Dear Editor,
I am writing today to address my concern over the article in the May 8 edition of the Leader reporting on the county's decision to deny funding to the FCSS operated Thrive program - a program that gives help and hope to individuals who have been victims of domestic abuse and violence.
Like the editorial titled "Thrive Funding", also in the May 8 Leader, I concur with the author in his conclusion that the values of the County, demonstrated by where they allocate their funds, are not truly serving those in their constituency that have dire need but are going to where there is perhaps greater glory or recognition.
While I don't doubt that the Trappers' Association and the Athabasca River Brigade are worthwhile organizations and causes, I very much doubt that they will impact and change or even save a life. I speak from personal experience when I say that the Thrive program did indeed change the course of my life and, hopefully, the lives of my children and perhaps even their children.
I know that this isn't a quantifiable value that Councillor Troock would like to see before he allocates dollars but I wonder what would happen if we followed that line of reasoning with every organization that receives public funds.
What kind of "measurable" do you need to justify a school or a hospital? What about a playground or a park? We know the value of each and every one of those examples and yet, do we have hard data and solid statistics that show it makes a difference in our community?
The Thrive program deals with individuals who may be or have just come out of extreme trauma, a battle for their lives and their sanity. Leaving an abusive situation requires tremendous courage but is also a journey that isn't over in a day and can't be successfully done on your own. Accompanying feelings of guilt, embarrassment, fear, resignation, and hopelessness deem this a situation that is very private and confidential.
This is not an organization that will be broadcasting testimonials and success stories thus the "measurable" statistics that the County deems essential for its financial support will not be available.
It is not an easy thing for me to come forward and publicly speak out about a piece of my story that has permitted me to experience, firsthand, what the Thrive program can and has done for our community, but I fear the loss of this program and I fear, even more, what will happen to those individuals who desperately need the support that it offers. Councillor Troock and the other members of the county council will then have their statistics they desire, should this program shut down, but they will have to look them up at the RCMP detachment, instead, where they can look up domestic violence and its effects on the lives of women, men and children right here in our community. What is the value of a life?
Sincerely,
Colleen Kiselyk
Barrhead
