Sometimes as young students, it is easy to feel like we are unable to make a difference. YIP really helped me understand that even the smallest acts can make a very big difference. Visiting and seeing so many non-profit organizations helped me to realize that there are so many ways to impact one’s community. This inspired me to find ways I could make a difference, through various volunteering activities and community service programs.
After YiP, I was accepted into the Summer Internship Program (SIP), and this experience assisted me to gain a fulfilled YiP experience. I spent the summer of 2010 interning at the Children’s Hospital Foundation. I found the experience extremely rewarding, learning from and working with passionate individuals. The SIP experience truly helped me understand the importance of a tightly knitted community.
The Children’s Hospital Foundation is a non-profit organization and yet they raise millions of dollars every year. There are so many charitable organizations in the Winnipeg community and all of them are sustained by the kindness of donors and volunteers.
Interning at the hospital foundation also helped me to learn much about the Manitoba Institute of Child Health. The Manitoba Institute of Child Health, MICH is sponsored by the Children’s Hospital Foundation and focuses on conducting research projects that are concerned with child health. On my tour visiting the MICH building during my internship, Karen (my mentor) said one thing I will never forget, “every treatment you get today is because of the research someone did yesterday.” She also gave me information about MICH’s undergraduate summer studentship program. Inspired by Karen’s words and the projects that were being conducted at MICH, I went on to apply for the MICH undergraduate studentship. I spent this summer working under Dr. James Friel at the The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. Getting the opportunity to be a part of the MICH program was an experience of a life time. I learned a tremendous amount from brilliant individuals whose goals are to make break-throughs in medicine. I spent most of the summer working on a pilot project in the lab, that focused on how different diets effect the development of an infant’s microbiome.
I am current a second year student at the University of Saskatchewan, working on attaining my Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology and Anatomy. I aspire to eventually study medicine. Being a part of the YiP program has been phenomenal. It has opened me to a network of opportunities and friendships. I have gained and learned so much from being part of both YiP and SIP and I am extremely grateful to the Winnipeg Foundation for giving me the chance to be part of such an unforgettable program.
Association for Community Living Winnipeg (ACL)
SIP Intern, Aliya
I like to build my days up at ACL Winnipeg. I usually start my day off with the more…monotonous of my duties: contact information clean up. I, like any other teenage girl, bear a certain fondness for lists. No, it’s true, I do! However, this particular list has the unfortunate appearance of being so tangled up in itself even I wince at the sight of it. It’s coming along though, and when all my scribbles are typed into something legible it will be quite the beaut, I’m sure.
With the more office-y details tucked away – you know, lists banged around, emails sent or answered, eyes crossed – I take a moment to fiddle with my maps. My main project at here at ACL is ‘community mapping’. In short, I’m basically playing Where’s Waldo? with Winnipeg’s downtown all day.
 - Aliya maps it out @ ACL
I may joke about it, but ACL’s goal is a very much serious – and striking – one. We are trying to form a more inclusive neighbourhood, finding places where people with disabilities and/or their families can go and become regulars. Places children can grow up just as any other child would (and as they deserve): by thumping the other children over the head with their Tonka trucks while their mothers chat amiably nearby. It’s about living with no limitations and opening doors to discover something growing inside.
But I digress, for I was talking about my maps. I spend the next little bit poking around my maps, separating gardens, parks and playgrounds from community centres, schools and arenas. I’ll take a moment to utilize Street View and take a virtual walk around so I can make note of anything special about the parks I tag (eg., benches, courts, structures, wade pools etc.) My mentor, Janet, and I plan on taking an actual walk around downtown one of these days, seeing which particular cafe draws a crowd, or which little store has programs we didn’t know about.
When I’m done with my parks I do a bit of research on the different community clubs I’ve pinned. Every once in a while Tracy, an organizer with the Among Friends Program, will pop in with something cool for me to look at and help me figure out how to build on the mapping project. Janet does the same, though usually it’s with something going on in the building that she thinks I’d like to do, or would benefit from sitting in on. It can be anything from letting me shadow her (though, she assures me, I can be as vocal as I’d like, but right now I think I’m soaking up the most by playing follow-the-leader) on a meeting with other organizations about a forum they’re holding or suggesting I watch a documentary on institutions. Each day is as much about helping me understand people and communities as a whole as it is about my search for things to help others understand their community as well.
 Kenji 'the professional' at work Kenji @ Pan Am Clinic Foundation
Monday………The hard part is over, what a relief! My first week was tough but I finally feel like I’m getting used to it.
