Donation bolsters Nanaimo’s popular Take a Hike program

NANAIMO — Backed by strong reviews from participants, a sizable $15,000 donation is providing much-needed support for a program gaining momentum in Nanaimo.

United Way of B.C. supplied the monetary gift to the Nanaimo Take a Hike chapter, which combines mental health supports and outdoor based therapy under the individualized Learning Alternatives program.

Charlene Smith, Take a Hike Foundation’s manager of philanthropy for Vancouver Island, said with the program widened to include grade eight and nine students this year the need for further financial supports increased.

She said the financial donation will help cover costs associated with clinical counsellors who support students and their families over the summer.

“In order to provide that continuity of care before they start back at the program full time in September. That $15,000 will be providing that access to our youth for that mental health support all year-round.” Smith said.

She said more than 300 hours of individual and group counseling for program participants are done annually through the Nanaimo program, which has grown to 35 students.

Smith pointed to a high graduation rate and benefits reported by participants and their families in Nanaimo, as well as research showing society is getting a return on investments made toward Take a Hike.

“What’s amazing about the program is we see such tremendous change and impact among the youth themselves as well as the ripple effect among families and community.”

The privately funded Take a Hike program has operated in Nanaimo for three full school years.

Smith noted Take a Hike expanded this past school year locally to include eighth and ninth grade students.

Holistic approaches to enhance various skills, resiliency capacity and relationship building are leading to improved outcomes for Take a Hike participants, Smith said.

“We are not defining what success looks like for these youth, but rather they are choosing their own path of life and we are here to support them.”

70 per cent of youth involved in the program reported improvements to their mental health and well-being.

81 per cent said they felt more resilient and improved their self-management, relationship skills, and had a better understanding of their emotions.

Take a Hike Vancouver Island programs expanded to the Cowichan Valley and Saanich over the past two years, with plans to be in Sooke later this fall.