Celebrating a positive year
Posted By Lori Penner
Posted 28 days ago
Gilby Kehler and Logan Sawatzky are just two of the many tots who love to come and play at the Altona and Area Family Resource Centre.
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The peer counseling and social networking among the moms who come here has a huge impact on the community, because when the moms are affected then kids are affected, and that positive influence is far reaching. - Diana Wiebe
Altona and Area Family Resource Centre co-chairs Tracey Loewen and Dorothy Braun reported a very busy year for the centre at their annual meeting Oct. 13, with over 20 programs in place for parents and their children.
With a volunteer board the centre has provided support and resources for families in the community for 10 years. Programs such as Coffee and Chat, Stay and Play, Growing with Mom, Community Kitchen, Shake Rattle and Roll, have seen amazing participation, with 892 adults and 1,492 children participating. “This is an important thing we are doing,” Braun said. “Supporting children during those early childhood years has a life long impact and you can’t put a price tag on that.” Braun says the centre uses a four pillar approach, which includes positive parenting, healthy nutrition, literacy and learning.
The organization operates with the support of fundraising and active partners such as the Altona Chronic Disease Prevention Initiative. Braun noted that they also rely heavily on other “in kind” support from partners such as Border Land School Division, Public Health, Central RHA, local schools, the Altona United Church, the Altona Recreation Dept. and ADAMH among others to help support space and resources to keep the various programs running. With more and more families taking advantage of the programs, one of their biggest issues is space according to facility committee member Ev Kehler. “The centre is growing and doing very well, and with that comes some of the growth issue problems. We have come to an agreement with the Seeds Church to use their facility for some programming.”
Other changes in the past year have included the assignment of new coordinator Lisa Gagne. Board member Diana Wiebe noted that the work of the Family Resource Centre is certainly being noticed in the community and is meeting the needs of young families in very positive ways. “The peer counseling and social networking among the moms who come here has a huge impact on the community, because when the moms are affected then kids are affected, and that positive influence is far reaching.”
