Youth Diversion seeking mentors

By Jeff Green

Youth Diversion is a Kingston-based not-for-profit organization that works with youth, families and the community to assist youth to “develop and grow and realise their potential”, in the words of the agency’s website.

“Among the first programs we ever had going was the mentoring one. It requires volunteers who are willing to commit two to three hours a week for four to six months to spend with a young person between the ages of 11 and 17, and it has proven to be an effective program for a lot of people over the years,” said Jackie Franklin, the manager of volunteers for the agency.

She said that a number of youth in North, Central, and South Frontenac are now looking for mentors, which has led to a push for improved recruitment in the county.

“We provide lots of training and support for the volunteers in this program,” she said. “Volunteers also have the opportunity to participate in monthly workshops. They get hands-on experience working with at risk youth, and we also offer letters of reference for the volunteers.”

In addition to the mentoring program, Youth Diversion works in the community and in the schools to provide opportunities to help youth who experience difficulties to navigate through what can be a difficult few years in their lives.

Among its programs are a Youth Justice program and the KAIROS alcohol and addictions program, as well as SNAP, a program for youth who have been suspended from school, and the MEND program for conflict resolution within the schools, among others.

For further information about volunteering for the mentoring program or any other Youth Diversion activities, call Jackie Franklin at 613-548-4535 ext. 221, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Land O’Lakes Community Services, in conjunction with Kingston Community Health Centre and Stanford University, is holding educational workshops in Northbrook on "Living Well With Chronic Disease". This free, six-week workshop will help participants gain information and skills to actively achieve their best health and wellness while managing one or more ongoing conditions like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, depression, lung disease, and others. They are learning how to deal with the emotional, physical, and social aspects of living with a chronic condition. They will better understand how to manage symptoms, medications and side-effects; while improving communication with health care team members. They will learn about healthy lifestyles, managing stress, make action plans and set goals. The facilitators, Nancy Willis and Pam Lemke, received their training with Stanford University, and have been certified to deliver the program. If you missed this workshop, others will be offered in the future. For more information, call Pam Lemke @ 613-336-8934 ext. 229.

by Sonja Alcock

Being inquisitive often gets me into places I would otherwise never have gone into before. Like a cat, I like things that sparkle - like gems. And I found one in our community.

In the winter of 2005 I asked a friend what she does with her time, and she gave me a lowdown of all the things she and her husband are involved in. Both volunteer quite a bit for different organizations. One of the organizations was the “Land O’ Lakes Community Services”, and I asked her what it was all about. Instead of telling me, she invited me to join the board of directors to find out myself, so I did and boy did I ever get an eyeful.

Land O’ Lakes Community Services is not just one entity, it’s made up of several entities, like the facets of a gem, all serving the general public, all shining on their own. It’s not a government-run agency as people believe; it is a corporation depending upon grants, funds and the like to help run the various programs that it runs.

So here is a quick review of Land O’ Lakes Community Services:

1) Young Adult Protective Services is run by only one person who gives her time, patience, talents and love to each and every one of her clients, making sure that their lives are as full as “us normal” people. Money is short in this program, so fundraisers are needed to help provide outings for these clients to enjoy life to the fullest. On March 29, there was a spaghetti dinner that over $700. This money allowed our clients the trip of a life-time to go to Toronto this summer to the Ripley’s Believe it or not Aquarium. Last year’s money raised was spent on the Intergenerational trip to “Famous People Player’s” theatre to watch a play called “ADHD- Awesome Dreams High Drama”.

2) Land O’ Lakes Women’s Program- aka Rural Women’s Program - aka Domestic Abuse Counseling. This is a very unique program; our counselors travel vast amounts of kilometers all over a huge area to help women and families of domestic abuse, which is real and happens daily. The counselors who put their lives on the line to help these families need a great deal of support, not only financially, but with major pats on the back for what they do.

3) The Community Support for Seniors Program is a huge program that provides Meals on Wheels, Medical Transportation, Diner’s Club, Adult Drop-In, Caregiver Support, Social Recreation, & Educational Programs. Getting older often requires more help than one expects. Land O’ Lakes Community Services Support for Senior Program is one of the best ways I know of to help with this difficult and often confusing transition. Several years ago, before I joined the Board of Directors of Land O’ Lakes, I was introduced to this program through an elderly disabled lady I was asked to take care of. She loved attending Adult Drop-In on Tuesday mornings, and then staying for Diners' Club. Every one cares for one another, shares with one another, and sometimes tears with one another. This program meets at the Flinton Recreation Hall every Tuesday morning. Come early to either work on some crafty item, play a game, or participate in exercising those tired muscles. Followed by a great meal. You will never walk away feeling not at home.

