ABRAM-VILLAGE – The Hard Workers Youth Services Co-op recently wrapped up a very profitable summer of services by increasing their revenues by about 53 per cent over the 2017 results.
There were 10 young co-operators and workers in the program.
Their supervisor, Stéphane Blanchard, youth economic development officer with RDÉE Prince Edward Island, noted that total revenues for the summer were $4,350. Profits, in the form of salaries paid to the youth, amounted to $2,200.
Last year’s total revenues were $2,845.
The youth provided a variety of services to individuals and organizations from the Evangeline region. They mowed lawns, did some gardening, cleaned cottages, brought in fire wood and tarred a driveway, among other things.
The mass of their revenues, however, came from the construction and sale of wooden park benches. They built 36 benches, including 11 that were painted in the colors of the Acadian flag. These benches were sold literally from one end of the province to the other – from Deblois to Souris in fact.
Luckily, the youth co-op had access to the carpentry shop at Evangeline School to do their construction work (thanks to an agreement with the French Language School Board).
All 10 of the young workers, all bilingual and aged 12-15 years, formed the board of directors of their co-op.
They had elected an executive committee: president Brant Arsenault, vice-president Brady Corkum, secretary Taia Gallant and treasurer Keanah Arsenault.
These four, along with their six fellow workers – Jackson Arsenault, Kadyn Arsenault, John Isaac Montgomery, Jaden McInnis, Tyson Short and Jake Gallant – also formed marketing, human resources and finance committees to manage the affairs of their business.
Throughout the summer, the youth were supported in their efforts by coordinators Mélanie Arsenault and Makenzie Hayes.
