CAYUGA—The Optimist Club of Haldimand (OCH) is living up to its name with the annual disbursement of “Redi for Optimism in Our Communities” (ROOC) grants for programs that have a positive impact on youth. This initiative is one of the many ways the OCH achieves its slogan, “Supporting Youth for a Brighter Tomorrow”.
This year’s ROOC grant recipients include the Fall 2024 Youth Cooking Class at St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Cayuga; the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) at Mississauga of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) EarlyON Child and Family Program; and Jarvis Light Up.
Paul Gross of OCH shares that one of the key tenants of Optimists is to foster opportunities that make young people feel optimistic about their opportunities and future. Through the grant program he believes that “young people have opportunities to grow in areas that they are interested in.”
The youth cooking class at St. John the Divine is focused on teaching pre-teens/teens basic culinary skills. Kelly Roloson elaborates, “Participants will learn how to find a recipe online, read and follow a recipe, shop for ingredients, measure… prepare… cook, use an oven.”
The six classes will cover various cooking techniques and terms, such as mincing, chopping, simmering, searing, and how to operate an oven. Budget friendly menu planning topics offer insight on coupon shopping, meatless dishes, and using leftovers. The aspiring cooks will prepare dishes they can take home and share with their families.
According to Roloson, the ROOC grant will be used to purchase cooking equipment (slow cooker, paring knife, cutting boards, grater, and stainless steel mixing bowl) for each participant to keep “so that they can continue to practice their cooking skills at home.” Funds will also be used to purchase ingredients for the class.
Roloson says, “This funding will remove the cost barrier for young people who come from families with very limited financial resources. We hope that this will be a multi-year project that will grow to offer advanced and specialized cooking courses and lead to the offering of an occasional cafe at which participants can showcase their skills and develop other skills.”
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is an early childhood literacy program that provides free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five. Jolene Hill, Community Navigator at MCFN EarlyON, says, “This initiative aims to inspire a love of reading and improve literacy skills in our Haldimand communities.”
Hill explains that literacy programs play an important role in the development of young people’s reading and writing skills. She says, “By providing consistent access … the DPIL program not only improves vocabulary and comprehension, but also enhances and supports a love for reading at home.”
Benefits of this program, as shared by registered participants, include a “special bonding opportunity for both parents and children of all ages.” Hill says, “It’s wonderful to hear such great success stories.”
Hill continues, “This generous 2024 ROOC grant will allow our Haldimand affiliate to expand. The grant will help increase outreach efforts to enroll more children, ensuring they have opportunity and access to this valuable resource!”
“The support of the OCH is invaluable to our organization,” Hill adds. “It empowers us to make a more significant impact in the lives of children and their families, promoting literacy and a love for reading in our shared community…. Thank you OCH for making a difference, one book at a time!”
Jarvis Light Up promises to be an “ultimate” experience in 2024. Elf Lisa describes it as “a month long event that is inclusive and free and a spreader of joy!”
She contends, “We level the playing field for youth. There are many opportunities … to become involved and receive gift items, win prizes, and attend events.”
“This is all for free thanks to our amazing sponsors,” Elf Lisa emphasizes. That support includes the ROOC grant, which has previously been used to provide activity books, card making and craft station supplies, and give away items.
As the team of elves plans activities that will benefit from this year’s grant, Elf Lisa says they include “specifically the fun for youth that happens on the evening of the fireworks (December 14). This year is a fun surprise! We are thoroughly grateful to have a local organization that invests in youth initiatives and believes in what we do!”
That support is made possible through corporate donations and OCH club fundraising. The ‘R’ in the ROOC acronym represents Stubbe’s Redi-Mix in Ohsweken. Gross explains, “They were our first corporate sponsor that enabled us to make the grant values large enough to be significant and repeatable.”
Surplus from the OCH annual philanthropy budget is rolled in to the grants for groups and not-for-profits in Haldimand that have programs centred on children and youth. Applicants cannot receive funding from any level of government. Gross says, “This affords opportunities for youth they would not otherwise have … and will pay dividends in their future and the communities.”
For more information on the Optimists Club of Haldimand, contact Paul Gross at 905-379-9767.
