We help each other live with confidence and courage
Volume 14 Issue 1 - March 2014
SCSA supports community members through its programs to live an empowered life, at all ages, by linking those in need of help with those who can give it.
That means helping seniors live independently, parents help their children, and community members help themselves and each other. When we support one another, our community is stronger. SCSA does that by embodying its guiding principle, to “help each other live with confidence and courage.”
Risk Reduction - Empowerment starts during a child’s early years, and SCSA’s Risk Reduction program offers life and parenting skills to families who need it, enabling them to provide a safer, healthier environment for their children.
“I’ve got such wonderful success stories where people are stabilized,” program manager Lynn Derksen says. Clients are referred from the Ministry of Children and Family Development and often need support through trauma or mental illness. Derksen works with up to eight families at a time, from Moricetown to Houston, helping them overcome hurdles like finding steady housing and nutritious foods. “When you see their confidence grow, it’s huge,” Derksen says.
Community Learning Services - SCSA’s Community Learning Services believes in a community culture of lifelong learning, empowering adults to help their children and themselves. According to program manager Jo-Anne Nugent, literacy is not just about reading and writing: it includes everything from computers to filling out income tax forms.
“A lot of our programming is designed to support building people’s confidence. It’s about building self-esteem,” Nugent says. “Literacy strengthens your capacity to navigate in our society.” Many programs fall under Community Learning Services, including adult one-on-one tutoring,
family literacy and youth media literacy. The program supports parents as thier kids' first teacher and helps them combat the stigma of illiteracy.
Helping Hands - Helping Hands pairs seniors and those with disabilities with volunteers who help with outdoor taks such as yard work and snow shovelling. The program began in 2011 and some volunteers still offer a hand 3 years later. "It's neat to see the relationships that are built, they have a really special bond" program manager Jaime Freeman says. The program has roughly 25 seniors that are matched with volunteers easing the buden of living at home, enabling them to maintain independence and decreasing the likelihood of injury through falls and physical exertion. "It gives people, especially in the winter, the confidence that they can go about their daily business because a volunteer has made thier walkway safe to navigate".
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Taste of Culture Community Dinner
Where: Smithers Legion Hall
When: Saturday, March 29th 5:30pm-8:30pm
What: Cultural food, entertainment, and a take-home cookbook
Mark your calendars for the first Smithers Taste of Culture Community Dinner! We are currently creating a Taste of Culture cookbook with recipes from people of diverse cultures in Smithers. The community dinner will feature recipes from the cookbook as well as cultural entertainment and attendees will receive a copy of the cookbook.
This project is coordinated and funded by the Welcoming Communities and Community Learning Programs at Smithers Community Services Association (SCSA) and the Smithers Bridging Committee/ Organizing Against Racism and Hate (OARH) Network.
This event is for all ages! Tickets are on sale now for $30 at the Smithers Community Services main office in the CN Station Heritage building.
Cheers!
Kimberly Lipscombe, Welcoming Communities Coordinator
Smithers Community Services Association
3815-B Railway Avenue
[email protected], 250-847-9515
Wrapping Up Christmas Hampers 2013
SCSA’s Christmas Hampers completed another successful season with 300 hampers delivered to 1000 people from Moricetown to Telkwa. The program provides holiday cheer with some basic foods to help out. This year, hampers contained a voucher for a roasted chicken, stuffing, cranberry sauce, a box of Mandarin oranges and some chocolates along with an assortment of non-perishable foods and a loaf of bread. In addition, a gift and gently used book were provided for every child 16 years or younger.
The continued success is due to the support of our community, running on the contributions of volunteers, donors and sponsors. Our 198 volunteers did everything from collecting boxes to packing and delivering hampers. Many children helped with school groups, Girl Guides or their families. The generosity of our donors let us provide the making of a special holiday meal to each recipient, meet the dietary needs (low salt or gluten-free) for limited diets and provide some extra healthy foods. Some sponsors hold special events to raise food and money for Christmas Hampers while others adopt a family and provide the food and gifts for everyone in that family. Behind the scenes, SCSA staff provide tremendous logistical help. A huge thank-you goes out to all those involved – without your contributions there would be no Christmas Hampers.
Literacy Week
Community Learning had an exciting Literacy week 2014! Kick off was on Mon, Jan. 27 with a morning puppet making workshop and show at The Ark in Telkwa. The BV Puppetry Troupe entertained 40 children with their play "Big Al". In the afternoon, literacy celebrations continued at the Extra Foods Mall with a Literacy cake, the "I read because..." button maker and a "Fishing for Democracy" booth. Community Learning partnered with the MLA Stikine office for our mall events.
Some of the Literacy Week activities included a "15 minutes of Fun" cooking session at the Ground 2 Griddle Neighbourhood kitchen, the Praise-a-Reader campaign, "Read to a Senior Day", "Skate for Books" and the Family Play Day. Some of these events were so well loved that we have been asked to hold a "Skate for Books" in partnership with the Town of Smithers on Canada Day and to host regular "Read to a Senior" days.
The theme of this year's literacy week was "15 Minutes of Fun".This guided the cooking sessions at the Ground 2 Griddle Kitchen where participants were challenged to bring a nutritious recipe that could be assembled in 15 minutes. Some of the delicious foods we made were: Creamy Mac & Cheese with Avocado, Vegan Creamy Macaroni, Chicken Fajitas, and Chocolate Haystack cookies.
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Lifeline - Lifeline allows community members at risk of falls or with medical concerns to connect with help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A pendant is worn that can send a signal to a call centre, allows for two-way communication and, in some cases, detects falls automatically.
“It gives peace of mind to the client that they can get ahold of somebody immediately,” program manager Christine Tessier says. Lifeline can also be used for non-emergencies. “It’s like having somebody there all the time.” The program has roughly 60 users between Houston and Hazelton, many of whom couldn’t otherwise live at home. “It enables them to live independently a lot longer than what might otherwise be the case,” Tessier says.
Through its programs, SCSA has been building community and empowering community members to live with confidence and courage for 40 years. We’re celebrating this milestone with a series of articles about our programs and how they fit into our guiding principles. We hope you’ll join us in this celebration.
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Lifeline - Lifeline allows community members at risk of falls or with medical concerns to connect with help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A pendant is worn that can send a signal to a call centre, allows for two-way communication and, in some cases, detects falls automatically.
“It gives peace of mind to the client that they can get ahold of somebody immediately,” program manager Christine Tessier says. Lifeline can also be used for non-emergencies. “It’s like having somebody there all the time.” The program has roughly 60 users between Houston and Hazelton, many of whom couldn’t otherwise live at home. “It enables them to live independently a lot longer than what might otherwise be the case,” Tessier says.
Through its programs, SCSA has been building community and empowering community members to live with confidence and courage for 40 years. We’re celebrating this milestone with a series of articles about our programs and how they fit into our guiding principles. We hope you’ll join us in this celebration.
Interested in a workshop about FASD?
Fetal Alcohol & Other Neurobehavioral conditions (FA/NB): Understanding and application of a brain-based approach Workshop for parents, caregivers, and professionals.
FASD is a brain-based physical disability with behavioral symptoms. The brain-based approach to living with, caring for, and working with individuals and families impacted by FASD acknowledges the source of behaviors: the brain, and provides a set of research-based best practices for helping people with fetal alcohol exposure. Training is based on Diane Malbin's curriculum through FASCETs.
Variety of workshops available, from 1.5 hour introduction to more in-depth 7 hrs, 14hrs or 21hrs trainings.
For more information, contact Nathalie at [email protected] or 250-847-9515.