Dinner’s Over and We’re Winding Down

Our First Annual City Kidz Fundraiser Dinner was wonderful and many came to hear Todd Bender talk about how God got him started in this ministry and where his journey has taken him over the last 18 years.  It was a great evening and it was so nice to see everyone there and to meet some new friends.  Many thanks from City Kidz Ottawa to all who volunteered to make the Dinner possible and to all who contributed financially.  Our first dinner was truly a success, thanks to you!

At the time of writing, it’s only a few short weeks until Christmas and you can be assured, that City Kidz will also be celebrating Christmas this year, as well.   Our final Playhouse this season will be on December 11th and we’ll be having a small Christmas Party. 

In further celebration of the season, City Kidz Hamilton is donating stockings for all the kids and their brothers and sisters.  Shawn and I were out last night visiting the kids and getting a proper head count for each family.  It was a nice reason for us to go an extra week early so we could see all the kids again and get some hugs.  And they were ALL home so we were blessed! 

With much sadness for all of us at City Kidz Ottawa,  December 11th will be our final Playhouse to resume again in the Spring.  The Playhouse won’t be running, but there’s still plenty of work for the City Kidz Ottawa staff to keep us busy till spring.  We’re still planning to visit the kids bi-weekly and we’re hoping to enlarge our area and invite new kids to attend the Playhouse in the spring.  We will also be working on the spring curriculum, possibly taking a short mission trip to Hamilton and we’ll be steadily involved in further fundraising (we’re still under our target to run the spring program).  There’s also a plan in there somewhere to take the kids skating on the canal during Winterlude.  So, I’m sure the time will go fast.  But not fast enough for me (Wendy), Shawn, Nancy, Raquael, Anna, Judah, Abby, Elinor and Keely and all the rest of the program volunteers. 

…And ONE for all!!

Will You Help Ottawa’s Kids?

It’s been a great and encouraging fall but it would not have been possible if it were not for the generous financial gifts to City Kidz Ottawa by various concerned citizens of the city.   These people have given because they believe in what we do and are realistic enough to know that we need the finances in order to make it all happen.  City Kidz Ottawa is not a government funded program, but is a self-sustaining grassroots organization that runs on regular-people donations to help ensure that this vision to reach a city of children is kept alive. 

And that’s why I’d like to personally invite you to City Kidz Ottawa’s First Annual Fundraiser Dinner on November 25th, 2010.  Keynote speaker will be Todd Bender who has many stories to share from his 18+ years of experience as the Founder and Executive Director of City Kidz Ministry in Hamilton and is now reaching over 2,000 children per week.  You may have seen Todd Bender interviewed on 100 Huntley Street in recent years. 

All proceeds from tickets sales will go directly to the support of City Kidz Ottawa.  You can buy a ticket online by clicking here or you may write me to reserve your tickets at wendy@citykidz.ca.  You can also call the City Kidz office at 613-482-9747.  The Hardini Centre is located at 225-235 Donald Street, Ottawa, Ontario.  The building used to be a school and the entrance is the east door facing Donald marked “B”.  Tickets are $25.00 in advance or $30.00 at the door.  I’ll see you there! 

…And ONE for all!!

Wendy Turpin, Branch Coordinator

Halfway Through!

It’s hard to believe that City Kidz Ottawa is halfway through our first fall program.  And we are so encouraged!  General response for volunteer support to run the program has been very supportive, as new people are literally being added every week to assist in the program and fundraising activities. 

As for the kids, the Saturday Playhouse Theatre has been running every other Saturday since October 2, 1010 and we are consistently picking up 19 to 22 children by bus to bring them to the hour and a half program at the Hardini Centre.  In between Playhouse dates, we are going door to door to the homes of the registered children to say hi and hand them a flyer for the following week’s program.  Not only are the kids excited to see us, but it gives the parents a chance to meet those of us who are leading,  get an update on how their children are doing and perhaps ask for help for specific family needs.   I know that the parents like this feature a lot as they come to trust that we are doing our best to look after the best interests of their children.

