It’s been busy!!

Despite the fact that I haven’t written anything over the summer, there’s been a lot going on. 

We had a wrap up barbecue for our great volunteers and I had a chance to get to know them on a more personal level.  We’re so busy all season, there’s very little time to just sit and shoot the breeze and the barbecue offered me a great opportunity to do just that. 

I was also engaged in some very good training by Skype provided by Todd Bender and team as we prepare to move out of the provisional branch stage to an independent branch.  It was in these meetings that I had a chance to connect with children’s ministers in Halifax, Welland, Hamilton and Regina.  All of them participating in a City Kidz type of ministry.  Ahh the age of technology where people can gather in one place from all across the country!  It was nice meeting other like-minded people who live scattered across Canada. 

We also had a volunteer training day in August, at which time I was privileged to pour as much into our passionate and eager volunteers as they could muster.  They learned about what it means to be a volunteer at City Kidz and had a crash course in how to talk to kids, the meaning of resilience from a City Kidz perspective and how to deal with all kinds of kids behaviorally.  They now “get” what City Kidz is all about and why they’re doing what they do.  They’re even more anxious now to make a difference in Ottawa.  I am so proud of my team!

And just when you think that’s quite a bit, City Kidz is growing so quickly that we’ve officially moved to another location with a bigger hall.  The good folks at City Church in Vanier, have kindly offered their hall free of charge to City Kidz Ottawa.   Despite the similarity in our names, City Kidz  is still an independent ministry, hoping to gather churches from all denominations to join in the fun, and all people within the greater Ottawa community who love children, as well.    Our new digs are pretty special!  Not only do we have more room, in which we can potentially fit 300 kids into, we now have two washrooms, a kitchen, and an installed lights and sound system.  We’re in heaven!!  Thanks Rob and Heather at City Church, and your congregation too!  The new Playhouse address is 221 Baribeau Street, around the corner on Ethel Street, Door C.

In addition to holding down jobs, we’ve also been carrying on with home visits and staying connected with the kids over the summer. Just because the program is over, we’re not! Relationship building is what City Kidz is all about and this never takes a break! Phew! I’m getting tired reading that!  But there’s more….

Now we’re into start up mode.  The curriculum has been picked and distributed around my team, the supplies have been purchased, the photocopying is done and the prizes are ready to go.  City Kidz Ottawa begins its fall season Saturday September 17th and the countdown is on.  The kids in the neighbourhood were so excited to hear this during home visits last night.   When I got out of my car, I was immediately swarmed by these children eager to know when we would be picking them up again! They were very happy to know it was this Saturday!! And SO AM I!!

…And ONE for all!!!

We Can Do This Together

Today was the last day of City Kidz Ottawa's spring session.  It was wonderful, complete with cake and a photographer to get a group shot as a keepsake for everyone to remember our first City Kidz season in Ottawa. We had the most kids today.  It seems that word's getting out and with the good weather, everyone is bringing friends and the bus was full today.   A little disconcerting as we try to figure out and remember what friend goes with who and where we're supposed to drop them off again, but it's a problem that Shawn and I and all of the City Kidz Ottawa staff have been longing for and even praying about.  

It's a good thing too!  While out doing our home visits last week we heard from one of the parents that there had been a pool party hosted by a local 18 year old.  The party was in the City Kidz neighbourhood and those invited ranged in age from 10 to 18.  There were drugs and alcohol at this party and apparently a few arrests.  Thankfully, none of our City Kidz kids were participants and we hope that we have gotten through to them enough to make the right decision not to attend such a thing. But it's a bit of a wake up call to the parents in the area as they realize that a viable war has been waged against their children. Maybe that's why we had so many kids on the bus today.  

 

Whatever the reason, we're glad to help in any way we can. We're here to join forces.  Even though the Playhouse is done for the summer, have no worries, we're going to maintain our home visits and stay in touch with the kids to keep the relationships we've already forged going.  And when September comes we'll be stronger than ever, with even more kids on the roster.  Together we will fight for the children of Ottawa.

...And ONE for all!!

Eyes

To City Kidz followers: This piece was written by a writer friend of mine who has a wonderful way with words.  When I read it, I felt that it so strongly reflects the heart of what City Kidz is, that I had to share it with all of you!  I hope you’re as blessed reading this as I was!

