Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way

As part of BC Youth Week, May 1-7, the Kamloops Art Gallery hosted their first ever youth pARTy during the evening of May 2.  It was a great night had by all and Lauren and I were lucky and excited to be a part of it!  Around 20 youth participated in the night and they all let their creative imaginations go wild at both the button-making station and the art workshop.  The phenomenal students from Kamloops Interior Summer School of Music (KISSM) performed and our own Lauren led an insightful and interesting guided tour through the current exhibit: “White-Out: Between Telling and Listening”.  Afterwards, everyone went back to the art workshop more inspired than ever! A big congratulations to Tarin Hughes, Jessica Ganton-Stanley and the rest of the talented staff at Art Gallery for making it a successful and fun night!

Later in the week, Lauren and I also attended SIFE TRU’s (Students In Free Enterprise) Inaugural Gala at the Kamloops Convention Centre.  In front of a full audience, the the 2011-2012 Nationals team impeccably presented the successes of this past year in preparation for the ACE (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship) National Exposition.  A HUGE congratulations to the SIFE team for the fabulous year-end gala as well as being ACE/SIFE National Semi-Finalist at the Exposition in Calgary the following week!!

Mt. Polley is a great supporter of United Way through employee donations and special events. They have mine-wide burger sales every year and all of the food is covered by the mining corporation and the events are staffed by volunteers so 100% of the proceeds go to United Way. This is their second year doing the barbecues. Last year’s employee donations totaled over $18,000 and over $15,000 was raised through special events like the BBQ.

May 5th was the fourth BBQ of the year. The day started with a few flakes of snow, but as the barbecue heated up and the smell of the onions frying started filling the air, the day improved. A dedicated team of Mt Polley employees and hungry crews from all over the mine benefited from this well supported event. It was really good to meet employees from different departments on the mine site. The atmosphere was casual and happy and it felt like a good day was had by everyone. The next BBQ is in July.

A big thank you to Mt. Polley, Fountain Tire and all those running the burger sale for their contribution to United Way.

Last weekend, on Sunday, May 6, our United Way Youth Club put their chefs’ hats on and served up a delicious meal at PIT Stop with the help of 17 fantastic friends including TRU students and Miss Kamloops Royalty!!  We prepared and cooked up a savoury hamburger soup with a nutritious salad and buns, as well as fruit salad and delectable sweets for dessert.  In the end, we served approximately 127 people and 2 dogs on the warm spring day and the day was such a success thanks to all the amazing volunteers!! For all the pictures, check out the full album on our Facebook page!

P.I.T. Stop is a free community meal program run out of Kamloops United Church every Sunday. The meal is served at 3:30pm and is open to any and all members of the community. The United Way Student Club was responsible for planning, cooking and serving the meal on May 6.

We had another wonderful Day of Caring this past Saturday with iCompass! The amazing team of volunteers were up bright and early, coffee in hand, to lend a hand at the Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association (KTRA).  KTRA provides therapeutic horse riding to hundreds of children and adults, transforming limitations into limitless possibilities by creating the opportunity to enhance both physical and psychological well being.  With the 9 friendly and beautiful horses in the background, iCompass rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty, completing way more than we had originally hoped! Joined by their families, the iCompass team made the day a phenomenal success.

First off, the team synced together unloading and moving an entire shed across the property, and our smaller, younger helpers prepped and stained the new horse stairs and jumps.  With fence posts being painted and the grounds being tidied as well, the entire property buzzed with volunteers.  Then the real work began with the strong men and women pounding countless fence posts into the ground.  Thank you to the iCompass team for your outstanding work and dedication in illustrating how much can be accomplished when we all work together!

Always with smiles on their faces, the iCompass team truly connected to their community during their Day of Caring.  Days of Caring are opportunities for employees of a company, or any group or people to complete a project for a local not-for-profit organization.  Without these superb volunteers, many of these projects would likely not be completed!

-Sunflowers mural in classroom of art program-

In cities and towns such as Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Logan Lake and Cache Creek, United Way relies on local Community Impact Councils to direct its work and decide where to invest United Way funds. These councils ensure that money raised through United Way campaigns stays in the communities in which it was raised.

Last fall an after-school art program was funded through this Council at Cache Creek Elementary that benefited 30 students during the first 10-week session and is continuing with 15 students during this current session. The program runs once a week after school and focuses on:

• creating a positive, inclusive, environment (establishing bonds between students at multi-grade levels)
• being cooperative (sharing materials, taking turns, planning and working on group art projects)
• being accountable (taking care of materials, being present for weekly classes)
• being personally accountable for one`s actions and accepting of consequences
• being respectful (listening to others, sharing and accepting of the ideas of peers, using appropriate language)
• being encouraging (supporting the efforts of peers)

“Oftentimes, the students who are academically more challenged thrive with the opportunity to express themselves creatively.  All students look forward to the weekly get-togethers and are sad when the program comes to a close.  Families appreciate that there is no cost associated with the program and enjoy the students` sharing of their weekly creative efforts.  The program provides the school with the opportunity to bring families into the school community in a way that enables families to celebrate their children`s successes.”  – Debi Hamson, Program Coordinator and teacher

United Way is excited to be a part of this opportunity to support the families of Cache Creek.

4th annual Adult Literacy Forum

• Tuesday, May 15
• 8:30am-12:30pm - Lunch is provided
• Henry Grube Education Centre
• RSVP May 8 – literacyinkamloops@gmail.com

If you are interested in finding out more about adult learning opportunities in Kamloops, in sharing any concerns you may have about adult literacy, and in looking at ways to better meet the needs of adult learners in Kamloops, you will want to attend this forum.

