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!!!