The Harlow and Mary Ann Burrows Family Foundation has made a $30,000 donation to Take a Hike Foundation to support vulnerable youth in Delta.
“We discovered the work that Take a Hike does to re-engage some of the most vulnerable youth in Delta in school and mental health supports, a cause that’s very important to us, so we knew that we needed to support and help sustain the program,” said Mary Ann Burrows, who started the Harlow and Mary Ann Burrows Family Foundation with her husband, Harlow, in 2007.
Take a Hike is a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program that uses the outdoors and adventure to engage vulnerable youth in school, intensive clinical counselling and community. Take a Hike is one of the few programs in the province with full-time early intervention and prevention mental health supports embedded in a classroom setting.
Opened in February 2019, the program, located at Delview Secondary in North Delta, is providing support to 18 youth and their families this school year.
The community-funded program relies on the generosity and support of donors like the Harlow and Mary Ann Burrows Family Foundation, which is committed to local organizations. The foundation chose to give to Take a Hike because of the program’s focus on mental health and well-being in young people, as well as the value of the outdoors and adventure-based learning component and wilderness-based therapy.
“We appreciate the Harlow and Mary Ann Burrows Family Foundation for recognizing the importance of our program in their community and their commitment to youth well-being,” said Gordon Matchett, CEO at Take a Hike Foundation. “Their incredibly generous donation is helping us sustain our Delta program which just opened last year, and it means we can reach more vulnerable youth in Delta who desperately need our support.”
Mary Ann Burrows is an author and illustrator who has just released a children’s book focused on mental well-being called Oh, Monkey. Board members of the Harlow and Mary Ann Burrows Family Foundation include Marisa Doolan and retired constable Sean Doolan, who are active members of the Delta community. Sean Doolan is the former school liaison officer for the Delta Police Department and has previously worked directly with Take a Hike school district champions and staff.
