The Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre is one of the local organizations selected to benefit from Southern Plains Co-op’s annual Fuel Good Day fundraiser. For Maria Walter, a mother from Estevan who frequently visits the centre with her son, the support from the community means the world.
“The new location has been a beautiful transition,” said Walter. “With the space, it’s a lot homier, and I think the amount of people that have come into the centre is attributed to the staff. They just make everyone feel so safe, so welcomed in their space, and they’re very community-based. They allow everyone to just be who they are and celebrate all the kids and parents that move through the place.”
The Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre has been serving the Estevan area for 22 years, offering essential services and free programming for children up to 11 years old. According to their website, the centre has more than 1,500 child visits annually and provides over 150 emergency visits for formula, diapers, and wipes each year. They also run around 540 programs every year, making a significant impact on families throughout the community.
“My son does a lot of the 6 to 11 programs, which is nice,” said Walter. “They have programs from newborn to age 11, and then that’s a good transition to EPYC (Estevan Public Youth Centre). The programs fill up quickly, but it’s just a testament to the types of programs that they run. It’s free for everyone in the community, which gives everyone an opportunity. I think the types of programs that they run really adhere to different varieties of kids—with art, outside play-based activities, or dancing and singing.”
While the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre has always focused on children aged zero to five, they’ve recently expanded their programming to include more options for kids aged six to eleven. According to Walter, this age group had previously been underserved in the community.
“They noticed that gap, and that 6 to 11 age didn’t have a whole lot within the community other than paid sports,” said Walter. “So they’re really trying to build the program so that those kids ages 6 to 11 who don’t maybe want to play sports or other activities have the opportunity to do an after-school program or something on the weekend that helps test their knowledge and helps them learn a little bit more.”
Walter shared how much the centre has meant to her family, noting that it’s more than just a place for her son to play—it’s also been a place for her to connect with others.
“I’ve been going to the centre for years. My son is 7 1/2, and I’ve met some of my best friends at the centre, and I can’t be thankful enough for that opportunity to find friends,” she said. “I’m not a person who makes friends easily, and the centre has just been such a safe and welcoming space for me and for my kids.”
In addition to programming, the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre offers other vital services to families in need, such as formula, diapers, and wipes.
“Misty, Sydney, and all the staff there are really good about finding resources for caregivers that don’t have the opportunity to find them elsewhere,” said Walter. “I think that’s just an incredible thing and an attribute to why the centre is doing so well.”
Walter also spoke about the generosity of the Estevan community and the importance of businesses like Southern Plains Co-op supporting organizations such as the Family Resource Centre.
“I wasn’t born here but raised here, and it really is an incredible community,” said Walter. “How quickly they come together—to be able to offer programs just like the family centre does, offering big summer events or bringing in zoo animals. Estevan, for fundraising, goes above and beyond. We have such amazing groups of people who contribute to those fundraisers, and we’re just so thankful to be able to accept those offers to help make our community even better than it already is. Having businesses like the Co-op able to help organizations attributes to how the community is, so we’re just so grateful that they chose us to be a recipient of their Fuel Good Day.”
Southern Plains Co-op’s Fuel Good Day fundraiser takes place on Tuesday, September 17, at their gas bars in Carlyle, Estevan, and Oxbow. For every litre of fuel sold, 10 cents will be donated to local organizations. In Estevan, the funds will go to the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre, helping support their free programming and essential services for families. Whether you're filling up your tank or grabbing a $1 coffee, every purchase will help make a difference in the community.