Today’s the day I became one of a privileged group of individuals. The responsibility I was given was equally enormous. Following a lengthy briefing this morning, Lisa (my mentor) handed me my very own pass key into the Pan Am Clinic. Not all that exciting? Think again. As a Pan Am Clinic Foundation employee I have access to lab equipment and research worth a small fortune. The entire building is completely secure. Every door requires a pass key. This turned out to be a bit of an inconvenience. . . . on several occasions I was locked out when I forgot my key!
Tuesday…….Beautiful summer day. I enjoyed the scenic bike ride to work, detouring through the forest.
First thing on the agenda: Check email.
Whoa! 10 new messages. Most of it is pretty typical stuff, except for one. I finally got a reply from the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He has agreed to give a testimonial on the treatment that his players received at the Pan Am Clinic. This is great news and should make an interesting addition to our monthly newsletter and Facebook page. Today I am very proud since it was my idea to contact him!
Wednesday……Today I have pratically the whole office to my self. I feel like a business professional now. I’ve brought in a few notebooks, pens, posit notes, and a stapler. My space is pretty personalized and I finally feel settled in.
Thursday……Out of nowhere, the research tech, Brad, pulls me out of the office for a tour of the lab.
Wow! I was speechless. Expensive research equipment and gadgets are all over the place just like a James Bond movie. I get to try out the “Alter G” treadmill, capable of simulating weightless running. The machine was originally developed by NASA to help astronauts workout in space. Now, it helps athletes and rehabilitating patients alike. An airbag inflates itself underneath you and lifts you up. It was an amazing experience. This must be what it feels like to run on Mars.
 Brad, the research tech, shows fellow SIP interns and mentors how the Alter G works
My Experience . . . .at Rady JCC!
SIP intern, Amy
Monday……Time is flying by so fast, can’t believe that it! This indicates that I am having a great time working at Rady JCC (Rady Jewish Community Centre). It is a great organization with people who have big hearts. Rady JCC offers many different programs, such as fitness training, birthday party planning, XRKade, day camp, senior’s program etc. It contributes to the community by stabilizing the well-being of everyone. My main task at work is marketing. My project is promoting XRKade. It is a room that contains video games that encourage people to exercise while having fun. Rady JCC has the only XRKade in Manitoba, but not many people know about it, so we have to promote it more. On the side of the project, I do other small things for the organization. Today, I made phone calls to the sponsors for the Israel Pavilion at Folklorama, I did office work such as typing documents, photo copying etc.
In the XRKade – my main project
Tuesday……… I job shadowed one of the day camp coordinators. It was lots of fun, because I had the opportunity to spend time with the kids. I love working with kids! I helped the coordinator with cleaning and planning. In the afternoon, I played in the XRKade room for a while because I need to become familiar with the games in order to promote it to the community. I had so much fun playing Dance Dance Revolution even though I’m bad at it! Then I entered the names on the ballots for a contest into the computer. Great day!
Wednesday…..I had the chance to follow a personal trainer around. It was a great experience because I was exposed to different kinds of classes offered at Rady JCC. I watched a senior fitness class and a special needs class. The people in the special needs class worked very hard. It made me feel stronger about the fact that Rady JCC is an organization with a big heart. The facilities here are just amazing. The change rooms are super clean, the workout equipment looks new and the swimming pool simply looks amazing. I feel so lucky to be working here because I get to access these facilities!
 In the office doing some office work and loving the Winnipeg Foundation 
Thursday……Today I made a few phone calls to inquire about advertising rates and typed up a document. I am going to Art City for a site visit in the afternoon, really excited about that!
Friday……This week went by so fast, my day started with helping out with sign-in for the day camp as usual. I really like starting my day this way, because it is refreshing when I get the chance to greet other people and say “have a nice day” to them. At 9’o clock, I went to my office to finish typing a document. After that I started to transferring pictures from CDs onto the computer. After lunch, I started typing up another document that my mentor had left me. Then all of a sudden, it is 4’o clock, whoa! Now I know why time just flies by when I am at work, because I always have something to do. I like to keep myself busy though. I am so grateful for the SIP opportunity. SIP is not only helping me to save money for university but the program is also teaching me new things that will be helpful to me in the near future!
 Helping out with Rady JCC day camp
Hello! This summer I am interning at the Manitoba Eco-Network. We are an “umbrella” organization for environmental non-governmental groups throughout the province. It is actually a unique organization to work for based on the fact that I am not only learning about the Manitoba Eco-Network, but also about all the organizations that are affiliated with us! So far, I enjoy every minute as everybody here and what they do are truly inspiring me for what I can do for the environment now, as well as in the future. With that said, I hope you enjoy this slight glimpse into my week!
