The Redcliff youth centre provides programs to help youth develop valuable life skills (CHAT News Today File Photo)

By Gates Guarin

Redcliff Youth Centre providing valuable skills in the kitchen

Jul 27, 2022 | 3:43 PM

REDCLIFF, AB – Kayla Petit has been coming to the Redcliff Youth Centre since was 10 years old, after seeing her sister take part in programs.

“My sister came here before, and I kind of just, I was like, ‘yeah let’s go see what it was,’ and I’ve been coming here since,” Petit says.

Kayla has always been someone who volunteered her time for different activities. Now an active member of the centre, she has emerged as a leader to several youth, especially as a part of the weekly dinner program.

The program has been in place for five years, and Taylor Bartram, executive director of Redcliff Youth Centre, says it’s one of the more popular programs offered.

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“It’s one of our busiest programs,” Bartram says. “We normally see many of our youth join in on that.”

Bartram says the centre feeds up to 40 youth on a daily basis, but the program is more than just getting kids fed.

“We teach them different skills, like important life skills on cooking tips, budgeting, food insecurity, food sustainability and just ways that they can make a meal last longer than a day.”

In order for the program to run every week, the centre has reached out to community organizations like the Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub to help provide them with fresh produce, meat and snacks, all based on the menu set by the kids every week.

It’s really a team effort to get these dinners together… _{-Kayla Petit}

Melissa Mullis, executive director of the Root Cellar, says the program helps sets up kids for success.

“We believe in food security and teaching the next generation where their food comes from and how to cook their food is really, really important to us,” says Mullis. “So this is a natural partnership for us, to be able to support Redcliff Youth Centre with their supper program and just making it available to the kids to learn all of these really valuable skills sets them up for success.”

Mullis adds the partnership with the youth centre is a part of their Food Collab program, which helps benefit numerous organizations across the city.

“We go out into the community, to local grocery stores- it’s our food rescue program. We take the food, we bring it back and we share it with 48 other organizations in the community, including the Redcliff Youth Centre.”

Petit is well on her way toward success, recognizing a cooked meal can be incredibly rewarding if everyone pitches in.

“It’s really a team effort to get these dinners together, which is honestly so amazing because at the end of the day it’s like, everyone knows they helped, and it just feels so much better for everyone instead of someone making it for you,” Petit says.

She adds being a leader to the youth participating in the dinner program is incredibly gratifying.

“It feels very rewarding, because I know that some people would just be like, ‘oh yeah, figure it out,’ but for me, I’ve always been very big on helping other people and as soon as like, if I can help them with that, it’ll just make me feel so much better. It boosts my mood.”