It’s getting harder
witnesses Nadine Lapierre, director of the new Maison des jeunes des les-de-la-Madeleine. People who work in youth centers are leaving for better jobs and you can’t really compete
she adds.
In her opinion, this fact, unfortunately, has an impact on the activities offered to the participants. We often work with projects that stick to deadlines because we struggle with people who have another job, so this is a headache.
Director regrets. The youth center is often forced to close completely, due to a shortage of staff.
The new Magdalen Islands Youth Center located in Fatima (Archive)
Photo: Credit: Annie Vigneau
The situation Nadine Lapierre is facing is not an exception. Over the past year, more than 45% of youth centers had to close, temporarily or permanently, or reduce operating hours due to a funding problem.
The RMJQ It is estimated that the subsidies that institutions receive for adolescents cover only a third of their budget.
A place to break isolation and grow
The RMJQ He would like to stress the role that youth centers play in supporting adolescents.
The coordinator of the Maison des jeunes de Gaspé, Sabrina Fortin, notes that their participation is manifold. We present young people with a set of ramifications, if a young man tells us about a project, we will accompany him. We will also build a bridge with other organizations in the territory, and the youth center forms a living environment on a daily basis
.
To continue to accomplish their mission, teams that welcome teens want their voices to be heard. They are asking Quebec to significantly increase their funding in the upcoming government budget.
For Marilou Jomphe, who has been attending the Maison des jeunes des Îles-de-la-Madeleine for three years, it is necessary to put more resources into these structures designed for young people. Youth Center makes a difference in our lives. Teams at school help us, with our health, improve life in general
are grateful lists.
” The youth center is family, it’s friends, psychologists, teachers…Personally, it has helped me to be a better person. »
Citizens are invited to show their support by signing the declaration More for our teens
Available on .’s website RMJQ.
On Tuesday, MNA went to Gaspey, Megan Berry Melanson, and Jules Arsenault, for Ile de la Madeleine, to meet young people from each of them to offer their support.
The RMJQ Supports 216 youth centers throughout Quebec.
With information from Kim Bergeron
