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Wednesday, 22 January 2020 12:58

New leaf Link - reflections of 2019

Wow, what a year 2019 was for New Leaf Link! In January, NeLL was the grateful recipient of a United Way KFLA Grant to implement an Adapted Diabetes Awareness, Prevention & Management Program. This grant provided funding for a project facilitator, instructors and one support person to add a third day of programming (Tuesday) to provide access to health promotion skills around awareness, prevention and management of Type 2 Diabetes. In addition, the Township of South Frontenac contributed funds to allow us to run our first ever summer program. Now NeLL offers 3 days of high-quality programming throughout the year in Arts, Music and Healthy Living and allows disabled participants from South Frontenac to participate in a diverse range of activities, including health, fitness, nutrition, adaptive technology and community participation, including outings to local venues.

The Sydenham Lions Club contributed to our project by delivering a talk about Diabetes. Our program instructors in 2019 included Sensei Marty Tucker from the Sydenham Academy of Martial Arts − our participants did a karate demo and grading at our July Open House. Sara McHattie from the YMCA led Adapted Fitness classes. Deb Donaldson, a certified diabetes educator, dance teacher and fitness and nutrition specialist visited monthly to lead us in dance and diabetes education activities, and Ryan Donoven developed a NeLL soap with our NeLL colours and scents chosen by our participants. Linda Alford, our Adapted Technology Instructor, helped our participants learn about diabetes through various websites and completed six resource books that have been shared with our participants. NeLL parents Tom Jack and Cara Lacelle did presentations on raising backyard chickens and managing diabetes medications. MPP Randy Hillier attended our July Open House and continues to support and promote our program through his website. In August, we visited Bill Welychka at the Global News Morning Show to talk about our program and shared a video of Michael Timmerman’s achievements shooting hoops.

Shen Xiao Bing from Long Road Ecological Farm taught us how to prepare Chinese dumplings from fresh farm ingredients in honour of the Chinese Spring Festival. The KFLA Food Ambassadors visited twice in May and November giving food demonstrations that contributed to NeLL’s Diabetes Project. Our project facilitator and cooking instructor Chris Boal’s Healthy Eating cooking demonstrations were fantastic! The St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dogs showed us how dogs can offer stress relief. We also had a visit from OPP Community Services Officer Curtis Dick to inform us about on-line safety, and we visited Happy tails Farm Sanctuary in June.

NeLL is most grateful to 3rd party fundraiser Greg Simpson and the Irwin Family for planning and hosting 2 sold-out dances at the Sydenham Legion and golf tournaments in support of NeLL programs. And, not only did NeLL participate in the Sydenham Santa Claus parade, our own Michael Brown led the Kingston Police Pipe and Drum band in the Kingston Santa Claus parade.

We are extremely grateful to our donors, without whose support we could not possibly survive. This includes small community organizations and individuals who understand that there are province-wide gaps in services for adults with disabilities, especially in rural areas. Without our program, disabled adults throughout South Frontenac would be isolated from their friends and would be required to travel great distances to access community supports.

As we enter 2020, NeLL continues to operate without government funding. We have built a strong, resourceful and sustainable rural organization that is unique to our community. In the past year, we have increased our number of participants, our fundraising capabilities, our program resources and our community profile. We invite the community to visit us at our Open Houses, volunteer their time with us and support our fundraising efforts, including our spring and fall Grocery Store fundraisers in Sydenham and Verona.

When you see NeLL out in the local community, please say hello. We love our community and want you to know how important New Leaf Link is to our participants. We truly appreciate your support!

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Southern Frontenac Community Services has stopped providing services through a program that is designed to find housing for homeless residents of Frontenac County and help those who are precariously housed to stabilise or improve their situation.

“It was a regrettable decision that we had to make to stop offering this service,” said SFCS Executive Director David Townsend, “but we had no real choice because we could not maintain the proper staffing for the program. It is an important service to the community but we were no longer able to provide it. It was also a drain on our resources as an organisation.”

The Homelessness Prevention Program in Frontenac County was set up as part of the 10-year homelessness prevention strategy by the City of Kingston.

