Another Successful Visit The Villages Tractor Trek

Written by Vickie Addison 

Another successful Visit The Villages Tractor Trek took place Saturday. 

The Trek takes participants through the Southern Manitoba country side as well as through the villages of Reinland, Rosengart, Neuhorst, Rosetown, Kronsthal, and Blumenort. The 40 kilometre trek came to an end in Gretna at the Hotspot Festival.     

Participant and Founder Armin Ens says at this year's event they were once again able to raise $40,000. He explains the funds from the Trek go to the ongoing operation of the Eden Foundation, of which he is also a board member. 

The annual Steinbach Tractor Trek was cancelled this year due to rain, and Ens says they were happy to have 7 of those riders who did not get to participate in Steinbach this year take part in their Trek. The Steinbach Trek was still a great success though, raising $55,000.
    
Ens says this event is a positive experience for both participants and spectators.

"We've really found that there is a range of interest in it. People who are into tractors (enjoy it) but then also realize that this is a good reason to be out there. It gives a person enjoyment and satisfaction and it provides at least some of the funds needed."

Ens says the trek started back in 2008. He says that was the year Eden Foundation was celebrating its 40th anniversary, and therefore they made the number 40 a theme in that first trek. 

" We asked for 40 tractors, 40 years or older to run 40 kilometres to raise $40,000. (Since then) we haven't always got 40 tractors, but we've always raised in excess of $40,000."

Ens adds many smiles are created as tractor stories are shared, old friendships are renewed, and new friendships are formed at this event.

Here are pictures of this past weekend's event.

2012 Tractor Trek Slide.

2012 Tractor Trek

Federal Funding To Benefit Local Youth

Written by Shannon Dueck

The Government of Canada has announced funding to help Steinbach youth get jobs.
  
Provencher Member of Parliament Vic Toews announced Segue Career Options is receiving $151,000 from the Skills Link program to help twenty youth overcome barriers to employment.

Participants in the Segue Career Options will attend skills workshops on topics including computer use, problem solving and time management. Participants will then gain hands-on experience through work placements with local employers in fields such as retail, administration and the skilled trades.

Toews (right inset) says no matter the employment rate, there will always be a group of individuals who simply do not have the skills to find work.

"And if we don't provide them with the skills in the short term then they become a financial liability to the rest of the community over the long term," notes Toews.

Program Director Debra Stockwell says they run three sessions per year of ten individuals each. The first group has just completed the classroom portion of the training. They're now in their first week of work experience and all ten students immediately found placements.

"As a matter of fact, Dave Thiessen who finds the work for students already has employers on the waiting list for the next group," notes Stockwell. "So we have a community out here who has got huge support for what we're doing and I couldn't be happier."

Toews says the program involves one month of in class training followed by two months of teaming up with an employer.

"We want to find ways to integrate them into the community by finding them the job skills in order to find employment," says Toews. "That's exactly what this is doing. So you don't have then chronic unemployment because of the lack of skills but you have individuals who are skilled and ready to work should the right job come along."

The funding announced Tuesday covers about seventy-five per cent of the total cost of the program. The program has a success rate of about eighty per cent. The program was formerly run as the Youth Internship Program (YIP) in Steinbach for many years.

Segue Career Options

Segue Career Options' STEP program for youth is receiving new funding from the Federal Government as part of the Economic Action Plan 2012. 

Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner announced Thursday Segue will receive $136,000 from the Skills Link program, a part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). The funding will allow for 20 youth from Winkler and the surrounding area to overcome employment barriers through STEP (Segue Training and Employment Project).

"Working together with Segue to help train young people and get them to work fits in perfectly with our goals, and what I believe are the goals and priorities of Canadians. The funding that we are giving today will help Segue with about 20 young people in the community, getting them back to work, helping them with the skills, and just getting them on the right track," says Hoeppner.

"The program is supported by Service Canada and what they do is they allow us to bring youth at risk between the ages of 15 and 30 into the program. They spend four weeks in the classroom. What they're learning are things like how to write a resume, how to answer interview questions, how to interact with coworkers and bosses, and to draw out what their skill set is," says Segue Program Director Deborah Stockwell.

Following the four weeks in the classroom, STEP participants are placed for an additional 8 weeks at different local businesses, allowing them to gain necessary experience in the workforce. 

"Employers will say 'Sure, we'll take them for eight weeks but there's no job available at the end'. Within three weeks, they're offering them a job," Stockwell explains.

Stockwell says while the Government asks these types of programs to have a 70% success rate, Segue has a success rate of 75%. 

Danon Chodak, a participant in STEP, has experienced this success firsthand. "Before Segue I did quite a bit of construction, and I wanted to get more into working with people and they helped me identify what kind of job I would be best suited for, and that was in retail. And then I got the position at Staples," Chodak says.

Segue Career Options is one of the many services that falls under the Eden Health Care Services umbrella.

Written by "Bailey Hildebrand - PembinaValleyOnline.com/1570 CKMW/Eagle 93.5 FM"

Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner and staff and participants at STEP at Thursday's announcement

MP Hoeppner shares a moment with STEP participants

Segue Career Options Program Director Deborah Stockwell 

Danon Chodak, former STEP participant

Annual General Meeting

On June 21^st Eden Health Care Services carried out its Annual General Meeting at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler.  The plenary session involving all four program areas was an opportunity to highlight the progress and growth of the past year.

The acute care program at Eden Mental Health Centre saw the development of an outpatient clinic that offers more effective consultation with referring agencies and physicians.  The Pathways community mental health program is completing a year of planning and consultation in sharpening and defining their support programs across the full age spectrum from the child and adolescent program to the adult and seniors program.  Segue Career Options received another year of funding for the Youth Employment Program as well as support for expanding into Steinbach with similar services.  The housing and supports programs in Winkler and Steinbach continue to be challenged with the need for safe, affordable housing.  Extra funding for support programs this past year have been encouraging.  A housing project proposal in Winnipeg is nearing approval.  Eden’s Winnipeg based Recovery of Hope counselling service moved to a new and more accessible location at 102-900 Harrow Street East.  It provided just under 5000 sessions from its Winnipeg and 4 rural satellite office locations.

John Janzen, Chair of Eden Health Care Services Board  credited committed staff, dedicated board members and a supportive constituency for program expansion and positive growth over the past year.  Looking ahead, the Eden organization is structuring its boards around the four distinct program areas with proportionate representation from each region.  Eden’s mission to offer “hope and healing” continues to motivate the organization through its recovery focused programs. 

James Friesen CEO Eden Health Care Services.