“A Week in the Life” by Marie Sereneo
Monday…..Only the second week into the internship and I am already in charge of coordinator duties! After climbing the four flights of stairs (phew!) to the 3rd floor of the MEC building, I arrive to an empty office, as our flexible hours have most of the staff starting at 10 a.m. and beyond. Reading off the list I wrote the week before, I turn on the main computer before I unlock the elevator, patio and the file cabinet. After that, I am at my desk for most of the morning updating our website with news articles, answering the phone, reading emails, and phoning potential volunteers for their interviews. Before I know it, it’s lunch!
In the afternoon, I spend most of the day working on vertical files. To elaborate, these are stacks of old articles, acts, and papers that are taking entirely too much space in our office. My job is to find these same (or better) resources online in order to recycle the hard copies and save space. Yes, it becomes a tedious job, but there is something satisfying about being able to whittle down a huge file into a single list of resources. (On a side note, it’s really amazing what you can find online!) This is my side project usually reserved for Fridays and spare time; and thus my Monday afternoon was filled.
Tuesday…..This morning begins with my daily duties. I do want to point out that our computer system is rather slow, and thus it takes me longer to perform these tasks than what I am used to. However, this is all by-and-by, and after I ask Anne (the executive director) if there are any tasks around the office that I could help out with. She sets me up reviewing films for our upcoming film festival, and I end up watching “Land of Destiny”, a documentary about a petrochemical town who learn that their workers are being hit by various cancers. It is a different movie than what I would normally choose, though it definitely pulled at my emotions at the heartbreaks these workers and their families felt. After, I attend a meeting concerning Anne’s farewell, because she is leaving MEN after 23 years.
Wednesday…..Today I spend most of my morning creating templates for pin buttons that we use as a fundraiser. It is a fun task finding the pictures, but having to format the circles took a long time. At noon, I get a much needed break because we are planting tomatoes!
 marie helping the rooftop tomatoes along
The MEC building has a green roof, and some staff acquired some tomato plants to grow for Winnipeg Harvest. Thus, most of the afternoon is spent mixing soil and compost to use for planting the tomato plants into pots. This could almost be considered the easy part, because our next task was to water things. Since we do not have a hose, we had to make several trips from the kitchen to the patio hauling jugs of water. However, no matter how many trips we made, the soil (and presumably the plants) was as dry as ever! Eventually, we decided that the plants could wait for following days to satiate their thirst.
Thursday…….Remember those templates I was working on yesterday? I spent a bit more time making the images before handing the printed copies to a volunteer to cut with the circle maker. After, I made buttons! All my hard work and attention to detail paid off as the buttons all came out uniform and centered. I definitely enjoyed the satisfying “thud” that signified a finished button, and the diversity was endless as bears, penguins, birds and even Dr. Seuss buttons were cranked out! I believe that this button project was definitely my favourite one yet. If anyone is interested, they are on sale for $1.00 each at the Manitoba Eco-Network.
 marie 'buttons' SIP intern hard at work
Friday……The end of the week. I spend it quietly “converting” vertical files again, in conjunction with a relatively quiet and empty office. The day is also punctuated with anecdotes from Anne, who tells me hilarious stories about her first few jobs. Surprisingly, I do not feel the same kind of exhausted relief that I usually feel during a school week of essays, tests, and extra-curricular activities. It’s a different kind of atmosphere here at Manitoba Eco-Network, and I am enjoying it. Working here has definitely opened my eyes to, not “lesser” per se, but less publicized issues in the community. I look forward to see what the rest of the summer brings!
 diana at take pride!
WOW! I can’t believe that I have already worked for a few weeks at Take Pride Winnipeg! There has never been a moment when I was not busy.
The Winnipeg in Bloom contest was very busy and there was a lot of work to do. I have called people who were in the contest last year and asked them if they would like to be entered again this year. I am also responsible for answering the office phone whenever it rings. I try to answer the caller’s question; if I cannot, I transfer the call to the person who would be able to.
I have also printed the invitations to the Winnipeg in Bloom awards ceremony, folded them, enclosed two tickets, placed all of this into an envelope, and sealed the envelope to be mailed. That was a lot of work and took a solid two days. I got pretty fast at it since I had to print and seal 700 invitations! But that’s not all! In addition to the letters, I assembled the many signs which were placed into the yards of the participants.
My job got even better when I started photographing the front yard of every house entered into Winnipeg in Bloom! I get to use my SLR camera to take pictures of several hundred of these houses. This one job I have been most looking forward to. I really enjoy capturing photos of scenery, and I enjoy photography in general.
I have been exposed to other aspects of Take Pride Winnipeg! I was able to attend a mural launch and a news story for Peanut Park. Every two weeks or so there is a Greenwave event where all the different programs and people associated with Take Pride Winnipeg! come together and paint a building to help rejuvenate the city and that area.
I was pretty excited when I got to be “Louie the Lion”, the Take Pride mascot at a neighborhood park. Even though it was VERY hot, it was fun. I walked around and just gave hugs to some kids, which was fun: hot, but fun! I only wore the costume for about 10 minutes because it was soooo hot. Maybe I’ll get to do that again on a cooler day.
