Safe and Sound

The Saturday before last week’s Dream Banquet one of our girls came to me and asked if it would be all right if she and two other girls could sing a song for Remembrance Day at our next Playhouse, which was yesterday.  When I asked her what she wanted to sing, she said Safe and Sound.  I had not heard of this song and drawing on my own life experiences, assumed it would be a nice “children’s song” that she learned at school.  Wanting to encourage her, and feeling deep down that this would be a profound moment, I agreed.

When it came time for her to sing yesterday she and another friend (the original two were away for the weekend) came forward to sing.  This was no “children’s song” however, but, in fact a Taylor Swift song and the lyrics were powerfully moving.  Every rambunctious, excited-to-be-at-the-Playhouse child, was spellbound by the richness of their voices and erupted in enthusiastic applause when it was over.  As for me, I was, as some would say, “toast” and it was a little hard to hold it together to prevent creating a giant puddle of tears right there on the stage with them. However, seeing this as a wonderful teaching moment to reinforce the week’s theme of “helping others”, I drew on the fact that soldiers helped us by going away to other countries to protect our freedom and that some even died in wars.  I suggested that even though it wasn’t officially Remembrance Day we would have a two minutes of silence in honour of the soldiers who had fought for our freedom.  What followed amazed me.

Every normally excited child from the youngest six year old, to the oldest junior leader, stood still with heads bowed and kept respectful silence, for the entire two minutes.  Impressive and definitely indicative to all who were present that there is so much more going on in those hearts of theirs.  These children, although perhaps not grasping the full meaning of what they were doing were able intuitively to understand the seriousness of the moment and showed an enormous respect for those who had fought for their freedom.

I can only speculate as to why they did this.  The Taylor Swift song has a haunting yet hopeful lyric that despite the war outside the window you are still “safe and sound”.  The fact that many of our kids come from refugee families from war torn African countries and others come from families fighting their own battles forced onto them by poverty, my thoughts turn toward the possibility that these children are soldiers fighting in their own little war.  The reason that they stood in such silence and were able to sustain it, is because they can relate. 

The 2012 City Kidz Dream Banquet and Silent Auction was a success. We sold out, the Centurion Banquet Centre menu was excellent and keynote Yasir Naqvi MPP for Ottawa Centre and EMCEE Richard Long of Love Ottawa were eloquent.  We raised over $4,000 from the generosity of all the people present.  It was a big event and quite positively impacting for me, in the end. 

But, as big a moment as that event was for me, I had my biggest moment yesterday at Saturday’s Playhouse, as I was reminded as to why I started a branch of City Kidz in Ottawa and why we need the money to keep our program going:  It’s about the kids.  It’s about putting a smile on those battle weary faces; telling them we love them, that God loves them, that we believe they can achieve their greatest dream.  It’s about being to them that someone who they can lean on when their battles are raging on. 

And for those of our investors who have donated either their time, or large sums of money, or silent auction gifts so we could keep this program present in the lives of these children, you are as much a part of keeping their dreams alive as those of us on the frontlines are.  You can go ahead and feel REALLY GOOD about what you have done.  Because, in the end, it’s all about all of us who are concerned for their welfare singing to them, along with Taylor Swift, the lyric to her beautiful song Safe and Sound:

Don't you dare look out your window, darling,
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when the music's gone

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

 

Good on  you!!

…And ONE for all!!

Just Thinking

I’ve been noticing in media lately, that there has been a lot of emphasis on achieving our dreams.  I’ve also noticed greater numbers of young people holding out for their dream job before taking a mundane job; and people who have found themselves unemployed for the first time in their lives, discovering their “dream career” after being forced  into finding more creative ways to make a buck. 

It’s not bad at all to have gifts and talents that we want to utilize to receive greater fulfillment in life.  I know my grandfather who raised seven children during the Great Depression may take a different view, but I do agree with today’s philosophy to encourage greater fulfillment in our career.  Perhaps not so extremely as to say we pass up the jobs that keep our family fed while waiting for that dream career to emerge; but, I am a firm believer that if we are using our God-given gifts in our area of work, we’re going to be happier in life, overall.

But is that enough?

I saw two quotes recently from Matthew Barnett of the LA Dream Centre, who said, People that dream for their own personal success dream from their inner poverty and When you dream for others, you can dream forever.  