One time when I was living in Ottawa, I was coming home from work one night. Obviously, Ottawa being the city that it is, we had our share of homelessness and thus we were interrogated every once in awhile for some coinage. As a girl who grew up in a small town, at first I found it awkward and as time went on, I found it oddly comforting. There is something about a stranger going out of their way to reach out to you even if it is completely motivated by need.

As I was going home this one night, I had an encounter with a woman I will never ever forget.

She was asking me for a bus ticket. I, the avid transit user I was did not carry bus tickets, only a bus pass so I looked at her and mentioned I was sorry but I did not have any. Suddenly, she looked at me with her large brown eyes and the following words come out of her mouth..

"Thank you. Thank you for looking me in the eyes. No one ever looks me in the eyes."

I can still hear those words as if they happened just moments ago. I remember when I finally did get on the bus that night and eventually made it to my home in not the safest neighbourhood there is, my own eyes found the courage to let go of their tears.

Sometimes it is so easy to look at people anywhere but in their eyes. It is when you look someone in the eye that you remember that you are both human beings, with stories and with dreams, who feel the angst of emotion and the courage to be able to love. It is when you look someone in the eyes, that you actually see yourself and that you see the very little that separates you from them. Looking someone in the eye is communicating the unspoken words of, "I see you. I validate you. You can talk to me and I will really hear you. You are worthy of this."

It is in looking away, that we forget who we are.

I find that it is the eyes of Christ that are one of the most captivating and compelling things about Him. Scripture says He has eyes of fire, and it also says that there is no shadow of His turning. He never takes His eyes off of you. My friends, He never looks away.

As Christ is, so we are. This is our mission and I want this to be my life prayer.

To look every man, every woman, every child in the eye, no matter if they're a leper or if they're an all-star athlete, if they are living in the slums or in the palace, if they are a baby dying of AIDS or if they are the king of a mighty nation. No matter who you are let me look in the eyes, so I can tell you without saying a word...

"You are worth it."

~Ashley Beaudin

…And ONE for all!!

The Little Bus That Could

It’s hard for me to believe that it was just last May, 2010, that I met with Todd Bender, City Kidz Founder and Director and proposed the idea of starting a branch of City Kidz in Ottawa.  I had been thinking about it for a few months and first met Todd the previous October on a City Kidz bus when I had made a deliberate trip to Hamilton to take a tour through the program. 

Since then I’ve gone through quite the process to make this dream a reality in Ottawa.  I mapped the city to determine our target community, found a venue to hold the Saturday Playhouse, recruited a couple of very dedicated volunteers, recruited 20 children, started the program in October 2010 (only 5 months later), recruited MORE volunteers, ran the playhouse and conducted home visits bi-weekly until December, planned and held a Fundraiser Dinner in November where almost 75 people attended,  broke for the Christmas break, visited Hamilton for a Vision Mapping and Goal session, returned with a new vision to expand to 60 children by year end, took 20 City Kidz to the canal for a skate in February, recruited MORE kids for the spring startup on March 12th now filling our roster to 37, engaged in several visits with stakeholders across the city to create awareness, have gained one corporate donor, purchased one digital projector and have found a very generous church in Vanier who has loaned lights and sound equipment.  The spring startup of City Kidz Ottawa was March 12th and since then three playhouses have been held, with bi-weekly home visits and we plan to continue like this until June 18th.  Are you tired reading that list??  I’m not!! I’m EXCITED!! Hopefully, if all goes well, by September, 2011 I will have met the goal of 60 children, have at least 25 volunteers on our roster, and be running weekly, with weekly home visits year round.

When I think of the establishment of this branch an image of the “Little Engine that Could” comes to mind.  In my case, though, it should be more appropriately entitled, “The Little Bus That Could!”   This story fits because like the little engine’s task of pulling it’s heavy load, my dream to start the The City Kidz Ottawa branch was impossible to do alone.  But, with a couple of other little buses, such as City Kidz Hamilton and Peace Tower Church here in Ottawa, and a handful of dedicated volunteers, I made it over the hill and onto the other side with a long string of accomplishments pulled behind.

I suppose you could say it was a bold move on my part to begin a branch, but like the little steam engines working together, we sang, “I think I can – I think I can – I think I can”  and now looking back over the year, I’m over the hill and on the other side, and I’m going merrily on my way singing, “I thought I could" – I thought I could – I thought I could” and WE did!

