This is not the first time the Maison des Jeunes’ kids are offering their services to the residents of Bordeaux-Cartierville. But this time, the co-op is an entirely independent entity. “What’s different with the co-op is that it’s the youth that is managing everything,” said Julia Rymarz of the Maison des Jeunes.
“People call the Maison des Jeunes and leave us messages. After that, we decide who will do the work. It depends on the schedule and who can work,” said Miguel Lynch, the CJS treasurer. The co-op will soon be getting its own phone line.
While presenting their organization, the young people said the group is made up of three committees. The personnel committee takes the calls and assigns the tasks. The promotion committee is in charge of advertising. The financial committee keeps track of the organization’s money. The co-op charges $10 per hour ($2.50 per quarter-hour after the first hour). But not all of the money goes back into the employees’ pockets. “We also give money to the treasurer,” said Malik Bakhit. That percentage keeps the co-op going.
So far, things have been going well. “In the beginning, people were calling us to come pick up their leaves,” said Brian Castillo, the co-op’s president. “Now, it’s mostly to clean snow off people’s cars and clear their walkways,” said CSJ member Francis Nadeau. The young people are also walk dogs, baby-sit, do housecleaning, gardening, and children’s’ party organization.
For Miguel, Francis, Brian, Malik, Willy, Joseph, Marco, Usamah, and Unaib, the advantages of such an enterprise are numerous. For example, extra pocket money is always welcome. Many of the young people said they use it to pay their cell phone bills. “I save my money,” said Miguel, while Francis said he uses his to buy lunch.
Teamwork is also one of the co-op’s advantages. “We never go to work alone. We’re always with someone,” explained Brian, who believes the experience he gains with the co-op is very important. “We’re getting experience for later on. It’s good to put in our CVs, and the people will see we were president or secretary of a co-op…” he said.
For Rymarz, the co-op is also a good way to encourage youth to take part in positive activities. “It’s a chance for them to get involved and to feel that they are in charge,” she said. CJS may also be growing this Wednesday, as the co-op partners will be holding a meeting to get new members.
Up until now, their contracts have gone well. “The people who hired us were super nice,” said Francis. This seems to me a mutual feeling, according to the members.
To find out more about the CJS’s professional and efficient services, leave a message with the Maison des Jeunes by calling 514-333-5103. And don’t forget their slogan: Kirkou works for you!
(Translated by Elyse Amend)
