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Post by City Kidz Ottawa.

...And ONE for all!

Too Much Need….

I’ve been reading a book called A Child is Not a Toy, Voices of Children in Poverty, by Sheila Baxter,  It’s a little dated (1993) but unfortunately, the issues are still the same 20 years later.   What follows really struck me. Ms. Baxter quotes a social service worker on her perspective working with impoverished children and youth.  The social service worker says, “I remember recently a young man who had been in care said to me – I asked him, what were the things that helped you live through what you lived through?  What he said was, it was the worker who remembered the little conversations he had had, and when it was time for his birthday, the worker brought him a little present.  It wasn’t fancy.   It wasn’t big, but showed him that that worker had listened to him, had remembered when he said that he liked football or he liked whatever, and time after time, and young person after young person, and in my own experience, it’s been that somebody is there who cares about you and who does . . . what would be a very small thing, but just shows you that they care.  I don’t think we have a lot of that today.  I think we have people working under very heavy case loads, people working with very big classes, people under all kinds of stress themselves, and they don’t have time to listen to kids.  So, they don’t know the kids and so they’re not there when it’s important.”   And I say….

But, God…. But City Kidz….

 

…And ONE for All!

Justice Matters

Jason Pino is the founder of Restoring Hope Ministries in Ottawa.  Their mandate is to provide homeless youth with a safe place to sleep, two nights a week.  They provide a clean bed and Christian fellowship every week, to youth who have nowhere to sleep.     I just read his blog "Justice Matters" this morning and thought I should share it here; a lot of what he writes resonates with what we're doing, as well, and it's fitting to share with our readers.

Justice Matters "Handle with Care" by Jason Pino

To Outreach or Not To Outreach

There are a lot of people who want to outreach to their community but never actually do anything about it.   These good-intentioned people often become overwhelmed with a passion to help “someone, somewhere” but cannot come to terms with general work, family and even church distractions to find the time to “make a difference”  within the community itself.  Many end up doing nothing because they are waiting for some kind of burning bush experience that will definitively tell them the direction they are to go in.  They become so focussed on making a mistake in God’s calling they end up doing nothing at all.   Others hold back from doing anything because they want to be sure that the project or mission they choose is where they are the most needed and will also reap major fulfilment benefits.  After all, if we’re going to make the time in our lives to answer the call, we at least want to get something out of it.

When I was a little girl in kindergarten, back in the days when we walked home from school alone (the sixties), I experienced a beautiful illustration of what my opinion is, in all of this.
It was January (or it could have been December) there was a fresh snow fall and little puddles along the side of the road, slightly snow covered.  I had a stick in my hand and was gleefully throwing it and then running to pick it up, sort of a human fetch experience that only six year olds can truly appreciate.  Until (cue in foreboding music) I threw the stick onto what I thought was a puddle but actually turned out to be an unmarked water-filled hole, dug by construction workers at the side of the road.  Of course, when I went to retrieve my stick, I fell in.  And of course, I could not get out.  I was literally up to my neck in freezing cold, January water with no help in sight.  So, I cried and I cried and I cried.  One car stopped.  My crying stopped and I was suddenly filled with hope that I would be rescued after all.  But, even though the driver began to get out to help, something made her stop.  She took a look at her watch, turned back to the car, without me, and then took off.  After that, other drivers came and went.  Some looked down at me and others chose to ignore me.  We’d all like to think the neighbours came running.  Nope.  And that was back in the day when all the moms were still at home.  And then an angel from heaven (no not really but she might as well have been one) a fine, kind,sacrificial lady came running up from a house down the road (my next door neighbour actually) and not concerned in the least about how wet she was going to get, dragged me out of the water.  Not only that, she took me to her house, gave me some warm clothes to change into and a warm blanket to wrap myself in, some delicious hot chocolate that removed all my tears, and called my mother. 

I’m sure I dripped water all over her house and I’m sure I disturbed her nice afternoon.  But she saw a need and she got involved.  She didn’t pray about it for a month to make sure that it was her calling (like the first lady who drove off) but she let herself get wet, let herself get uncomfortable, adapted her schedule to meet the need, and did it anyway.  There was no benefit for her in the least.  All the benefits were mine.  First of all, I was one very grateful little girl who thought she might stay in that puddle FOREVER.  Secondly,  this one little act of kindness that I’m sure she’s long forgotten, is still remembered by me to this day.

Still wondering where to get involved?  Henry Blackaby (he wrote Experiencing God) came up with a concept so wonderful, that when I heard about it 15 years ago,  it changed my life forever.  This concept explains why I do what I do and live where I live. It’s actually so simple that when I heard it, I realized I had been tripping over it for years.  He suggested that we look around and see what needs there are in our midst (neighbourhoods, churches, workplaces)that are not being met and then answer them.  He also suggested that we carefully observe what God is already doing through others to meet those needs and get involved in that.   Your church is filling up with missionaries?  God is calling the church into greater missions focus.  There’s a neighbourhood outreach down the street?  God wants YOU to get involved.  There’s a little girl standing neck deep in a giant puddle?   YOU pull her out.

Yes, it is that simple.

…And ONE for all

Volunteer Admin Assistant

This volunteer position is for a commitment of at least one year, approximately 10 to 15 hours per week to assist in the efficient day-to-day operation of City Kidz Ottawa and support the work of the Branch Manager. This position will give the recent graduate an opportunity to learn general office procedures and will give them insight into the non-profit/ voluntary sector as a career choice.

