Mid Island Co-op Support Vulnerable Youth in Nanaimo Take a Hike Program

Vancouver, BC – 2nd  December 2020 —Mid Island Co-op is supporting vulnerable youth in the Nanaimo community with a donation to the full-time mental health and emotional well-being program, Take a Hike. The gift will help provide the 40 youth in grades 9 to 12 with regular clinical counselling, outdoor experiential learning, and community involvement, ensuring they develop the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school and find success as young adults.

Opening its doors in September 2019, the community-funded Take a Hike Nanaimo program has seen an increased demand in the past year, expanding its initial offering for grades 10 to 12, to this year include grade 9 youth. COVID-19 has compounded the challenges of vulnerable youth, with almost 70% reporting pandemic-related negative mental health impacts. Mid Island Co-op’s gift, directed to Take a Hike’s Nanaimo Program Fund, will provide much needed mental health and emotional well-being supports to ensure these youth are not disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Gordon Matchett, CEO at Take a Hike Foundation, said, “The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for increased mental health supports in schools, and the important role our school communities play in youth mental health. Mid Island Co-op is helping us provide this safety, connection, and support for vulnerable youth and their families, giving them another chance at success.”

“The uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought into our daily lives is undeniable,” said Ian Anderson, CEO of Mid Island Co-op. “Supporting this program is not only an investment for today, it’s an investment into the resilience and long-term success of our youth and communities. Mid Island Co-op appreciates this opportunity to give back to this local, community-funded program with proven successful outcomes,” said Anderson.

Since 2000, Take a Hike Foundation has transformed the lives of hundreds of vulnerable youth across BC, empowering them to graduate high school, build healthy relationships, and navigate the challenges of young adulthood. Because of participants’ success, Take a Hike has developed a strategic plan to grow into every community across the province with a need, desire and capacity for the program.