In 2014, SFCS took the lead, along with Rural Frontenac Community Services and Addictions and Mental Health KFLA, in answering a request for proposal to provide services in Frontenac County. The bid from the three agencies was successful and the program started up in 2015. It was tweaked a couple of years later, after being reviewed by City of Kingston staff.

Last year, The United Way of KFLA provided funding for a part-time youth homelessness prevention worker based in Sydenham and another part-time worker based in Sharbot Lake.

“The program was most successful when we had social workers who understood the needs in our rural area,” said Townsend, “but our ability to keep our workers was hampered by our own pay grid,” said Townsend.

Qualified workers can make more money doing similar jobs in the City of Kingston than they can working for Southern Frontenac Community Services.

“It would not be fair to the rest of our employees if we paid the homelessness prevention workers on a different scale,” he said.

The situation came to a head this spring, when 2 workers left for other jobs in the region and an attempt to recruit new workers proved unsuccessful.

Townsend said that Home Based Housing, the agency that runs the homelessness prevention program in Kingston, is providing some service in Frontenac County. People seeking service are encouraged to call them directly at 613-542-6672

“We are concerned about the impact in Central and North Frontenac,” said Louise Moody, Executive Director of Rural Frontenac Community Services, based in Sharbot Lake. ‘We are continuing to offer services for youth at risk of homelessness through the United Way program, but there is a fair bit of need in our communities for the kind of services that this program offered.”

A new request for proposal for the provision of the service in Frontenac County will be prepared in the coming weeks, Moody has been informed.

“For our agency, it would be best if the territory was split and we could prepare a proposal to serve the region from Verona north, but we understand that this will not happen. AS far as we know, it will be same territory as it was before, all of Frontenac County. We do serve all of the county with the EarlyOn program, so we know the territory, but it would be a stretch for us. Our board will decide if we can reasonably provide this service as well, and if we have the administrative capacity to take on another program.”

In the meantime, Frontenac County residents who are homeless, at risk of becoming so, or living in inadequate housing, do not have the kind of direct support in navigating the system or accessing resources, that has been available over the last five years.

The City of Kingston is undertaking a five-year review of the 10-year homelessness prevention program, which had the elimination of homelessness as its stated goal.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 10:10

Local children enjoy Farm Fresh Fun

A special event designed for young children was a big hit in Sunbury on May 8.

Held at Ormsbee’s Mercantile, children were invited to play with rabbits, plant a seed and sample maple syrup.

“This is our sixth year doing the event,” says Jenn Ormsbee, 39. “The whole idea is to bring our community together. It’s nice to see the kids having a great time.”

Looking around the parking lot where children of all ages looked busy and happy, Ormsbee admits she is pleased with the event that is part of the United Way of KFL&A Success by Six campaign.

Speaking on behalf of the Frontenac 4-H, which represented local, future farmers, volunteer leader Amey Brooks notes, “This is really for the kids. It’s all about community.”

According to Brooks, 4-H members attended from the rabbit & cavy club (guinea pigs) and clover buds to promote community involvement and the benefits of becoming a 4-H member.

“One of the big things in 4-H is community,” says Brooks, who has a 13-year-old daughter in the 15-member rabbit club. “This type of event will also help our members with their public speaking skills and give them an opportunity to proudly show-off their rabbits. This type of event helps more kids get involved.”

After this event, the rabbit club will be showing/jumping its rabbits at the Odessa Fair in July and the Kingston Fall Fair in September.

“Who knew I would be driving around with rabbit jumps in my van all summer,” says Brooks with a smile.

 

To learn more about 4H, please go to https://www.4-hontario.ca/4h-in-my-area/frontenac.aspx

To learn more about Success by Six, go to www.unitedwaykfla.ca/programs/success-by-6/

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

“Get out and do things with little ones,” said United Way representative Kim Hockey last Thursday at the South Frontenac garage on Keeley Road. “You don’t have to save for a trip to Disneyland every day.

“Take the time and make the moment matter.”

“It might even kick start a career,” said Tim Hockey.

