From now until the start of the school year, the Huntingdon Maison des Jeunes will be distributing free artisanal face masks to local teenagers in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
As part of a youth prevention project spearheaded by the local Comité de table de jeunesse, a first order of 230 masks was purchased from the Ateliers Cré-action du Suroît, an organization based in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield that gives isolated young women from across the region a place to come together through fashion design and sewing. The “I wear my mask” campaign was launched by the Maison des Jeunes in July and to date, well over 200 masks have already been delivered to teenagers living across the Valley.
“The project is necessary because I think they do not understand the importance of it,” Maison des Jeunes animator Selena Thykootathil says of some local teenagers’ hesitancy about wearing a mask. “They are starting to realize slowly but surely that they should be wearing masks.”
The free masks being given out are fairly plain in design to allow young people the opportunity to personalize their face covering, Thykootathil explains, adding that the Maison des Jeunes is very pleased with how the initiative has unfolded. Local teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 interested in receiving a free mask can call the Maison des Jeunes at 450 322-6140, ext. 103.
(SR)
