Thank you, Owen.
Good afternoon, committee members. Thank you for this opportunity.
My name is Isaac Fraser-Dableh. Today I want to share how COVID-19 has affected me, my employment and my community.
I am 16. I live in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and I am a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada's national youth council. Members of the youth council help at our local clubs and also work directly with the Boys and Girls Clubs' national team in setting priorities to support children and youth.
Prior to COVID, I was attending high school and working at a bakery, getting a couple of shifts a week. Once COVID hit, that came to a screeching stop. I was laid off. I couldn't save for college or even pay for my phone bill.
This didn't just happen to me. It happened to many of my friends. Some of them weren't as lucky as I was to return to work. They were either let go or the business has closed. Now they are trying to find new jobs to save for college or other things. However, in today's environment, it's very hard to find a job.
I want to take a moment to dispel what young people often hear: that we don't want to work and we want things handed to us.
I've been working since I was five by helping my great-grandfather sell Christmas trees at the local market. I continued to do this until I was 14, when I started to work at a gourmet grilled cheese food truck. For the past two years, I have worked at a bakery.
Starting to work at a young age taught me the concept of money and helped me to build a strong work ethic. Working at a young age will help others learn these important skills. I know that many people who are given whatever they want without earning it will never learn that life doesn't work like that and they won't get what they want all the time. The young people I know who have worked understand how hard it is to make a dollar. It also helps you learn how to save for college or even buy a new car. I personally think it's better to learn the importance of money and saving at a young age, because if you don't, you could possibly have financial problems when you're older.
We aren't lazy and we will change the world.
I want to close by urging you to be bold in supporting youth employment during this really difficult time. We have been out of school, isolated from our friends and laid off from our jobs. We can make real differences in our communities and across Canada with the policy recommendations we are proposing.
Thank you for your time.