4) Then there are various programs that Land O’ Lakes works on throughout the year, like having qualified volunteers work on your income taxes and the Christmas Basket Program. Next weekend, Saturday, May 17, 8 am - 3 pm at the Community Services parking lot in Northbrook will be a Yard & Bake Sale to help raise funds for this program. Donations will be accepted the week of the yard sale at Land O’ Lakes Community Services. This sale will accept Canadian Tire money!! What better way to use up that bit of money stored in your drawer, glove compartment or shoe box!!

5) Did you know that Land O' Lakes OWNS Pine Meadow Nursing Home? Yep it's true - owns and operates another diamond in our community. Pine Meadow, as you know, is undergoing a large addition to upgrade its standing from a "B" facility to an "A" facility - and Land O' Lakes owns it all!! Okay you can pick up your jaw off the table now. Here's how it happened. Years ago one of the members of Land O' Lakes Community Services was concerned about not having a home in our area for our many seniors to go to, so she formed a committee to see what can be done. She was told that a nursing home could not be built in our area, and we so grateful that she didn't listen to the powers that be at that time. That is when Land O' Lakes Community Services took it upon itself to set up a fund raising committee, a building committee and every other committee it needed to get the job done. And well Pine Meadow is the result of that determination. Another fact that I bet you didn't know - Pine Meadow Management Committee is not a board, but a sitting committee that reports to Land O' Lakes Community Services Board of Directors!! Without Land O' Lakes Community Services there would not be a Pine Meadow Nursing Home! Okay I'll let you drop you jaw on the table a little longer!!

6) Volunteering is a fact of life. These programs would not run without the volunteers who give their talents, time, and energy to help others in their community. One of the ways to volunteer and get to know more about Land O’ Lakes Community Services is to sit on the board of directors. Please contact the office if you are interested in knowing more of what a great agency this is in our community by calling 613336-8934 or just drop by and have a chat; or you can come out to the Annual General Meeting on June 17 at the Lions Hall in Northbrook. Our guest speaker will be Derek Maschke, giving advice on the final transition of our lives and how easy it would be on our families if we had things prepared in advance. Hope to see you all out, just to fulfill that curious side of you. You never know what new and great things are out there if you just took the chance to find out.

Land O' Lakes Community Services is the gem in our community!

The provincial government believes that you can feed a resident in a nursing home three meals and two snacks a day if they give you $7.93 per day! All you grocery shoppers need to try this challenge. Maybe you could do it one day, but how about every day?

Don't forget you need to address the Ministry of Long-Term Care guidelines: follow Canada's Food Guide, address special dietary needs and have variety in the meal planning schedule that rotates over a three week cycle.

By the time you leave the fresh produce aisle, you have used a lot of your government allowance. Don't forget dairy for maintaining strong bones and fibre...we need fibre. Vegetarians might have some coins left after they select their protein foods. It will be a search in the meat department to find something "tender" and appealing for dinner.

I visit family and friends in various nursing homes and it is the same funding...same issue. Residents are not going hungry, but quality could be better. They certainly don't get steak on this budget.

Our political representatives now and future need to address this issue. Maybe they could raise the rate to match the prison system. You should ask them about this discrepancy when you see any of them on the campaign trail. If you are a caregiver, senior or a baby-boomer like me, we need to fix the problem sooner than later.

Brenda Martin

May begins the yard sale season and in Sydenham on May 3, close to 25 tables were filled with all kinds of great arts and craft and garage sale-style goodies at the Southern Frontenac Community Services' (SFCS) Grace Centre. The event included two separate sales, the first in Grace Centre's main hall where members of the Sydenham's Women Institute set up tables of their fine arts and crafts. A second sale was being managed downstairs and outside by the SFCS's volunteer coordinator and board member, Jennifer Linton. Proceeds from both sales went to support the SFCS's first ever Enhancement Campaign. I happily came away with a trumpet, and my purchase was made even better knowing that the funds are going to good cause.