What I think Matthew is saying is, it’s not bad to dream for ourselves, but when we do, we are creating dreams that come from a place of self-fulfillment and gratification that many times are birthed out of past hurts and pride. This is the inner poverty that Matthew is speaking of. This may bring satisfaction for a period of time because we are using our God-given gifts, but in the end it too will soon feel mundane, leaving a longing deep within us to really feel personally fulfilled.   His thinking is, that the greatest personal fulfillment in life comes when we look outside of ourselves and our own personal needs and dream instead to transform the world into a better place. This will feel contradictory to some, because it’s hard to jive the sense that personal fulfillment comes through not thinking about our needs.  I know, however, that Matthew Barnett speaks from experience as the head of a place that is in the business of dreaming dreams that improve the culture around them.

I agree. Personal fulfillment can only be achieved when we take the focus from ourselves and onto how we can dream dreams that will transform our family, our neighbourhood, our city and even our nation into a better place.  When we achieve this level of higher dreaming for the greater good and then actually apply them (application is essential) we will notice our dreams multiplying and with it our sense of fulfillment.  In other words, we will dream forever --- as Matthew says.

What are your dreams today?

…And ONE for all!!

Why We Need You!

Crime Prevention Ottawa produced a report in 2009 entitled Ottawa Youth Gang Prevention Initiative. Within it, it identified six priority areas in Ottawa that are at-risk for youth-gang involvement, which includes the Overbrook area that our program is currently reaching.

As a city we are doing a lot better than most as far as gang involvement is concerned, but there are still concerns that this problem is emerging. The City Kidz mission is to come alongside young children who are at-risk and build their resilience and self-esteem and teach them right from wrong. We do this with the hope that these children will make the right choice when faced with the wrong. It also seems we are one of only a few in this city that is actually reaching this age group, because this report also identified gaps in programming for the 6-12 year old group, for early intervention for the prevention of youth-gang involvement. We need YOUR help.

City Kidz Ottawa is funded solely by concerned citizens like yourself. We have our Dream Banquet and Silent Auction coming up on November 8th. Will you come and bring your friends? Every dollar spent in Ottawa, stays in Ottawa for the benefit of Ottawa children. We need the community to provide the resources to keep this vital organization going at such a pivotal time for the betterment of Ottawa. Contact Wendy directly at 613-796-3063, or email at wendy@citykidz.ca or purchase them online at City Kidz Ottawa

…And ONE for all!!

You’re Invited!

…And ONE for all!!

Better Late Than Never??

Oh no! I can’t believe my last post was in January. Just so you know, City Kidz Ottawa is still doing really well. Since this is not a paid position for me, however, I have been working a little more than usual and have not had a lot of time left over for blogging. Now, I’m on a much deserved vacation and actually have a few moments to give you an update. And that’s why I’m linking you to our newsletter/annual report which we published this spring and sent to all our partners. Please take the time to get up to date with all that we’re doing. It’s a lot and if you’ve been following from the beginning, you may even be pleased to see the growth.

It’s really amazing, though, because we started off with about 20 kids in 2010 and are now up to 80 children on our roster.  Here’s 60 of them taken on our last day before this year’s summer break. 

 

…And ONE for all!!

Still Going Strong

Back on the train again…. this time heading back to Ottawa from a very productive two days  in Niagara Falls with the City Kidz Leadership team.   The meetings started at 9:00 am sharp on Monday January 16 and continued rapidly through 16 team building tasks ending early the following day at 3pm.  In addition to the incredible insights which were presented by our hardworking Executive Director Todd Bender and the Executive Team, we ate and slept well at the Mount Carmel Retreat Centre and had a great game of Electronic Catch Phrase…. my new favourite game. 

This was my second attendance at the annual meeting and I am so glad that I was able to attend.  Since becoming Branch Coordinator for Ottawa, I am often learning on the job and have really appreciated the constant coaching and support from Todd as I started up and continue to run this branch.  These two days, however, gave me the time to soak in a plethora of teaching on team management. From tasks gleaned out of Patrick Lencioni’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, learning the difference between Core Values, Mission Statement and Vision Statement, right down to the intricacies of SMART goals,  I have come away feeling a little wiser and even more equipped than ever to lead the Ottawa team to new heights in 2012.  I feel blessed too, because the material taught at these training sessions would cost hundreds of dollars for the average person looking for a seminar on team leadership.  Yet, City Kidz does it for free, with the desire to see the ministry excel to its greatest potential through an army of properly equipped children’s ministers. And I maintain that’s one of the reasons why City Kidz is still standing after starting as long ago as 1992.  In addition to recognizing his pastoral role, Todd Bender also figured out early on, that in order to make a ministry sustainable over the long haul, one needs to apply good business sense and strategy for future growth.  Todd has always been proactive in equipping his team administratively, AS WELL AS pastorally.

