And now the work begins for YFC
Youth for Christ Winnipeg emerged from an uncharacteristically bruising week under public scrutiny with a victory—civic commitments to bolster federal infrastructure funding to build a Centre for Youth Excellence in a desperately needy area of Winnipeg.
A ferocious debate erupted when a motion asking the City of Winnipeg to contribute $2.6 million over 15 years towards YFC's planned $11.7 million recreational complex became public scarcely a week before council was asked to vote. Resentment arose because the proposal came out of nowhere, taking social service agencies already working in the area by surprise. And it arrived with a strong backing from Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz and senior Manitoba MP Vic Toews, which in itself is enough to provoke political opposition.
Predictably, this also created an opportunity for yet another raucous review of the question of whether public funding should go to faith-based organizations. This is "tax-payer funded proselytization" by "evangelical fundamentalists" who are "luring young prospects," charged Winnipeg MP Pat Martin. To which Toews retorted that Martin has problems with YFC but seems content to allow gangs to recruit.
For one tumultuous week the local newspapers and radio stations were full of opinions and commentary, blessing and invective. And at the end of a very long and tortuous city council debate that heard from 19 delegations opposing the project, YFC "won" when councillors voted 10-4 in favour of providing the funding.
None of this controversy was on Youth for Christ's mind when the Winnipeg chapter applied for federal-provincial stimulus funding last summer. But the process took a number of unforeseen twists and turns, landing the normally low profile group right in the middle of this very public and ideologically driven spat. They now find themselves playing in a different league.
What next?
And now begins the hard part. The burden of this victory is the necessity to push ahead with the plan under taxing circumstances. It's certainly good to have the resources to build the centre, but operating funds will be an ongoing concern. And while no one is saying that a project that aims to "steer young adolescents toward successful adulthood" is unneeded or unwelcome, it still faces a host of strategic and relational challenges.
One is, simply, location. There's a reason why the city has had trouble finding a developer for the site. It's inner-city wasteland at its worst, with train yards, skuzzy hotels and rescue missions as neighbours. This is not a residential area. Youth will need to pass through territory where middle-aged and older down-and-outers congregate. Redeeming this site will not be easy.
Another challenge will be to forge working relationships with agencies already on the ground. Overcoming resentment to this sudden burst of funding directed to an outside group will take time and is complicated by racial politics. YFC's aim to "improve the economic, social and personal prospects of urban aboriginal youth" is being called another expression of the policies of cultural genocide and residential schools. Minds and hearts will have to change. Patience and fortitude along with countless program and attitude adjustments will no doubt be necessary on every side.
A third challenge concerns the Christian identity and evangelistic purposes of YFC. Can a group that accepts millions of dollars of taxpayer money maintain these values? It's possible, but difficult. YFC's efforts to address the spiritual wellbeing of young people will be closely and critically scrutinized. Expect turbulence.
As the Vancouver 2010 Olympics concluded with a golden goal for our team, it was fitting that YFC Winnipeg director John Courtney used a sporting metaphor to describe his organization's purpose in pursuing this project. Observing that many elite athletes had to work through incredible struggles to become achievers, he noted that they inevitably credit their success to "a coach or family member who stood by them through tough times and challenged them to 'never give up.' That's what YFC does in the lives of teenagers," he says. "We walk through the toughest years of life with them and encourage, remind and challenge them to never give up!"
In the weeks, months and years ahead, YFC Winnipeg will need this kind of support from the broader Christian and benevolent community. We need to encourage them in their endeavour, remind them of their driving motivation and challenge them to never give up.
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