….And ONE For All!!

Worth the Trek

March is a crazy time of year weather-wise in Ottawa, getting it in all its varieties.  Yesterday was no exception.  We went from snow to freezing rain and then to rain which rendered all the streets with their accumulated snowfall since November, covered in six inch slush, ponds instead of puddles and treacherous ice everywhere.   Yesterday the side streets were a mess and no one who didn’t need to go out stayed home.  I was at the TD Bank yesterday in the middle of the day and there was NO line up. 

The thing is, yesterday was also our planned date for Home Visits with the added expectation to return to homes where promises were made to pick up the last set of new registration forms for the spring session.  We absolutely needed to do our home visits yesterday.  It couldn’t wait until today.  Undaunted Fireman Shawn Donnelly and I donned our rainwear and old boots (both of us ended up getting soakers) a flashlight (cause it’s still dark at 6:00), the Saturday flyer and a smile on our faces. In reality, both Shawn and I look forward to seeing the kids and their parents and it takes more than a messy snow slush day to wreck our spirits.  

But what really kept our smiles beaming brightly for two hours in this crazy weather was just about every home we went to we were told, “The kids have been waiting for you!!!”  One mother even called to her daughter, “See?! they’re here!” And true to this word, we were welcomed by hugs from every child visited and their anticipated excitement  for Saturday’s spring launch.  Our kids are the best!!  

This is all very encouraging in itself, but it goes to another level for me when we consider that it’s all very good evidence that City Kidz Ottawa is, in actual fact, making a difference in the lives of Ottawa’s children.  To have stayed home yesterday may have been convenient for us, but it also would have potentially broken trust with some of these kids.  They were expecting us.  By going we proved to them that we are there for each one of them and even willing to endure some pretty slushy cold bad weather just to see them. 

It was a bad weather night last night with a resulting bad hair day for me.  On the other hand, both Shawn and I went to our respective homes afterward feeling pretty good with our hearts warmed by the love we received from all of our kids.  For that reason alone we were glad we went. It’s all about keeping things in perspective.  Smiles and hugs overwhelmingly out weigh the odd soaker here and there.  It was a good night.  The kids were worth every step.  It was worth the trek.

….And ONE for all!!

As Promised

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.
~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Dream Big Dreams Even if You’re Old

Since the decision to start up, I’ve been stretched in many new and good ways. However, this latest feat of mine, the greatest challenge of all challenges, my very own metaphorical ascent to Machu Picchu if you will, had nothing to do with heady branch coordinator stuff.  It was, instead, all about reminding this old body of mine that it could still skate.  And it had everything to do with our latest event plan to attend Winterlude with the kids and take them skating on the 7 km canal. 

It was my idea, of course, that we would go.  This is Ottawa, after all!  It would be WRONG not to give the kids this amazing opportunity to don some skates and follow in an Ottawa tradition that never gets old.  So, I needed to get with the program, buy some skates and see if those old skating neural pathways in my brain were still accessible and my body would, in fact, remember how to do it.   

With a little research, much to my delight, I discovered that there were alternatives to the cold, white, leather figure skates of old.  This type of skate was the main reason why I hung up my skates for good (or so I thought), those mumble mumble years or so ago. I spent some years as a child in Montreal where outdoor rinks are a dime a dozen and I have many a fond memory of bumpy ice, frozen toes and cups of hot chocolate.  But when I got older and wanted to share the experience, as any good Canadian mother does with her kids, I couldn’t skate with the then-only-available white leather figure skates.  They hurt my feet, they were too COLD (and yes I wore socks and they were the right size). I decided I was having trouble because I was probably getting too old (I think I was 27), so my skates were put away and never used or seen again until the garage sale I had in 2007 where they were finally dispensed with forever.

But it’s a better day now!  Now, you can buy skates that look more sporty than pretty and are easier to handle on the ice.  This is what I was told when I tried this new type of skate on at our local sport shop (the best place to go is somewhere where the clerks know about skates and not a big box store if you’re buying skates for the first time).  My trustworthy salesman went on to say that his wife had the same problem as I and even she, who had also given up skating in frustration, was now skating again with these new sport skates.  He said, “She’s still not very good, but she’s skating with the kids and that’s great!”  I totally related!  This was me!!  My spirits rose and I felt  empowered.   Maybe even I, as old as I am and not having skated for a plethora of years, yes, even I, would skate again!  With barely a bat of an eyelash, I bought these newer, shinier, ON SALE, portals to Canadian skate heaven!  It’s for the kidz, after all.  I at least needed to try.