But it was the last exercise that really drove things home for me and how I personally fit into the City Kidz team.  As you may or may not imagine, it hasn’t always been easy starting up a branch on my own in the big City of Ottawa.  In many ways in this modern world of ours, I have often felt like a pioneer out on the frontier battling the elements alone to build my new home.   Perhaps that’s a little drastic.  I do have one major supporter that has been with me through thick and thin from the beginning and in the last few months I have discovered an incredible team of volunteers and community members who are coming on board with the City Kidz vision.  So I am not completely alone.  In the end, however, the vision for a branch in this City was  mine and 95 percent of the administrative work and fundraising has been done by me.  What has kept me going  was the incredible  support and coaching I have been receiving from the City Kidz Hamilton (National) office.

So,  in the last exercise of our retreat, we were each asked to look around the room we had been spending our time in, and find an object that best reflected the impact that was made on us personally.  Each person went around the room and found significant objects that represented their feelings.  One chose a rock, another a picture of a mother and child, and yet another, three markers.  I chose a chair. 

You see for me, coming to Hamilton and meeting Donna West, our Regina Branch Coordinator, and all the other leaders from the Hamilton office, I felt very much a part of a bigger vision. Not just for Hamilton or any of the branch cities, but for the country.  As I sat in my chair, next to this amazing team of Christian leaders who love the Lord and are passionate about reaching 5000 children by the end of 2013,  I was constantly reminded that I am not just one individual trying to make a change, but a member of a unified force.  I am only one member of a team of people that want to bring change to this nation’s children and who are wholly committed to finding the best way to foster those changes in significant ways.    I am not alone.   And this is what I will be telling the Ottawa team when I return.  That we are all part of something very big that’s happening in Canada and not only can we feel proud, but we can feel supported in the cause as well.  We have a team of people from across Canada now that share the same vision and are there to cheer us on any time we ask.  And that’s why I chose the chair.  And that’s why I think City Kidz Ottawa is going to excel in 2012!

…And ONE for all!!

Lofty Plans

Today, I am travelling by Via Rail from Ottawa to Hamilton. It’s minus 20 degrees outside and the windows are frosting up creating a gauzy lens to view the snow covered countryside.  It is a beautiful and bright sunshiney day. The train is equipped with WiFi and has thus enabled me to take the time to write a City Kidz Ottawa update. 

I’m heading to Hamilton for an important meeting of City Kidz leaders from across Canada and am looking forward with excitement to reconnecting with the Hamilton crew and at the notion of finally meeting Donna West, Branch Coordinator for Regina.  Donna and I started the first two OFFICIAL branches of City Kidz at the same time and although I have spoken with her by Skype, I have never met her face to face. The purpose of this meeting will be to do some important vision mapping and goal setting for 2012. 

The chief objective for Ottawa in 2012 will be the kids and how we can impact them more in 2012. We already are up to 46 children on our roster.This means that we are home visiting almost 50 children bi-weekly throughout the year and bussing approximately 35 children (not all children choose to attend every session) to the bi-weekly Playhouse program which runs in the spring and fall.  Our hope this year will be to expand our territory and bring even more children in.  Now that we have moved our location to the City Church basement, which has donated this space for free, we can potentially fit 200 children into that space.  Perhaps we won’t reach 200 children this year, but perhaps another 30 children added to our roster to bring our numbers to 80?  My hope is that by the end of 2013  we will have the workers and enough money in the bank, to be reaching at least 200 children.  Impossible?  Nope.

We, in Ottawa, have a lot of big plans for our branch, and much of that will be discussed at the meetings that start Monday.  I can’t wait to hear what’s on the horizon for Hamilton and Regina, as well.

Here’s a couple of pictures from our Christmas Party last season. School bags and mitts and hats were donated by local groups and City Kidz Hamilton contributed stockings to be given to all the children. 

View Full Album

…And ONE for all!