So you see, City Kidz Ottawa is more than just a children’s program (as awesome as that is)!  It’s a place where low income families can connect with resources to meet their specific needs in the area they live in.  Currently we are serving the Vanier/Overbrook area, but eventually City Kidz Ottawa will be reaching out to all sectors of the city.  It’s a big dream but I don’t believe it’s an impossible one at all!  I’ve been meeting with leaders of several churches in the Vanier area and Greater Ottawa and members of the  Vanier service community such as Vanier Community Services and our MPP for Ottawa-Vanier Madeline Meilleur, who is also Ontario’s Minister of Community and Social Services.  Overall, the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.  It’s our hope that this network will grow as City Kidz grows and expands out to other parts of the city and eventually we will be able to connect the people we’re serving with various community services and churches in their areas. 

Thanks to all who have offered to support City Kidz Ottawa and because of YOU have made all of this possible!

…And ONE for all!!

City Kidz Is the Place To Be!

It happened the other day when I and a member of my Executive Team,  Shawn Donnelly, were out doing our second official night of home visits.  There we were minding our manners at the door and one boy, realizing that it was City Kidz at the door, came leaping out from behind his Mom to give us one bear hug each.   With the hug he reminded us that the last lesson’s theme was love.  “City Kidz is the place to be, ‘cause they love and care what happens to me!” was our memory moment for that week.

We at City Kidz Ottawa have been working VERY HARD to reach a small band of children since about May of this year.  Lots of extra hours on the evenings and weekends (we all work full-time and don’t get paid to work for City Kidz) because we all believe in what we’re doing.  But I don’t think Shawn or I were expecting such an awesome reaction by one little boy this soon into the program.   We just had our third program today, so this grinning hug was a breakthrough of sorts and an encouragement to both of us.

I am very excited.  So is Shawn.

…And ONE for all!!

Officially Launched

After weeks of preparation, City Kidz Ottawa is up and running as of October 2, 2010.  It was a great day!  Everything went like clockwork including the arrival of the bus and every child brought to the program seemed to have a wonderful time.   This week’s lesson “It’s Great to be a Kid” began the first of a four-part series which introduces the City Kidz Four Most Important Things  that every child should know:  God Has A Plan, You Are Loved, It’s Great to Be a Kid and Do What’s Right. So many children these days are under a great deal of pressure long before they’re ready both psychologically, spiritually and physically.   It’s part of the City Kidz mandate to give children permission to enjoy their childhood.  From the Sneaker Search to the object lessons, to the final pie-schmucking, each child had an opportunity to learn and re-learn Saturday’s Memory Moment:  “Let’s have fun and celebrate, ‘cause being a kid is super great!” 

This day was a success and has encouraged all of us on the  leadership team for the future.  But it wouldn’t have happened without a great deal of support from City Kidz Leaders Todd Bender and Trevor Thomson and Peace Tower Church in Ottawa.  Also, there’s a whole lot of other people who pitched in their support and cooperation to help pull our first day off.  All of you know who you are.  Please accept many thanks from City Kidz Ottawa!

We at City Kidz Ottawa are very excited about what is going to be taking place in the next few weeks. We believe that this is just the beginning of something really big in Ottawa!  And we get to to it all again on  October 16th, 2010!! 

…And ONE for all!!

A Huge Sigh of Relief

As you are aware by now, City Kidz Ottawa is a new branch of the larger ministry called City Kidz which has been impacting Hamilton children for over 15 years. Each week dedicated volunteers in Hamilton go out to visit the children on their City Kidz routes. Year round, they have kids running up to say “Hi”, parents calling to their children “It’s City Kidz!!” Always there is a tone of excitement. When they visit the kids who live in a townhouse complex, there will often be kids running up to them, walking with them, wanting to carry the flyers, the clip board – even the pen! During the summer, there is an additional question, how many weeks until City Kidz?

