Inner-city youth rise with Evermore, United Way

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This article was published 21/09/2019 (2387 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cory Klassen remembers how he felt when his father died 13 years ago, after a battle with brain cancer.

“My dad was my hero, so losing him was like the biggest hurdle of my life,” says Klassen, who was 15 at the time. “He was super hard-working, he always took care of his family, he always made sure we had everything we needed. He was always fun.”

Klassen credits Evermore Gather Grow Lead, an organization that offers recreational and developmental programming for inner-city youth, with helping him deal with grief.

“The staff and the people around me were very supportive, and I don’t think I’d have been able to get through that time without them,” says Klassen, who was serving with Evermore as a junior volunteer at the time.

Six weeks after Klassen’s father died, Evermore staff took a group of junior volunteers to a Mariah Carey concert to thank them for their efforts.

“Halfway through the concert, I broke down and cried, probably for the first time since my dad had passed,” he says.

Today, Klassen works as a program manager at Evermore. Formerly known as West Central Community Program, Evermore offers after-school programs at three schools, a summer day camp and volunteer and leadership opportunities for young people between the ages of 10 and 17. The organization’s mission is to inspire children by giving them a safe place to belong, as well as activities that foster growth, skill development and creativity.

Klassen began attending Evermore’s programs when he was in elementary school. He recalls being “relatively shy and reserved.” That changed.

“Through the after-school program and being encouraged to meet with people and step out of my box, I was able to develop my leadership skills.”

Evermore’s executive director, Kerris Chinery, has seen Klassen’s development first-hand. She started working at the organization when Klassen was in Grade 5.

“To watch him grow and come out of his shell and make friends over these years has been really rewarding,” Chinery says. “He’s one of the most giving people that I know.”

Last year, Evermore’s programs received 8,954 visits by 428 children. The United Way Winnipeg is Evermore’s core funder, contributing more than $135,000 last year.

“Without them, I don’t think we would exist,” Chinery says. “They also give us the freedom to use those dollars where they’re most needed. It’s flexible, stable funding.”

Klassen knows the difference that funding makes.

“I get the opportunity to see everything come full circle,” he says. “Every day, I have the honour and responsibility to connect with the community and the youth we serve, and the volunteers and staff and everyone who comes through our doors.

“Every day’s a different challenge, but it’s very rewarding.”

One of the young people currently involved at Evermore is Klassen’s nephew, who is a junior volunteer.

“He’s really coming into his own, and I think if he sticks it out, he’ll flourish in our program,” Klassen says. “It’s awesome.”

United Way Winnipeg is seeking to reach the $21.6-million mark in its 2019 fundraising campaign.