The event, Touch the Truck, is part of the United Way’s Success By Six program and features trucks and equipment assembled together from South Frontenac Township, Frontenac OPP, South Frontenac Fire & Rescue and Frontenac Paramedic Services. The idea is for parents and grandparents to bring their little ones out to climb into cabs, and see just what all these big vehicles do.

It’s also family time in disguise.

“It shows the importance of early years,” Dickey said. “United Way has more than 120 activities throughout KFL&A but you don’t necessarily have to have an organized event for people to spend time together.

“It could be just having dinner together, reading a story or taking a walk.”

But this was an event and one that accomplished more than one goal. Getting together as families and a community is one of them, but it’s also a chance to let people see and hear about the various organizations at work in that community.

“Each of these organizations and vehicles play a huge role in our day to day lives,” said South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal. “The support they provide to our community each and every day is outstanding.”

And it’s fun. That was plain to see on the faces of the kids, parents, grandparents and even on the firefighters, police officers and Township workers demonstrating equipment and explaining how it works.

In other words, the organization workers seemed to be having as much fun as the people who came out to see their gear.

Paramedic Lyanne Dickie had a huge smile on her face as she showed kids where things are stored in her ambulance.

“This is my first event of this type,” she said. “I’m really enjoying it.

“There are a lot more kids than I expected and the energy is vibrating off them.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 01 June 2016 16:54

Centenary Pastoral Charge 49th anniversary

Forty-nine years ago, the Centenary Pastoral Charge, which includes the United churches of Parham, Maberly and Sharbot Lake, was founded in Centennial year 1967. On Sun. June 26, they will celebrate their anniversary at a shared service at Parham United Church with guest leader, soon-to-be-Rev. Sarah Magie, at 11am, and all are welcome. The sister church at Sharbot Lake will be closed for that one Sunday so that both churches can celebrate their anniversary together and welcome back Sarah, who served there some years ago.

Sarah, who completed her Master of Divinity at Queen's University in December of 2014, is a chaplaincy student in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and her spouse, James Rodgers, is an artillery officer in the CAF. They live in Oromocto, New Brunswick and have a daughter, Emma, who is one and a half years old.

Everyone is welcome to the special anniversary service Sun. June 26 at Parham United Church at 11am. There will be a pot-luck lunch following, with meat provided so please, if you are able, bring salads, pickles, fruit and cheese trays, desserts. Come and renew acquaintance with Sarah, worship God and visit friends and neighbours.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 20 November 2013 19:00

Raising Forks And Knives For The United Way

A full house of pasta lovers jammed into the Maples restaurant in Sharbot Lake for the annual United Way Spaghetti dinner fundraiser. The event, which is a collaboration between The Maples restaurant and Northern Frontenac Community Services, included a three course meal of Caesar salad, spaghetti and a wide selection of home-made desserts. Funds raised at help the local community by supporting two departments at NFCS that receive support from the United Way - the family counseling and the organization's youth services. Don Amos, who was one of the many NFCS staff serving at the dinner, said the event is a great opportunity for NFCS and the community at large to give back to the United Way. He said it gets great support from the local community and thanked the owners of The Maples, who put on the event year after year and the members of the community who so loyally come out to show their support for the United Way.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Thursday, 07 November 2013 12:19

United Way's Rural Reach

The Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) United Way has a strong public profile in the City of Kingston. Its local board is chock full of business and institutional leaders in the city, with representatives from the top echelons of Queen's University, the school boards, INVISTA, Empire Life, RBC, BMO Nesbitt Burns, etc.

Yet the United Way is devoted to supporting people on the other end of the social spectrum. Support for youth at risk, combating homelessness, and poverty reduction are all major focuses for the $3 million that the KFL&A United Way expects to spend in 2014.

And although its fundraising efforts are also focused in the City of Kingston, the United Way is committed to supporting individuals and communities in the rural corners of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington County.

They do that in two ways, according to United Way Executive Director Bhavana Varma.

“Some of our programs are broad-based, covering the entire region, such as the support we provide for the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) and to the Food Sharing Program, which covers all 96 schools in the region. The Success by Six program for young children is also active throughout the region.

