Written by Courtney Wilson, Communications Volunteer
“Knowledge is power! When we know better, we do better,” exclaimed Rebecca Balanko. It is with this mindset that Balanko has delivered the Healthy Youth Relationships workshop, part of the Canadian Red Cross Violence and Abuse Prevention program, to more than 1,000 youth in Alberta.
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Healthy Youth Relationships workshops are facilitated by Red Cross Training Partners, and are aimed at supporting and creating healthy relationships in youth. Balanko is one of these partners and teaches the workshop as a Prevention Educator through her G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations) program. G.I.R.L.S. aims to provide self-awareness and coping strategies for girls between the ages of six and 18 in a nurturing and safe environment.
“When we know what we deserve, we can demand this for ourselves and in turn, treat others with the same respect and dignity,” said Balanko. “Having our youth better informed will not only help their relationship, but also supports their friends and their relationships.”
Balanko is no stranger to the Red Cross, having worked for the organization’s disaster management program for over five years. “It was one of my favourite jobs and changed my life in so many positive ways,” she said.
To date, Balanko has been awarded the ‘Mover and Shaker’ Award for Inspiring and Empowering Women and Children and the United Way Campaign Chair of the Year Award. Most recently, she was honoured with the International Women’s Day Award in the Youth Empowerment category for her G.I.R.L.S. program and the work she does with the Red Cross' Healthy Youth Relationships program.
One of Balanko’s G.I.R.L.S. sessions is called “Women who rock!” and we think it’s safe to say that Rebecca Balanko is definitely a ‘woman who rocks!’
