Dear Town Council,
I am writing on behalf of YAK Youth Services Board of Directors.
Yak Youth Services understands and appreciates the Town of Perth’s commitment to fiscal responsibility. However, we believe that cutting our Community Grants Program Funding—the source of income that covers our rent—is unfair, unjust, and will have an extremely detrimental impact on youth in our community. We have exhaustively searched for alternative funding sources for this necessary expense and have been unable to identify any, as the vast majority of funding agencies do not cover ongoing overhead costs. We have also invested significant time and effort in developing creative solutions to this financial dilemma, such as bringing in partner agencies and establishing our new social enterprise initiative in collaboration with a local youth artist. Despite these initiatives, the amount we have raised is still insufficient to cover the $25,500 (+ cleaning service requirement) we are being charged by the Town.
To the best of our understanding, other Lanark County Youth Centres currently receive rent-free accommodations. They are not required to pay rent to their respective towns for the use or occupancy of municipal property—it is simply given to them as an in-kind contribution. The “$30,000 grant” you award to us is effectively returned to the Town, as we are invoiced on a monthly basis.
In addition to the essential (and irreplaceable) programs and services we provide to local youth and their families, we have also greatly improved the building itself. Our lunchroom—previously a reheat-only facility, due to inadequate ventilation—has now been renovated into a fully serviceable kitchen. We have also installed a kitchenette in the youth centre itself, while upholding the highest health and safety standards. Moreover, we have brought together over 10 service groups under one roof, thereby expanding our capacity and offering enhanced support for those in need.
By reducing and ultimately refusing to support the Perth Youth Centre, the Town risks the closure of the youth centre altogether. We have not been able to secure any alternative source of funding to cover our rent/overhead. In 2018, we approached you with the same concern, and you graciously responded by increasing our grant to align with our rental costs in order for us to keep our doors open.
This sensible and compassionate course of action paid immense dividends to our community during these last 6 years and through the pandemic. Over those difficult years, many of the listed groups that you fund—such as the hospital, our local food centre, and our youth centre—were deemed essential services and were asked to remain open and available for some of the Town’s most vulnerable populations. Now, we find ourselves in a position where a vote is being considered to eliminate the crucial support we all so desperately require to continue serving those in need.
We respectfully disagree with the decision to eliminate our funding, and urge the Town to reconsider this matter. Your continued support is vital for us to keep providing essential services to young people and their families in our community.
Sincerely and with respect,
Rachel Roth
YAK Youth Services Executive DIrector