I know this will hold true for Ottawa in years to come thanks to our supporters. The City Kidz Ottawa team and I were out just the other day handing out flyers for our grand opening on October 2^nd at the Hardini Centre in Vanier. It wasn’t raining that day and there were LOTS of kids out so we had a chance to tell them about what was coming to the area. I wish you could have heard the excitement in the voices of the children as they asked about City Kidz and discovered it was a fun program just for them, that was free. One little boy, turning seven this Saturday, was quite concerned that he’d miss it because it was his birthday party. We assured him that it wasn’t starting until October 2^nd and he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After several months of hard work and prayer City Kidz is really going to be a reality in Ottawa.  The City Kidz Ottawa Playhouse Theatre will officially open our doors on October 2nd reaching Ottawa children, impacting their lives and transforming our community….one child at a time!

…And ONE for all!

No Job Too Big

I haven’t added much lately because I’ve been consumed with getting everything ready to start us up.  I now have a team of three incredible leaders who will be involved in the Saturday Program and Home Visits and have a heart for children.  I also have one very dedicated volunteer who’s planning the fundraiser dinner to be held in the fall.  Not to mention my team of advisors who have been doing a great job advising all summer :) There’s a lot to do!  I am in constant contact with Todd Bender and I’ve been meeting with the stakeholders in Vanier.  I’ve also been speaking with some of the local churches.  I have not had one negative response!  And the good news is, based on the opinions I’ve been getting from local community leaders, we need to start planning more buses now!   

If you are wondering how such a small team is going to pull off such a huge venture, don’t underestimate the people power effect.  We have been accomplishing a lot believe it or not.  But the reality is, we can only go so far and will eventually level off to sustain a small group of children. Right now we only have enough people and budget to sustain one busload of children every other Saturday.

City Kidz’ vision, however, is to reach every child in this city and to make this happen we’re going to need your help.  We’re still in need of volunteers to help run the Saturday program, home visits, administration and fundraising.   Whether you choose a  a short term or long term volunteer commitment --- we can’t do this alone!   City Kidz is a grass roots organization --- it’s growing from the heart of the people who love Ottawa’s children  and want to see them reached.  I know there’s more of us who can and want to help.  I know that we will eventually be able to see this dream to reach every child come true.  I’ve seen what can happen in Hamilton.  I am a believer!

You could say it’s been a pretty busy summer, but it’s all worth it.  All of us at City Kidz Ottawa are determined to see this dream become a reality in Ottawa.    Will you help?

…And ONE for all!

She’s One of Ours

She has lived with neglect and abuse most of her life.  She’s been beaten, battered and bruised, and yet even today she continues to thrive and continues to have hope for her future.  Meet Dee*, she’s one of ours, she’s a City Kidz kid.

Dee began attending City Kidz when she was only 5 years old.  When we first met her, there was an emptiness in her eyes, she was hollow, she was sad.  She manipulated, lied, stole, swore, and her behaviour was unmanageable.  She did what any child living in poverty, neglected and abused, would do, she survived.

In and out of foster homes since she was 5, Dee now lives with her alcoholic grandmother, although most of the time she’s bunking up with her friends to avoid the dysfunction at home.  She doesn’t like living there, but to her, it’s better than being permanently placed with strangers.  She has a baby brother who is cared for by the Children’s Aid Society and another brother who still lives with relatives.  Her life is complicated and her days are filled with challenges, but every Saturday she finds her way to City Kidz to serve as a Jr. Leader.

When she was assaulted by a stranger on her way home from a friend’s house, the first to receive a phone call was her City Kidz friend and mentor, Susan.  Susan called the police and stayed by her side until morning.

When she broke her finger, injured her collar bone, showed up on a cold winter afternoon with no coat, was left at home scared, alone and hungry, when she needed a ride or just needed someone to talk to, City Kidz was first to hear, first to respond.

