JLC Members Attend 2011 Northwest Exchange!

Active members Marla McCutcheon and Cyndi Cox attended the Northwest Exchange hosted by the Junior League of Seattle February 4-6. The theme of the weekend was "Becoming a Catalyst for Community Change" with many exciting speakers and activities.

To kick off the action-packed weekend three Junior League of Seattle Members presented inspirational stories of their personal experiences in the Junior League and how it has impacted their life journey.



Saturday was off to a fast paced start with opening speaker Dr. Gary Mangiofico, Associate Dean at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business Management. Dr. Mangiofico set the tone by focusing on how relationships are the foundation to creating lasting change.



A panel of speakers joined the attendees on Saturday afternoon to lead an active discussion on the topic, "Balancing Your Passions". Some of the advice given was:

•  Take things one step at a time
• Give yourself an occasional pass, you can’t always give 110%
•  Appreciate the little things in life
• Set goals and say them out loud
• Be upfront with yourself, your family and others you work closely with on your passions



Marla McCutcheon Grant and Cyndi cox

Saturday wrapped up with a closing session emphasizing the need to care and have a passion to influence change.

Of course no Junior League Exchange would be complete without a few social activities - Saturday night was fun-filled with a Cupcake and Champagne event, followed on Sunday morning by a jog along the Seattle waterfront.

Susan Danish, AJLI Executive Director, wrapped up the conference explaining the AJLI Strategic Roadmap and highlighting the future direction of the Junior League.

Treasure Trunk Program Update!

Our February 9 session of our Treasure Trunk Program at Brenda's House focused on "Kids in the Arts" (KARTS) and "Kids in Motion & Music" (KIMM). The session started with our Theme Song and opening of a small treasure trunk to discover clues about what the activities would be. The children were soon singing, doing yoga, talking about art and making their own door hangers. Several mothers and a dad with young babies were engaged in our "Babies in the Story" (BITS) program with JLC volunteers reading stories, singing songs, and getting the parents/mothers to share their favourite songs as well. Each baby’s family was given a hand puppet book as a gift and each child was given a bag or arts and crafts supplies. Thus we introduced ideas, role modeled, engaged the children/moms/dad/babies and left them tools with which to carry on with their own growth and development.

For more information on our Treasure Trunk Program at Brenda's House, click here.

Highbanks Society Executive Director Speaks At February General Meeting!

Cecilia de la Rocha, the Executive Director of Highbanks Society Independent Living for Parenting Youth (Highbanks), was the guest speaker at the February General Meeting. Her presentation "Highbanks Society - Holistically Supporting Calgary's Parenting Youth" was a fabulous tool that helped Junior League of Calgary (JLC) members better appreciate the extent of resources that are available to the young mothers in addition to the JLC MUM program currently being offered for Highbanks residents.


Cecilia informed us that Highbanks provides a safe, stable, affordable place to live for young mothers. In addition to serving as the landlord for eight units at two facilities, Highbanks provides a nurturing environment where the young mother can receive peer and community support. Young mothers may be residents for up to two years.

With the help of Highbanks staff, each young mom creates a plan that outlines specific educational, career and personal goals, and each mother is responsible for taking the necessary steps towards reaching them. The plan includes timelines for attaining these goals and methods for tracking progress towards their achievement. Highbanks staff provide support, encouragement and access to community resources to assist the young mothers in their efforts. Ultimately, however, each mother must navigate her own journey to success.

JLC members learned that Highbanks offers the young mothers many in-house opportunities for learning and growth. Some opportunities, like the JLC MUM program, require attendance by the residents; attending other opportunities are discretionary. In addition to learning and growth, the programs also include fun activities that are intended to rejuvenate these moms.

Cecilia brings to Highbanks Society her personal experience of teenage motherhood along with more than 17 years of professional work experience. A Civil Engineering graduate from the University of Toronto, Cecilia started volunteering with Highbanks in the spring of 2008, working with the residents on money-management and personal budgeting. This opportunity led to her position as the Highbanks’ Program Director in September 2008. In June 2010, Cecilia was appointed its Executive Director.
 
Highbanks Society Webpage

Junior League of Calgary's MUM Program Information

Another JLC Member in the News!

JLC Sustainer and Past President Julie Johnston served as co-chair of National Philanthropy Week.   Here is a photo from the insert in the Calgary Herald, the week of November 11-19, 2010. 

MUM Program - Valentine Fun!

Another fun-filled and successful MUM session was held on February 15th, 2011. The theme was Vegetarian Valentine!  Fiery Squash Chili and Mushroom-Gouda Melts were served along with Red Velvet Cake for dessert. Eight moms and two volunteers from Highbanks Society attended the session.  

JLC member, Dani Flowerday, introduced the potential health benefits of some of the ingredients used (eg. beans, tomatoes, herbs and spices). She also stressed the importance of building strong bones at an early age and distributed and worked with the moms on the Calcium Calculator, a worksheet that calculates the daily intake of calcium from the foods we eat. The moms also took home a whisk and garlic press as gifts for this session.