And try I did.  I’d like to say that I rushed home, immediately put on my skates and went to the outdoor rink next door to give them a try.  But I didn’t.  Instead, they sat on the floor near the couch in my living room while I gathered courage.  It’s not a pretty sight, you see, to watch someone like me take a fall on ice.  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get over the embarrassment and I was very very sure I’d never get back up. But, every now and then the sun through my south east window would blink off the metal blades like an advertisement in Times Square.  “Use me now!” they seemed to cry. “Don’t wait to try!!” All the time needling and nagging me without retreat.  Finally, almost a week after I bought my new sporty skates, when they seemed to glisten one time too many, I broke. I knew I needed to have a practice run before I took on the canal with the kids.  So, having found no other excuse not to, there was nothing else I could do.  I needed to I brave it up and meet the challenge.  So, I grabbed my coat and skates before I changed my mind and charged on downward (I live in an apartment) to the rink next door.

When I got to the rink I saw one lone young very good hockey player nonchalantly shooting pucks into the net.  He was good. All the way there, I was hoping there wasn’t a game on so I could skate and felt good when I saw no one but him.  I could handle one player on the ice surely.  I also noticed boards erected behind the net and felt this would be a good bar to prop myself on, should I lose my balance and the need arise.  So, onward I went.  Skates on, check!  Courage up, check!  It was easy getting to the rink from the bleachers as there was about a foot of snow to sink into.  But, when I got to the rink and gingerly stepped onto the ice I must have looked quite ridiculous when one small patch of ice seemed to want to take me down.  Thankfully it didn’t, but I did quite a dance over to the boards to which I quickly clung.  I was quite glad that the hockey player wasn’t paying attention as he was off in his own little world plugged into his IPOD shooting pucks like he was born with a stick in his hand.  I advanced virtually unscathed.

And so, somewhat like a soldier performing guard duty I began to skate.  Holding on to the boards with my left hand I moved forward along the parallel and then when I got to the end (about 25 feet) I turned and went back holding on with my right.  And thus, I gained my confidence.  I did this quite a few times, back and forth, back and forth, until finally I began to let go.  And I was standing!  At this point I’m still between the net and the boards so as to stay out of the hockey player’s way, but gradually, ever so gradually I was skating without assistance in this small space.  My confidence soared.  Finally, when the player packed up and left I took on the whole ice surface and was actually skating almost as well as I did when I was kid.  Much like my salesman’s wife, I was not very good, but I was skating.  My concentration levels were high, because my goal was to remain upright, but after a while I was even starting to speed up and do cross overs and even go in the alternate direction.  I FELT AMAZING!! I was skating!!  Triumph, at last!

Since then, in preparation for our First Annual Canal Skate, I’ve been for more practice runs, and I’m still skating reasonably well.  It took a few moments for my brain to remember where it had stored that information, but once found, it was just like the old days when I was a kid in Montreal.  I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I LOVE my new sport skates.

So, I guess if you’re looking for some type of moral in this story it’s this:  One of the greatest things we teach the kids each week is that it’s okay to dream big dreams, and that with God you can do anything.  It’s nice to know that this still counts even for me and for all of us who think we’re getting a little too old to feel young again.  The date for the canal skate is fast approaching, and my next report will be complete with happy pictures of children enjoying their fun on the rink --- and with one a-little-bit-over-the-hill branch coordinator grinning from ear to ear --- and STILL STANDING!

More Child Poverty Resources

1 in 10 Canadian children living in poverty: Report Please read this article from the Montreal Gazette which does a very good job of summarizing the 2010 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada issued by Campaign 2000. According to their website "Campaign 2000 is a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Campaign 2000 began in 1991 out of concern about the lack of government progress in addressing child poverty. Campaign 2000 is non-partisan in urging all Canadian elected officials to keep their promise to Canada's children." Both the article and the report are a good read. They do an excellent job of highlighting how poverty impacts families and their long term effects on society generally.

I hope you take the time to learn a little about this very important issue --- then take what you've learned and use it to make a difference.

..And ONE for all!!

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!!