The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHSS) has launched a new website designed to streamline and offer easier registration options for the organization’s fine option payment program.
The website — which can be found at fineoptions.ca — enables those looking to work off their fines to make initial contact and sign-up online to volunteer at one of the many organizations and charities that are part of the program.
“The pandemic has provided plenty of challenges for everyone but it’s also provided a few silver linings and I think that’s the case here,” said Shawn Fraser, John Howard Society of Saskatchewan CEO. “Now that we’re on what we hope is the back end of the pandemic, we have a brand new website that we think is going to make it a lot more accessible and easier for people to register.”
The plan for the website came out of the ongoing pandemic, which saw the program more or less shut down in the three cities it operates in: Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon. A grant from the United Way gave the JHSS a chance to put together the website and Tuesday marked its official launch.
“We’ve done a lot of testing behind the scenes and we think we have it in a good place, it’s really user-friendly and easy as possible for people to sign up,” Fraser said.
The fine option program follows a simple format; those looking to work off instead of paying off a ticket sign up, connect with a charitable organization, and volunteer the needed number of hours at minimum wage to pay off their fine.
In Moose Jaw, 11 charitable organizations are part of the program, including Habitat for Humanity, Moose Jaw Pride, Hunger in Moose Jaw and Joe’s Place, just to name a few.
The option has proven popular over the years — in 2018, Saskatchewan residents worked off more than 3,800 fines, representing $500,000 worth of volunteer labour.
“It’s an opportunity to work for eight or 10 or 12 or 20 hours for an organization and it’s meaningful and tangible for people who do the work, plus it has a real impact for organizations providing the opportunity, too,” Fraser said.
Interestingly enough, he comes from a place of experience with the program. Fraser opted to use the fine option system to pay off a ticket about 15 years ago, volunteering at Soul’s Harbour in Regina.
“I’ve gone on to work in the non-profit sector and some of the connections I’ve made from that short time there had an impact on my working career,” Fraser said. “There are people I still see around where that’s where I first met them.”
Fraser’s experience is not unique — hundreds of fine option participants continue to volunteer regularly for their organizations even after they’ve paid off their tickets.
“There are really hundreds of those stories out there. We connect thousands of people each year into this program and it’s a growing list every year,” Fraser said.
The key now is to see the program grow and expand going forward.
“It’s a really bad feeling getting a ticket and this is a chance to turn a negative experience into a positive, having a good time helping out the community and actually giving something back,” Fraser said.
For more information and to sign up for the program, visit fineoptions.ca.