Treasure Trunk Program at Brenda’s House - Update!

Our first 2011 session on January 12 focused on 'Kids in the Arts" (KARTS) and 'Kids in Motion & Music'(KIMM). The session opened with our Theme Song and the opening of a small treasure trunk to discover clues about what the activities will be. The children were soon singing and dancing, tossing bean bags, talking about art, and making their own pictures. Several mothers with young babies were engaged in a spontaneous offering of our "Babies In the Story" (BITS) component, with JLC volunteers reading stories, singing songs and getting the mothers to share their favourite songs as well.

Annual Campaign a Success!

Through the generosity of many Active and Sustaining Junior League of Calgary Members, the 2010 Annual Campaign has surpassed the $9000 mark! Your donations allow us to continue improving the lives of Calgary children and families, to train women to be capable volunteers and civic leaders and to promote voluntarism in our community.  Thank you for your support! 

MUM Program at Highbanks Society - Update!

The Junior League of Calgary is partnering with Highbanks Society to implement the "Moms U Matter (MUM)" program to help young mothers learn about "Healthy and Active Living" through the practice of good nutrition and physical activity.

The fall 2010 sessions of MUM were very well received by Highbanks Society participants. Each session is a flurry of chopping, cooking, chatting and cleaning up. The evenings just fly by and end with a delicious, shared, sit down dinner. Our JLC members have been invaluable to these evenings, knowing just when to jump in and lend a hand!

The September session featured "Fall Flavours" with a multilayered "Shepherd‘s Pie" made by the moms and topped off with a delicious peach crisp.

In October we shared one of our family‘s favourite recipes, "Honey Mustard Chicken", which was served with brown rice and salad, all made by the moms, and chocolate cake for dessert.

Our November session fell on the blustery night of an early winter storm. The moms and volunteers braved the weather and enjoyed the spicy heat of the "Fast Chili" (see recipe) they created, complimented by volunteer-made cornmeal muffins.

We facilitated another successful MUM event on January 11, 2011 at the Co-Op Downtown Market kitchen. The menu was dubbed "Superfoods" by the committee. It consisted of Baked Salmon with tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, served with a quinoa salad and fresh whole wheat French loaf. The dessert was Frozen Cappuccino.

MUM program participants hard at work preparing baked salmon

JLC Member in the News!

JLC Sustainer Stephanie Felesky was honoured for her lifetime of philanthropy both on the cover of Business in Calgary, December 2010 and in the National Philanthropy Day insert in the Calgary Herald published during the week of November 11-19, 2010.  Great work Stephanie! 

Family Literacy

Annually on January 27 Family Literacy Day is held to celebrate adults and children reading and learning together and to encourage Canadians to spend at least 15 minutes every day enjoying a learning activity as a family.

Over its 60 year history the Junior League of Calgary has developed many projects focused on Family Literacy, most recently Calgary Reads. One component of our current Treasure Trunk Program at Brenda’s House is Kids in the Story (KITS), and the planned Babies in the Story (BITS), inspired by a program of Calgary Reads.

Family literacy refers to the many ways families develop and use literacy skills, from enjoying a storybook together during the day and at bedtime, to playing with word games, singing, writing to a relative or friend, or to sharing day-to-day tasks such as making a shopping list, addressing an envelope or using a recipe ("Family Literacy in Canada: Profiles of Effective Practices" by Adele Thomas, Soleil Publishing Inc., 1998).

Some interesting facts:
 Research shows children have a better chance of becoming fully literate adults if reading is encouraged in the home (Literacy BC).
 Many studies have shown that improving parents’ skills directly and positively affects the language development of children (Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society, IALS 1997, pg 62).
 Studies show beyond dispute that children’s achievements in school improve with increased parent involvement in education (Henderson, 1998).
 Children raised in literate households are likely to enter grade one with several thousand hours of one to one pre-reading experience behind them (Literacy BC).
 Having a parent or other caring person read aloud with their children helps children learn listening skills, vocabulary and language skills, as well as develop imagination and creativity (Family Literacy Foundation, 2001).
 By spending a minimum of 15 minutes a day engaged in a literacy activity as a family, Canadians have the ability to make positive changes both in their own lives and in the future potential of their children.

So on January 27, as well as throughout the year, consider the part you are playing in promoting family literacy!

Alice Gardner-Boreta
President, Junior League of Calgary
(reprinted from President's Message in the Jan 2011 Lasso)

Calgary Reads Presents at January General Meeting

Steacy Collyer and Madeleine Baerg of Calgary Reads were the guest speakers at our January 10, 2011 General Meeting.  Steacy introduced Calgary Reads and presented its new logo, and Madeleine presented the importance of the first 2000 days in developing a child’s reading readiness. The key concepts for the first 2000 days, the approximate time from birth to kindergarten, are Sing, Read, Talk, and Play. Madeleine informed members that the majority of neural pathways for language are formed early and need to be reinforced with language in the early days before school. Children with a literacy-focused environment in the early years have greater academic success, professional success, social success, health, confidence, employability and income.