The SFCS 2014 Enhancement Campaign comes as the organization is celebrating 25 years of serving members of the community. It came about as a result of a huge increase in the demand for health and social services in the community. It is the first time in the SFCS's history that staff have felt the need to set up a public fundraising initiative. The campaign's aim is to raise $50,000 by June of 2014.

Kathryn O'Hara, the SFCS's funds development and promotions coordinator, cited some numbers that demonstrate the increased need for services in the community. “Last year we served 726 seniors and in the last two years alone we have seen a 16% increase in the number of clients we serve in the community,” O'Hara said. In addition the organization assisted 260 low-income households, an increase of 213% in the last two years. In the same period of time there was an 80% increase in the number of households who used the food bank, and last year alone 762 families required its assistance. O'Hara said the need for the campaign came about since the organization's regular funding sources have remained flat. “Basically we had two choices: we could either turn people away, forcing them go without the community supports that they need, or else we could make an effort to raise the necessary funds in the community.” The choice was obvious. O'Hara estimates that the increased need for support will continue into the future. She estimates serving an additional 178 new clients in 2014 alone, which will likely mean that the enhancement campaign will become an ongoing annual one.

The Enhancement Campaign was officially launched in February 2014 and O'Hara hopes to see the $50,000 goal reached by June 2014. Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit the SFCS website at www.sfcsc.ca or call 613-376-6376.

On February 6, staff from Northern Frontenac Community Services held their first fundraiser of 2014 for the United Way at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake. Guests enjoyed generous helpings of chili that was made and donated by members of the NFCS staff, and during the meal guests also had an opportunity to bid on a number of home-made pies that were auctioned off.

The United Way funds a number of the services that NFCS provides free of charge to the community, including their Family Counselor program, which offers in home or in office counseling to families in Central and North Frontenac who require help to get them through family-related life struggles including bereavement, separation, divorce and more.

The United Way also funds NFCS' Youth Services programs, which this past year were able to run thanks to a one-time $20,000 United Way Community Investment grant. The grant helped support NFCS programming for youth leadership development, after-school programming and life skills development programs.

Currently NFCS has applied for more permanent funding from the United Way to support their youth programs on an ongoing basis and they will find out if that grant was successful in March.

Don Amos, the executive director of NFCS, said that in addition to the funds raised from their numerous United Way fundraisers, this year all the NFCS staff are also donating a percentage of their salaries to the United Way Campaign through their Employee Deduction Plan, an effort that Amos was very proud to announce. “The fact alone that every single employee in our agency is donating to the United Way campaign on a regular ongoing basis as well as taking part in these fundraisers is a testament of how the staff here realize the importance of the United Way in our area and the support that the United Way has given to our organization,” Amos said when I spoke to him at the recent fundraiser. Amos stressed the fact that without the funding and support from the United Way much of their programming for youth and families in the area would not be possible.

Maribeth Scott, who is the manager of children and youth services at NFCS, said that NFCS staff are making year-round efforts to raise funds for the United Way “to make these programs work for the community.”

Upcoming in May will be the annual NFCS United Way yard sale, which will coincide with their Great Outdoor Adventure at St. James Major Catholic Church. Later in the fall NFCS will hold their annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser and they are also planning a Chinese dinner/quarter auction that will take place this fall. Details will be announced at a later date. Amos said he was pleased with the turn out for their most recent fundraiser and wished to thank NFCS staff, guests and donors for making the event such a success.

Keith Dee, the Director of Membership Services with Community Living – Ontario was the keynote speaker at the 37th Annual General Meeting for Community Living - North Frontenac (CL-NF).

The meeting was held on August 26 at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn and was well attended by CL-NF clients, their families, staff, and community members.

Dee outlined the challenges being faced by Community Living agencies and the people they serve due to what he said has been uncertainties regarding funding commitments from the province.

“We are particularly concerned about two sets of individuals,” Dee said, “young people coming out of the school system at age 20 to find there is no support, and ageing family members who are no longer able to care for their [intellectually disabled] adult children." Dee said that the provincial office has been working hard to convince the province that a long range plan is needed for the agencies and their clients.

On the local level, the annual report included a number of articles about the activities of Community Living members, including the ongoing efforts at the Treasure Trunk and trips to Stars on Ice, the Stewart Park Music Festival, the Brockville Speedway, Parham Fair, and the Bowmanville Zoo.

In his annual report, CL-NF Executive Director Dean Walsh said the intellectually disabled are waiting for an ombudsman's report, which is expected this fall and which will likely result in changes in the sector.