Today Dee has hope, she remains resilient, and her future is bright.  It’s unmistakable.  It’s in her smile, her walk and her actions filled with compassion and empathy for others.  She will likely continue to grow up in economic poverty, but instead of poverty being a liability, it has become an asset.  She is learning to take disadvantages and turn them into opportunities.  She is an example of the power of hope, love and faith.  Even though much of her external environment remains hostile, she is learning to develop an internal confidence and peace.  Her life is representative of thousands of other children who brave the challenges of inner city poverty every day.  Her life encourages us and motivates us to continue to search for more children.  City Kidz is a major part of Dee’s life, and Dee is a major part of our lives as well.  Each Saturday when we watch Dee as she leads, we see her strength, her resilience, her joy, and we say to ourselves, “She’s one of ours.  She’s a City Kidz kid.” 

All for one, every last one.

Rev. Todd Bender

Executive Director, City Kidz

*names have been changed for privacy.

 

…And ONE for all…

City Kidz Ottawa Finds a Home

It had to happen eventually.  All the phone calls, miles driven and various locations investigated by myself and a couple of dedicated volunteers, had to eventually pay off with a location for the City Kidz Ottawa Playhouse Theatre.  Finally, thankfully, a perfect site, the Hardini Centre, emerged out of the blue one day when I was driving around in  Ottawa’s east end.  I immediately made some phone calls, had an opportunity to look inside  last week and after having a great meeting with the building coordinator, all systems are go for City Kidz to hold our Playhouse Theatre there twice monthly on Saturdays!!  I am excited, because the Centre is absolutely perfect for what we need!  First of all, it’s a community centre privately owned by the church next door  (which I never would have found online because they don’t advertise) and has a lecture/theatre style room that suits the City Kidz Theatre format.  The other great thing --- this is the icing on the cake --- the Hardini Centre is also home to many of the local community services such as the food bank, snow suit fund and community resource centre.  This will make it very easy for City Kidz Ottawa and these services to connect to work together in a continuing effort to  help the families of the district.   What a great starting place!  Thank you to everyone who has prayed and for the many great suggestions that were given.  It took a while,  but it was soooo worth it!   Okay!  How simple was that?!?

…And ONE for all!!!

To Answer A Question

Someone asked me today why I’m doing this?  Why am I spending all day at a job that I get paid for, only to return home and spend the majority of my free time trying to launch City Kidz Ottawa for free?    Here’s the gist of my answer: 

Despite the fact that Canada is considered one of the richest nations in the world, one in six children lives below Statistic Canada’s Low Income Cut Off, which varies depending on family size.  In 2001, the Low Income Cut Off in Canada for a family of three was $28,560.00 before taxes.  Stats Can also reports that in reality, most of those children live in families with incomes well below this level.  

As for Ottawa, many consider this city affluent.  It’s true this a government town and the capital of Canada, which spends millions every year to keep the city looking beautiful for tourists.  But while it may not be all that obvious if you don’t reside here year round, in fact there are at least 32,000 children living in families whose income levels are miles below the LICO.  Many of these are new Canadians, lone parent families or families affected by employment shortages.   Most would welcome a financial leg up, so to speak if one were to appear. 

Unfortunately, while Ottawa is doing its level best to meet these needs, most of our social assistance programs are stretched to the max and there’s just not enough funding to go around to help these families improve. As a result, there are possibly 32,000 children that are suffering with poor nutrition, inadequate housing and inadequate access to appropriate childcare.  It’s a problem.

Wouldn’t it be nice to treat some of these 32,000 children to an afternoon off from all the stress?  Maybe give Mom and Dad a break by picking the kids up by bus to bring them to the City Kidz Playhouse for a fun filled afternoon with games and songs and great friends and then delivering them home?   All for free!?? City Kidz does just that!! 

But the City Kidz mandate also goes deeper than that.  City Kidz exists to transform the lives of inner city children, break the cycle of hopelessness, and end child poverty.  We do this by inspiring children to dream big and to rise above their circumstances.  We instill faith based values and teach children to do the right thing and we provide new experiences and environments that inspire kids to unlimited possibilities.

One report I read says every kid has the right to have fun, grow and succeed.  I agree.  That’s what City Kidz is all about. 