Responsibilities

• Use Word Office 10 software to prepare reports, memos,  documents and presentations
• Prepare Powerpoint Presentations for Saturday Playhouse
• Answering phone, dealing with general public
•  Pick up mail for distribution
•  Prepare and send outgoing mail, and courier parcels
•  Respond to general e-mails and direct priority emails to Branch Manager
•  Voice mail management
•  Purchase, receive and store the office supplies ensuring that basic supplies are always available
•  Filing
•  Provide secretarial and administrative support to Branch Manager
•  Make travel, meeting and other arrangements for staff
•  Assist with volunteer management
•  Updating social media from time to time
•  Administer petty cash according to established procedures

Provide Special Event Support

• Attend the Saturday Playhouse and other events from time to time to perform administrative functions as required by the Branch Manager

Provide Board support

• With the Branch Manager, prepare meeting agendas and supporting material for distribution
• Ensure the timely distribution of material to the Board
• Attend Board meetings (once a month) to take notes
• Draft minutes of Board meetings for review by the Branch Manager
• Create action list for management staff from board meetings

Qualifications

• High School Diploma
• Post secondary education in business, computers, or office management is an asset
• Proficiency in the use of computer programs for: Word 10, Excel Spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations, Bookkeeping,E-mail, Internet
• Proficiency in the use of office equipment: Computer, Voice messaging systems, Printer/Scanner/Photocopier

Personal characteristics

• Demonstrate the following:
• Behave Ethically: Understand ethical behaviour and business practices and ensure own behaviour is consistent with these standards and align with the values of City Kidz Ottawa
• Build Relationships: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others both internally and externally to achieve the goals of City Kidz Ottawa.
• Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.
• Focus on Stakeholder Needs: Anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders to meet or exceed their expectations within the City Kidz Ottawa parameters.
• Foster Teamwork: Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Make Decisions: Assess situations to determine the importance, urgency and risks, and make clear decisions which are timely and in the best interests of the organization.
• Organization: Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities.
• Plan: Determine strategies to move the organization forward, set goals, create and implement actions plans, and evaluate the process and results.
• Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.

Experience

• 1-3 years experience in an office setting
• Or a recent Office Administration Graduate with professional references

Working Conditions

• Home office environment
• 10 – 15 hours per week over 2 days per week
• Monthly attendance at evening board meetings
• Attendance at special events as required (some evening and weekends)
• Reimbursement for mileage when conducting City Kidz Ottawa business (ie picking up mail)

Respond To:

Send your resume by email or mail to:

532 Montreal Rd., #220 Ottawa, ON K1K 4R4

613-796-3063

wendy@citykidz.ca

...And ONE for all

Volunteer Event Coordinator Still Needed

EVENT COORDINATOR

Do you like to plan events and fundraising?  We are looking for an experienced and creative fundraiser and event planner who believes in and and will be committed to putting in approximately 5 to 10 volunteer hours per week in support of our cause. Find out more about our organization that helps to break the poverty cycle in children at www.citykidz.ca/ottawa.

The Event Coordinator will be responsible for assisting the Branch Manager in designing, coordinating and implementing fundraising events to help raise money for City Kidz Ottawa. Our organization is particularly looking for the ideal candidate who will enjoy working with people, have good decision making skills and creative ideas for fundraising with the capability to multitask. To be considered for this position please reply to ottawa@citykidz.ca with a resume and two references.

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Musings on David & Goliath

I was at our board meeting last night and we got into a discussion about a book that I’m reading, “David & Goliath” by Malcom Gladwell.   One insight gleaned from this discussion was the analogy that a child can be seen as David and Poverty, Goliath.

According to Gladwell, however, wealth may not necessarily be the answer to happiness either and there seems to be an optimal level of wealth before happiness wanes. He illustrates this by examining the effects of academic achievement based on classroom size. The question of is “smaller better” (as most people would say it is) in classroom sizes, provides a surprising response. In fact, a smaller classroom size may not always have an advantage of a larger one. After offering up some proofs he suggests that academic achievement in smaller class sizes wanes to the same level as its opposite, and uses the inverted U-graph to illustrate.  His point is that in classroom sizes, the optimum level for academic achievement seems to be somewhere in the middle for class size.

Eg.

Gladwell also discusses the question of whether wealth does make one happy.  His conclusions are that the results are similar to the foregoing because happiness tends to wane after a family income level of $75,000 is reached.   As soon as the income level surpasses this amount, the curve actually begins to fall. Great wealth does not create happiness; in fact, it can make things worse if it is not handled properly. According to Gladwell, great wealth requires that values about money and how it is spent (not always giving your child money when their hand is out and/or not living decadently) be properly taught a wealthy child to create an environment where that child can grow to be an adult that thrives. Interesting!

But to the lower income individual, Gladwell states that wealth can also be seen as a giant that can never be overcome. For the low income child the impossibility of ever having that amount of money can be seen as Goliath as well. 

At City Kidz, we help a child to believe that it is possible to achieve a better income level and hopefully have a better lifestyle even though it seems like an impossible task for them to aspire to. However, we are NOT about helping a child to achieve great wealth. That is not the City Kidz message. Instead, it’s about providing lessons of faith, hope and love to a child so they become resilient. At City Kidz we teach these values and hope that they will bring them with them to adulthood.  This will enhance their life whether they are rich, middle class or even living happily in a lower income lifestyle.

City Kidz is in a child’s life to build him or her up, increase their resiliency and give them the tools to live a happy life. Achieving and thriving does not always mean having a larger income. It means becoming resilient and living the best life possible even in adverse circumstances. In this case, while our target are children living in a low income household, our message is for every child in every demographic.  All children will benefit from lessons and values taught at City Kidz and have a good chance of becoming thriving adults, whether they are rich or poor.  It’s values that enhance a child’s life, not money.

And ONE for all…