Youth for Christ in Morden is planning to transform an area of greenspace adjacent to its building behind their back lane - and they intend to use a recent grant for the initiative.
    
Last month, the nonprofit organization received $7,100 from the United Way Pembina Valley.

ReillyReilly Smith


Reilly Smith is the Ministries Director for YFC in Morden and Pilot Pound. He says they want to transform the area into an outdoor drop-in space for programming, and potentially even run some camps.

He said it will enable them to have times when they're completely removed from indoors, spending time with these teens outside in the natural area.

"We want to create a basketball/floor hockey area, a pitfall area, an outdoor volleyball area, and a fire pit area that would surround the gazebo that would be a centralized area."

YFC Zorbing activity YFC activity 

The grant will also support another component of the program.

"One of our staff is heading up our Garden Bed project, and it's designed to help teens who maybe can't always afford fresh fruit and vegetables in their lives, be able to learn how to grow vegetables. And not just learn how to grow, but then be able to take what we have produced at these garden beds and bring it home. And then they'll be able to continue to use these garden beds throughout their school years, hopefully enabling sustainable food practices so they can experience food security." 

Smith said they greatly appreciate the United Way Pembina Valley putting money towards a project like this and helping the community's youth.

~ With files by Robyn Wiebe ~