Calgary Reads is an early literacy initiative changing the lives of struggling Grade 1 and 2 readers and their families in Calgary and area schools. In 1996 the Junior League of Calgary researched and identified the need to support emerging readers who experienced difficulty reading but who did not require intensive, professional support. In collaboration with the Calgary Board of Education, the JLC designed a program to recruit and train volunteers who could deliver consistent reading support in schools. This program was called Calgary Reads and it was piloted in 1998. Calgary Reads (An Early Literacy Initiative) Society became an independent community-based not-for-profit society in 2001 and was recognized as a Canada Revenue Agency registered charitable organization in 2002.

Marilou Mitchell (L) introduces Steacy Collyer (center) and Madeline Baerg (R) from Calgary Reads

Steacy is a founder of Calgary Reads, a passionate reader, life-long volunteer and most importantly a proud mom of three daughters, all of whom are her best teachers. She is a recognized specialist in innovative teaching practices, literacy, leadership, resiliency and the intentional use of hope in learning communities, and is a past president of the JLC!

Madeleine is the Early Years Project Coordinator for Calgary Reads. She also works as a communications consultant and freelance writer. Most importantly, as a parent of a young child, she passionately believes in the importance of the 2000 days before kindergarten.

Angela Hutchinson—Program Manager, Brenda‘s House Leads Training at November General Meeting

Angela Hutchinson, Program Manager, Brenda‘s House, Children‘s Cottage Society, was our guest speaker at the November General Meeting.  Brenda‘s House is a re-housing program with a sheltering component aimed at moving families toward independence and their own sustainable housing. The JLC is partnered with the Children‘s Cottage Society to provide developmentally appropriate activities for the children in residence at Brenda‘s House through our
'Treasure Trunk" activities, which target nutrition and healthy eating, literacy, music and movement and the arts.

Angela spoke to JLC members about Brenda‘s House and its goal of providing developmentally appropriate activities to their children and modeling for parents on how to deliver these activities. She stressed the important role that the JLC "Treasure Trunk" program plays in helping Brenda‘s House achieve its goals and how it is helping to nurture and enrich the development of the children.

In the second part of her presentation, Angela provided members with sensitivity training and trauma informed practice. The training was aimed at helping volunteers understand the children at Brenda‘s House and how their parent and family backgrounds are the context for their behaviour. She provided examples of interpersonal and external personal trauma and discussed complex trauma.

JLC members learned about the common signs of trauma in children, the triggers that can cause outward manifestation of trauma-induced behaviour, and helpful hints on how to deal with the children. Angela further outlined the impact of working with trauma survivors and stressed the importance of self-care in one‘s personal responses to working with trauma survivors.

(Angela earned her BA degree in International Development from the University of Guelph and her Masters of Social Work from the University of Calgary.)

Teen Totes Done-In-A-Day: Santa's Workshop at the JLC Office!

The Junior League of Calgary and its members helped bring holiday cheer this past Christmas to 300 Calgary teens by providing tote bags filled with both must-have personal hygiene items as well as many fun things. On November 22, 2010 members joined the Fall 2010 Provisional Class at the DIAD to assemble the totes and get into the holiday spirit with carols and sweets!

JLC members (a.k.a. Santa‘s Helpers) at the DIAD

Totes were filled with hand sanitizer, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, store gift cards, movie passes, library cards, candy, toques, gloves, notebooks, hockey tickets and some miscellaneous items. They were later distributed to the teen clients of The Alex Youth Health Centre and various Community Resource Centres via the efforts of Drew Brown of Saint Jude's Health Management Institute.

AJLI President Visits Brenda’s House!

Delly Beekman, President of The Association of Junior Leagues International, spends a lot of her time visiting Junior Leagues in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and England. With each League she always aims to learn about their programs and Community Impact.

During her October 17-19, 2010 visit to the Junior League of Calgary (JLC) she toured Brenda’s House to learn about the "Housing First" concept being implemented there and the unique Treasure Trunk program that the JLC has developed for Brenda’s House residents and staff.

Carrie Kerr, Team Lead - Child Support Program, Children's Cottage Society - Brenda's House, conducted the tour of the house, explaining that Brenda’s House is a family-centred facility that welcomes homeless families with children to come and live there while they work towards the goal of moving into their own sustainable housing.

President Alice Gardner-Boreta and VP Community Marilou Mitchell accompanied Delly on this tour, giving us the opportunity to share details of our collaborations with both Children’s Cottage Society, Brenda’s House and Highbanks Society and the tremendous work both the Brenda’s House and Highbanks Society Program Planning Groups and JLC members are doing.  Delly was very impressed with the programs we are developing and will take this knowledge back to AJLI and onwards to other Leagues.

At the JLC Annual General Meeting later on October 18 are (L to R): Alice Gardner-Boreta, Delly Beekman, Carrie Kerr and Marilou Mitchell