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Community Pages

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We are calling on you to help support the Helping Youth at Risk program, which is for youth in our community.  As per the information below, this program has been developed by Abbotsford Police, and Fire & Rescue Department personnel to be delivered in our middle and secondary schools. To enhance the program via added resources, it has been entered in the Aviva Community Challenge; an online voting competition for community proposals.  You can cast a vote a day now through October 19. We need you to vote!
Here's how:

Go to webpage:   http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11138
You will need to register first (with email and create password); once that is confirmed, log in. (If the Youth at Risk page doesn't come up, locate Abbotsford on the website's map.)
Then vote--you can vote once a day, now through October 19th.  
Please encourage family, friends and associates to also participate for this very worthwhile community initiative, supported by the School District, City, Fire & Rescue and Police departments.

If there any questions, they can email me (dave_stephen@sd34.bc.ca) 
Thank you.

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Background:
Over the past two years, Abbotsford Police Constable John Davidson and Abbotsford Fire Rescue Inspector Martin Sunderland have worked on developing education programs intended to address issues of major concern. For the police, it was a series of fatal car accidents involving young drivers. For the fire department, a growing number of youth set fires and burn injuries raised the warning flag. Both officers searched for appropriate, existing education curriculums and in each case, discovered a total lack of age-appropriate and contemporary resources they could work with. As a result, they have, working independently at first, then subsequently combining efforts and resources, produced their own programs, and have delivered them in many Middle and Secondary schools in our school district.

In an attempt to expand on the Youth at Risk program, and develop more educational components, the program is being entered into the Aviva Community Challenge, an online voting competition with as much as $100,000 to be awarded to a community initiative.

In addition to the AFRS and APD, the City, Abbotsford News and some local businesses are signing on as supporters for this bid. The School District is joining with these organizations in a community-wide voting campaign to bring these funds to Abbotsford and help create a comprehensive program directed at educating our youth on making good decisions.