“We also partner with agencies that are based in the rural communities. We use their lens to look at the needs and come up with solutions. Our agencies are wonderful partners in recognizing and reminding us that the needs are different in rural areas,” she said.

It is the community service agencies in Frontenac County (Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) and Southern Frontenac Community Services – (SFCS)) that receive most of the project and ongoing funding from the United Way.

Among the services that the United Way contributes to at NFCS is the family counselling service, which provides free counselling for families in North and Central Frontenac and parts of South Frontenac. The service is available for families undergoing a variety of stresses, including mental health, financial, bereavement and more.

“They (NFCS) operate that program in a different way than an urban agency would. The people they service and the geography make it necessary for that service to come into the home a lot of the time. This is something they understand because they know the needs of their community. What we in turn require from them is ongoing monitoring of the service. They provide us with the kind of data we need to ensure the money we raise from the community is well spent. In that sense all of the partners we work with are the same, rural or urban,” said Varma.

The United Way also provides ongoing support for the NFCS Youth program, which has been ramping up over the last few years.

“There are so many opportunities for youth in the city, and so few in rural communities, and being able to encourage Northern Frontenac to have a program for youth is important to us,” said Bhavana Varma.

The relationship between the United Way and NFCS is a two-way street. NFCS has joined the employee United Way fundraising campaign, and has organized public fundraising events as well to support the annual United Way campaign. A bingo is scheduled for the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake tonight, November 7, and a spaghetti dinner is set for November 28 at the Maples Restaurant (see Northern Happenings for details).

Southern Frontenac Community Services has been developing their relationship with the United Way in recent years, and received funding to help supplement their community support services for seniors' programs that are also funded by the Ministry of Health.

“There is an ever increasing demand for community supports in South Frontenac,” said David Townsend, the Chief Executive Officer of SFCS, “and the United Way has helped us respond to that demand.

For 2014, Townsend said SFCS is “trying to be more specific in quantifying and qualifying where the need really is” when applying for United Way support.

One program in particular, the Adult Day Program for the frail elderly, now has a total of 43 participants and SFCS only receives ministry funding for 32.

“We are hoping the United Way can help us to bridge that gap, because using wait lists for programs for the frail elderly is not something we are prepared to accept,” said Townsend, who is also applying to South Frontenac Township to support the Day Away Program.

The United Way KFL&A’s annual fundraising campaign is now entering its home stretch; $2.53 million has been raised thus far and the goal of $3.4 million is within reach.

“Eighty-three percent of the money we raise is through workplace campaigns,” said Bhavana Varma, “and the rest from fundraising events. Of the money we raise 12% goes to administration, which is quite a low number compared to other charitable organisations.”

The United Way fundraising campaign runs until the end of November.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

 

As summer quickly approaches and the weather begins to warm up, many new things are in bloom. This free event, sponsored by Northern Frontenac Community Services, is one of the ways to welcome this warm time of the year.

The Great Outdoor Adventure will be held on Saturday June 15, from 11am until 1pm, at St. James Major Catholic Church Hall/Parking lot. There will be a cash canteen that will be selling plenty of snacks and beverages. Tons of free activities will be going on throughout the event, including a children’s entertainer, face painting, kids’ crafts, soccer shot, a petting zoo, mini golf and our new nature walk and Aboriginal craft time with Marcie Webster!

The Great Outdoor Adventure is a wonderful opportunity to come out with your friends and family and spend some quality time outdoors and enjoy this beautiful weather. There is something for everyone to do, and what better way to do it than in the sun. Join us for a fun-filled day, grab a bite to eat and enjoy all of the entertainment and activities at the Great Outdoor Adventure!

Also on site this year will be our 2nd annual United Way Yard Sale. The yard sale will run at the same time and location as the Great Outdoor Adventure. Currently we are looking for donations of gently used items from the public to assist us with the yard sale. All items can be dropped off at the Child Centre, 1004 Art Duffy Road, up to Thursday, June 13. All proceeds from the sale will go towards our United Way campaign this year.

Please join us for these two great events, fun and games for the community along with a great yard sale.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
With the participation of the Government of Canada