Self-Sufficiency Program

The Self-sufficiency Program is accessible to participants in the other three programs of New Directions.  Through the Self-sufficiency Program, children, youth, and their parents are able to earn $8.50 per hour credit for New Directions activities by doing meaningful community work in the Saturday Work Credit Program or by creating fundraisers and fundraising opportunities for participants.   

The Self-sufficiency Program fosters the notion of self-sufficiency by allowing fees charged for activities to be passed along to the participants and their families. The work provides a way for a child (or parent) to earn the money for an activity.  This helps parents of all income levels to develop self-sufficiency in their children.  Accordingly, there are no "full scholarships" in New Directions.  Everybody is expected to pay something for activities which charge a fee.  If fees charged are prohibitively high, either a sliding fee scale (eg. for extended camping trips and retreats) or partial subsidization for all participants (eg. hockey) are used. In Members' Choice activities, participants are expected to pay all of the fees or costs for an activity. Participants are encouraged to develop fundraisers such as garage sales, car washes, or individual sales to add to their credit.