For more information contact Fiona Clare at 250.372.9373 or fionaclare@shaw.ca

The City of Kamloops and United Way are pleased to present Moving to Inclusion, a post Cities Fit For Children workshop that provides the knowledge to facilitate inclusive opportunities for people at all levels of ability.

This workshop is being presented for the affordable price of $5 (please see poster below for workshop information).

Participants will learn creative opportunities for individuals to maximize the benefits of being physically active, create inclusive environments for all abilities, and maximize activity for people with disabilities through modifications in assessment, equipment and rules, instructional strategies and learning objectives.

Workshop facilitator Heather McCain is the Executive Director of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods.  A respected advocate, educator, and promoter of universal design, disability awareness, inclusionary practices, and adapted sports and recreation, Heather is currently on the board of the Social Planning and Research Council of BC and Active Living Alliance BC, and is the Chair of TransLink’s Access Transit Users’ Advisory Committee.

Please join us for this affordable opportunity and forward this invitation to those groups and organizations who could benefit.

Youth from all over Kamloops lent more than a hand on Tuesday to various community groups as part of Youth Day of Caring and BC Youth Week! Sahali Secondary and Twin Rivers Education Centre students welcomed the warmer months by helping the City of Kamloops get their new community garden at McDonald Park ready for planting, and Westsyde Secondary students also assisted People in Motion in preparing their community garden. Brock Secondary spread out their help at Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association where they built a fence and cleaned out horse stalls, at Interior Community Services they let the creative juices flow by painting a mural, and other students assembled food hampers at the Kamloops Food Bank!

I was lucky enough to act as a Youth Leader for Valleyview Secondary students at the Wildlife Park..and what an fantastic time we had! The 80 enthusiastic and amazing students were divided into four groups that completed various projects across the park. One group got up close and personal with the Wildlife Park’s newest family members, one-year-old grizzly cubs Dawson and Knute, by helping clean up their play area and assembling a “rock fall.”  Other groups spread bark mulch around the park, weeded and cleaned up every nook, while others re-built the stream and met George, the swan while tidying up around his pond.  Valleyview Secondary’s students were so energetic, even in the rain, it was hard not to get excited with them!

After the projects wrapped up, we joined the other students for a celebratory BBQ at Pioneer Park as a thank-you for all their hard work and dedication.  Tairin and Jessica from the Kamloops Art Gallery engaged the students in a fantastic trading card art project so that each student took away two unique pieces of the day.  Overall, it was a fantastic day for all and it is apparent that these students are definitely the leaders of tomorrow.

A HUGE thank-you to all the students and teachers who came out and rolled up their sleeves on Tuesday! Moreover, a thank-you our Youth Leaders who made sure the day went as perfectly as it did: Mark, Danielle, Jovan, Jeff, Claire and Tamara! None of these projects would have been completed if it was not for all of you!

Youth Day of Caring was just one of the many events happening for BC Youth Week.  Days of Caring are an opportunity for employees of a company, or any group or people, to volunteer to complete a project for a local not-for-profit organization.

Photo Credits: Hugo Yuen.

We are very proud to have Lauren Sutherland as the youngest member of our Board of Directors. Lauren is graduating from high school this year and pursuing university in Toronto next year. We will miss her, she has been a wonderful asset to our Board!

Lauren is also serving as the Youth Week leader for BC Youth Week. Here is some more information that Lauren provided on herself and her role at United Way!

1. What position(s) are you involved with at United Way? What responsibilities does your role include? How long have you been involved?

As the Youth Rep. for the United Way Board of Directors, my job is to advocate for youth in our community and provide input from a youth perspective concerning all aspects of United Way’s work. I have been involved with United Way since June 2011, and already I have learned so much about the organization and our community!

2. How did you become involved with this group? Did you apply or were you selected?

I became involved with United Way by chance. The board was searching for a youth rep. via word of mouth, and my name was put forward by one of the current members. I met with that member and discussed the position and its responsibilities, and that was that!

3. What have you learned from your time in this position?

My involvement with United Way has taught me so much in a relatively short time.  I have learned everything from meeting protocol to allocations processes to communicating effectively to meet the needs of every individual. The most valuable thing I have learned from United Way is that change is rooted in positivity. I’ve been so inspired, not only by the ability of United Way to recognize need in our community, but by the sheer enthusiasm the team takes in creating a solution. Also very important to creating change is realizing the potential each individual has to contribute to the solution. People are diverse, and so should the solution be!

4. What advice would you offer to other youth who may want to take on similar roles in the community?

If I were to give advice to other youth who want to make a difference, I would say that the most effective way to create change is by noticing a problem in your community and using something you love to do to fix it. For instance, I am passionate about both the environment and the arts, so I volunteer at local elementary schools and teach kids about climate change. Then, to process the knowledge, the kids create a piece of art to express their feelings towards the environment. By using your skills and interests to make a difference, your actions will come from a place of positivity, and can reach others who share your interests.

I would also say not to be afraid of making mistakes or asking questions. Go out on a limb, be an individual. If something doesn’t work out the way you hoped, find out why. Celebrating success is great, but assessing your failures is a part of the learning experience.

It’s BC Youth Week! There are awesome events happening for youth in Kamloops every day this week! Check out this blog post for the full list.

History of BC Youth Week (from their website):