The Anniversary Project

Following up with my last post, there’s another website also owned by Nance Ackerman, the director of Four Feet Up.   Ms. Ackerman crossed Canada and interviewed 20 families and children about their lives in poverty.  It has been 20 years since the Canadian Government unanimously passed a bill in the House of Commons to end child poverty in Canada, and thus the website is  called “The Anniversary Project”.  This is a compelling website.  Just click on the year and it opens a window into the life of one of these kids.   I, personally, was powerfully struck by 20-year-old Julie, found under the 1990 tab, who lives in Vanier.  This is the community that City Kidz Ottawa is currently reaching.  Take a look, it’s well worth the few minutes.

Four Feet Up

When I was doing a little research on poverty in Canada last year, I came across an excellent documentary called Four Feet Up.  This is  a film that documents the life of eight-year-old Isaiah, one Canadian child currently living in poverty.  It’s a great perspective and I highly recommend it as something everyone should watch to have their eyes opened to the realities of poverty in Canada. Here’s a preview.  You can order the full-length documentary from the National Film Board of Canada.

Four Feet Up–National Film Board of Canada

Another great resource is found on You Tube. It’s the TVO Parents presentation entitled “Child Poverty in Canada: Why are 10 Percent of Children in Canada Poor”.   One member of the discussion panel is Nance Ackerman, the woman who filmed the Four Feet Up documentary.  This is a little lengthy (about an hour) but it’s well worth the view if you’re interested in the subject matter from a Canadian perspective:

TVO Parents

A Good Principle…

When I think about last year, it amazes me just how much we really accomplished in Ottawa.  I mean, I only just connected with Todd Bender in the spring of 2010 to let him know we were considering opening a branch in Ottawa and wham! six months later we were already launched and well into our first City Kidz season.  Looking back, it’s all a little surreal to me.  I never would have thought that I’d be able to accomplish something like this in just a few months.  I owe it all to excellent prayer support, careful planning, finding a great team who was willing to jump on the pioneer wagon with me, much appreciated church sponsorship from my home church and last but not least, ongoing coaching from Todd. 

Key to the success of this, however, was setting a launch date right from the get go.  Todd is very big into setting a reasonable target date to launch and I believe this was the incentive that kept things in motion.  Failing to pick a date often results in launch objectives being pushed back as anomalies arise to thwart your progress.  Humanly speaking, when we are faced with a problem we have a tendency to take the path of least resistance and will work to overcome the problem at a slower pace (or not all) with the result that all our lofty goals get put on the proverbial shelf until we can move on.  With a date chosen, our perception of an unexpected obstacle changes from something that pushes our launch date back into something that needs to be overcome to meet the date.  Typically we end up finding a way where there is no way and the target date is met.  I know for a fact that City Kidz Ottawa had more than one of these “anomalies” arise during our start up phase, but every one of them was overcome with a little creative thinking. 

I suppose this is all Management 101 but I’m impressed because it works.  I’m sure it’s one of the main reasons why, after only a few months of planning (and LOTS of hard work), City Kidz Ottawa was able to launch and touch the hearts of children sooner, rather than later.

…And ONE for all!!

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!!