That’s why I’m doing it.  Wouldn’t you?

…and ONE for all!!

 

The Case of the Missing Venue

The Kids

I am now in possession of the map that the City Planning Office so kindly prepared, marking off the areas and the numbers of low income families with children between 6 to 14 years old.  From what I can gather from this map, there are a lot of poor families spread pretty evenly across the city, but there are about three areas with significantly high numbers.   No real surprises there.  My next step will be to figure out what services are available in all the noted areas of the city (not just the three biggies) and find the area where the kids need City Kidz the most. Unfortunately, even though I’d love to be able to reach every child that I can, I can only pick one area to reach children.  I don’t have the manpower to reach an entire city YET.

 

The Location

Have you ever had a sense that you knew something was there, but you just couldn’t find it?  That’s pretty much how I’ve been feeling lately as I continue my search for a venue to hold City Kidz Ottawa.  I’ve called the city community and recreation centres and they’re not too encouraging because our program is to be held on Saturdays and they’re booked SOLID.  I’ve also tried calling the school board, and am getting basically the same response.  But I KNOW that there’s something out there for us SOMEWHERE.   I have this sense that the place is going to pop out of nowhere one of these days and I’m going to say, okay!  How simple was that!  Yes, I AM  a POSITIVE thinker.  Any thoughts????

Volunteers

Still only one very hardworking and dedicated volunteer.  Any others?

...And ONE for all!

Bus Search

It’s an interesting endeavour starting up a City Kidz, I’m finding.  There’s so much to do in the planning stages.   Such as, document signing, recruiting volunteers, writing a blog and a plethora of administrative type tasks.  While I’m also still working on getting a location, I am currently attempting to locate a bus line in Ottawa that will give me a good rate (most preferably free) for transporting kids back and forth from the outreach when we start up in September.

While not really a “bus ministry” in the truest sense of the word, City Kidz Ministry mandates that all children be picked up and returned home after the Saturday program and we will be following suit here in Ottawa, as well. 

One very good reason for using a bus is child safety, ensuring proper supervision from the time the children leave their parents’ home to the time they return.  Another good reason that’s less obvious is to promote child attendance.   Many families are single parent homes, or they are two parent families overburdened with life, where the challenges of transporting children to their various programs throughout the week present many financial hardships as well as emotional headaches.  In these cases, while the parents may really support what we’re doing, it’s possible that they won’t be able to get their child to the program. 

City Kidz is not just here for the children of Ottawa, we’re here for their families too.  Busing the kids to City Kidz is not only intended to help the child by getting him or her to City Kidz, but it’s also intended to relieve some of the burden from an already overburdened Mom or Dad.  I hope I can find one that has fair rates soon!

…And One For All!!

The Beginning…

If someone were to ask me, they’d be surprised when I tell them I’m in children’s ministry.  It surprised me, at first, too.   Sure, I love kids, (I have some of my own, who have some of their own and I LOVE that!)but I never considered it seriously as a ministry I'd want to be involved in.

That was until a couple of years ago  when I offered to give someone a hand with the children's ministry at church.  And everything changed.  I found out I loved working with kids.  And then if that wasn't enough, my vision grew and before I knew it I was meeting with Todd Bender of City Kidz in Hamilton which is a children's outreach that's serving close to 2000 inner city kids a week.  And that's when life REALLY changed and my vision grew from a simple children's ministry within a church to a desire to work with an entire city of children!

So,  I said all that to say, I'm excited to announce that I'll be joining forces with them to establish a branch here in Ottawa in the fall of 2010!

I’ve noticed that Todd likes to end his emails with the words all for one, every last one, which really expresses his heart and the mandate of his ministry to reach and encourage even just one child.  So, I think it only appropriate (because I’m going to be working in partnership with him) to end mine in response, in kind with the Three Musketeers: And One for all.  Which is also, I believe, a very fitting name for this blog. Thanks for reading this far!  I’ll try to keep things interesting!

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (Prov. 19:21)

And ONE for all!!