 "diana the lion"
There are many more fun events to happen during my time as in intern. I have already learned so much about the organization and everything that it does, I have already met many people and have gotten to see and participate in the great things Take Pride Winnipeg! does for the city. There is never a dull moment in the office. The phone is always ringing, planning, or other work being done and different events going on around the city organized by Take Pride Winnipeg. It is also nice to have co-workers as great as mine, it really makes the job that much more enjoyable. I have had an excellent time so far and can’t wait for more to come. I mean I guess it’s pretty cool – being in the same building as the Hot 103 radio station and just striking up a conversation with Ace Burpee in the elevator
It seems like it has been a long time since my last year in high school, when actually, it was only in June 2010 that I graduated. Yet, so much has changed since that it seems like it’s been years since my last YIP meeting in the classrooms of Vincent Massey Collegiate.
I was first introduced to YIP through a friend, and immediately, I decided that it would be just the sort of thing I would like to be involved in. It’s true that I didn’t even know what the word philanthropy meant, but all the same, I decided to take the chance, and a good decision it was! Immediately, I found myself actively participating in many volunteering opportunities: one I distinctly remember was volunteering at Siloam Mission’s soup kitchen; this opportunity struck a chord within me, and I realized that, we can insulate ourselves from the problems of the world that very plainly lay themselves out in our backyards, but in doing so, we become less human every day.
One day in May of 2010, during one of our last YiP meetings, I once again heard about the SIP program offered for YiP members. Call it destiny if you will, but it all soon formed in my mind, that I would apply. I remember clearly that my application was faxed in on the very day of the deadline, maybe even in the last possible minute. However, soon enough I received a call for an interview, and I was placed as a summer intern with The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS). I was to spend the month of July working with the Communications Department, and the month of August working with the Education Department.
 Meret 'goofing around' with day campers During my work experience in the WHS, I have since gained many invaluable and indispensable skills and talents, varying from working in a professional office environment, to being a complete goofball with kids in several of the programs offered. After my internship for the summer, I was hired at the WHS as a member of the Education Team in September of 2010. I have done countless educational birthday parties and tours during the school year, and worked as a day camp counselor during this summer. During my two-summers experience with the WHS, I have since became very fond of the place, more aware of the welfare of animals, and have decided to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. I’m currently a second year science student at the U of M, and I have high hopes and prospects for the future.
My volunteering experiences in high school with YiP and several other clubs have inspired me to be an instrument of change. Now, I’m gearing up for a three-week long service trip to Egypt, my home country. It gives me chills to think of being exposed to some of the most impoverished areas around in my own country, but I know that through my experience in YiP, I would be able to ascend the ladder to ready myself for such a trip.
I’ve learned many things through YiP, SIP, and all of the other volunteer experiences I’ve had. One thing I shall end with is that I’ve learned that we were made with a need to have hope: not just to HAVE it, but also to GIVE it to those around us. With many more experiences to come, I have YiP and The Winnipeg Foundation to thank for a wonderful head start!
Over eight years have passed since I first stepped into our school’s sewing lab to learn more about Youth in Philanthropy (YiP). Little did I know that that first meeting would have implications for years to come.
I first joined YiP in grade ten and right away I loved what we got to do. Aside from all the fun memories I also remember being committed to contributing to our community and felt that YiP provided a perfect opportunity.
Throughout high school I stayed involved with YiP, while also being involved in other student groups. In grade twelve I applied for the Summer Internship Program (SIP) and I was beyond thrilled when I found out I got to work at the Manitoba Children’s Museum for the summer. I have always loved working with kids and knew this was going to be fantastic!!
Working at the Children’s Museum, they were able to give me a taste of everything that went into running the Museum. I worked on sponsorship letters, in the Museum shop and got to spend some very fun days with day camp! I left that summer with such good memories and a commitment to non-profits in Winnipeg.
Since that summer I have become involved with various organizations working with Ronald McDonald House and Frontier College.
Above: The Frontier College literacy program ‘reading tent’ where Erin has spent this past summer.
I am also on the Nourishing Potential Committee and the Young Philanthropists’ Network. Each allow me to contribute to our community in a meaningful way and I learn more about the community where I live. By becoming involved with these organizations and committees I can support and work for things I love and feel strongly about.
As I completed my first degree in Human Ecology – Family Social Sciences and as I move into my first year of Education this fall, I feel my experiences in YiP, SiP, and now Young Philanthropists’ Network and Nourishing Potential have all shaped me into the individual I am and what I continue to support.
The first step to where I am now happened back in grade ten when I was introduced to YiP and the impact of the program has been incredibly important to me
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