The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A8-The'Canadian.OhampionIVTuosd~.ay 22i 2007 Visit uas at 487 laumier Ave. I i 878-2881 IPOSSE there for youth who don't know where to turn By Stephanie Hounseli CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF thetender age of 13, when thse A ordshould've been her oyster, DeIla Hillyard found herseif an orpisan. Uer father was killed and her mother deserted her a few months later. As a way of coping, the confused and alone youngster - who'd also been molested as a child - turned to drugs as a way of getting through each day She tried to commit suicide several limes. Now 20 and preparing to graduate [rom E.C Drury H-igh School, Hillyard has been sober - [rom both alcohol and drugs - for two years and her life has a new focus: help- ing other youths who [mnd themselves in * similar ordeals. She counts herseif Iucky Shes alîve. She * dîdot overdose on drugs or get HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C. And she wants to make sure none of her friends do, either. "A lot of my friends died, and 1 don't want to see that happen to, anyone else," she said passionately, her voice breaking, at a recent presentation to a regional committee. Hillyard la a youth educator with the Peer Outreach Support Services and Education (POSSE) Project. which services nortis Halton. POSSE trains youths who then reach out to, their peers on a street level to, provide A them with information and support they need as they m-ake choices that could affect thse rest of their lives. Hillyaid is going public with her painful story in an effort to get the word out about POSSE, particularly now that tihe group's in need of funding toi continue. POSSE la a project run by youtis for youtis between the ages of t15 and 24, and focuses on human rights and harm reduction. Kimm Kent, POSSE progralm manager, said thse harm reduction approach la ahl about reducing the dangers associated with drug use. "Tise just say no' approach works really well, but it's not for everyone. This la a non- judgmental approach for people who have chosen otiserwise," Kent told tise Champion, adding, "Tise tisought la you can't quit if you're dead." POSSE helps reduce tise risks of drug use by providing uasers witis free drug use kits and pietcing equipment. "(People say) 'Aren't you saying its okay to use?' No, I'd prefer tisat no one use crack cocaine," she said, adding, "We train (our volunteers) tisat addiction's not sexy" Alhougis there's no preacing tEs quit, Kenît said users are more likely to quit if tisey GRAHAM PAINE A CANADIAN CHAMPION MESSENGER 0F HOPE: Delta Hillyard is going public with her painful story în an effort to get the word out about POSSE, partîcularly nowv that the group's in need of funding to continue. have tise information and support to do so. Sise acknowledges tisat not everyone in tise community agrees witis tise iarm redue- tion pisilosopisy; some parents don't wanî condoms isanded out to tiseir cildren, or to know tiseir chlldren could bc gettnng needles and other drug parapisernalia from project volunteers. To tisem, Kent extends an invitation to meet with POSSE members and tise people tisey iselp, and to, [md out more about tise project. Oriser people don't believe tise situation is as POSSE reports, Kent saîd, adding sise gets accused of inflating iser statistics tisat show many teens report using substances rangîng from crack to alcoisol to pot. Many of tisem, Kent said, also reported living in unstable situations and somne in abusive homes. At a recent meeting of tise Region of Halton's isealtis and social services commît- tee, Kent made a presentation to counicillors along witis Hillyard and two otiser youtis educators. Sise explained tisat POSSE receîved a tisree-year grant from tise Ontario Trîllium Foundation for $224,600, but that funding ends next year. Tise projeci is seekîng sus- îaînaisle funding from Hialton Region, as welI as from corporations, fundraising and tise United Way - tise Milton and Haltmn Hills agencies have already given $6,000 for 2007. "Tise future of it lies in your hands," Kent told councîllors. Sise explained tise group isas a mandate to encourage safer decîsion makîng to reduce tise risks assocîated witis drug use, sex, isomelessness, violence and discrimination. Tise youtis outreacis workers are trained in sexual isealtis, antî-racism and anti-homo- pisobia, and reducing isarm assocîated wîtis substance abuse, among others. Tisey also learn isow to defuse violent situations, inter- verte i crisis situations, and identily and report isate crimes. "It's tise only sîreet-level, peer-based pro- gram in Halton," Kent saîd. To tiseir peers, tise youtX educators proA- vide a non-judgînental, listening ear as welI as information. Young people who donit know where to tomn can [mnd POSSE volunteers ready and willing to drive themn tE food isanks, court appearances, siselters, etc. They can aIsE) get emiergency kits contain- îng [food vouchers, phEAne cardx and hygiene bags. -fie yXuth vXloniTiEeTs alxi) iu a0 magazine called Tise Undercroft, wisicis provîdes a forum for young people to express tisem- selves tisrougs art or writing. So far, Kent told commitiee, tise trained siodent volunteers have made almost 2,000 tîutreacis contacts and distributed t1t,000 condoms and 550 dlean needies. Tise project began in 2002, and operates under tise uambrella o tise AIDS Commutter of Guelpis and \Vellhngton County Hillyard said sie wisises sise'd isad some- one Iike a POSSE volunteer to talk witis wisen sise was usîng drugs. It wouldn't nec- essarily have made iser quit any sooner, but "It would've iselped,' sise told tise Chiampioni. Sise explained its important to not simply tell somecîne to stop using drugs. hut t0 loîok ai tise deeper issue fueling tiseir addiction. In July, Hillyard is moving EEA Tisunder Bay to do youth Autreacis witli a largely Native comrmunity. "It's really emipowering to ledl I xc iselped somneoie," sise 'aid. bn addition tEA securing lunding, PASIF is alwî looking to expand inotA souti I-lton. For moTre information, vii w,%wWpAsse projeci ca. 'SicpAXOT A' lXLMA ieI I ilE i ' bc A ( Il CWY CQ GECQ- Cogeco Cable Channel 14 Programrning Schedule T Tuesday, May 22 -Monday, May 28, 2007 I'r*I I.@ ca TOIOviSbOI iTRa, -A1Oh P n EXTRA 8130am - 1 RisîS AlgdI' EMTRA 8A, A'm-1 ;ý po" , EXTRA M0a"' AA I PM AAAAA W EXTRA ASA AXA 600I PlugiAd ,lAETRA AAA'ii 65AOpI Ai ê A W EXTRA OAAli '04A1 MllAIl A JXA ww .oeo.a nm- 3, WW11C rqgý EXR lAMA ACM SaI, n 'Ap ý9 1, E unhvokv 3 OCOpC -3~ 7 AAX , PlugRgeA In' EXTRA IAIl' AM s 3I AAAAî AA5 A0l Pqge l'î EXTRA RIT , l W P q A1î IIA A 0J, Ai ýRA ,,IAn OM APM AMy aion 2 AX0p.A A0p RAM 40 EXTRA 5.O - MldAAAA PlugeX n M i p W sZOE Live AMMAXA H U NSU I 0m pmdn, AIMA,, R5uggedX I An, l AXIA AAp TheA MAr AXAs q 0A0, A- h ERA i8mp A* Enlens Lm), 81»M S TaA RAAAAAI Laurier Plaza îg,, Hao HOS ,sXd M (m) A OAI, PlAiRAd dA EXTRA 5M0 Laurier Avenue AA1A 1» M Al nA19 RXA MRM S, Amr X TeGatG E, Miltot, ON L9T 4R3 AI mpm -MAXidngl lgI X TRA