Spring Connector 2016

Spring 2016ConnectorThe

The Face ofVolunteering

A Letter from Laura

RED FLAGSFor Feeding &Sw a l l ow i ng

Introducing...The MindfulMouthfu l

ADULT COMMUNITY INCLUSIONCLEMENTS COMMUNITY18 Season’s Gardening Program22 Portals Art Show17 Advocating Together : A Letter from Laura24 Car Seat Program26 Fall Camp-out28 Halloween30 Christmas35 Duncan Caprice Theatre36 Sweetheart Dance38 Anti-Bullying

03 A Message from the Board04 The Facebook Advantage06 The Face of Volunteering08 Hilary’s Retirement09 Linda’s Retirement16 SunFest Donation25 Sock Drive32-33 Run for the Claus & Duncan Light Up34 Staff Curling Christmas Party39 Big Brothers, Big Sisters

16 Bobath Table

10 But I Don’t Want to Share

12 Red Flags for Feeding & Swallowing

14 Survey Respondents Draw

15 Thanks from the Smith Family

SUNDROPS CENTRE

SundropsCentre

for Child Development

ClementsCentre forCommunity Living

I n s p i r i n g B e y o n d B e l i e f

The

Spring 2016

Published by:The Clements Centre Society

5856 Clements Street Duncan British Columbia V9L 3W3

clementscentre.org

EDITORIAL TEAMGRAPHICS, LAYOUT, DESIGN & EDITING | JILLIAN NAPIER

COPY EDITING | DIANNE HINTON

Connector

2 • The Connector • Spring 2016• www.clementscentre.org

A Message from our Board“A board’s high calling is to nurture their organization for a time they’ll never see and for people they’ll never meet” (Katherine Tyler Scott).

Dr. Debra Beck (Laramie Board Learning Project) reminds boards that yes, they have to pay attention to the here and now, yet their “ultimate purpose as governing bodies – is to envision a future worthy of the people we serve and our communities, and to create an environment where that future becomes possible”. For the Board of Directors at Clements Centre Society, that means a community in which all individuals are included, valued and celebrated.

So, what does that look like? One of the best descriptions of what a board does, right now, if it is nurturing its organization comes from Dr. Beck:

• Identifying the questions that help bring that vision to life• Defining the outcomes required to make that future possible• Engaging in strategic thinking and planning to ensure that the organization will fulfill those

outcomes• Hiring and supporting executive directors with the capacity of advance those plans on the ground• Holding those leaders accountable for that forward progress• Identifying the resources required to move forward (funding) and ensuring the organization obtains

those resources• Ensuring that those resources are used wisely and appropriately and communicating transparently

with donors, funders and other stakeholders• Reaching out into our communities to tell the stories of the organization – especially stories

demonstrating impact – and inviting them to support us in ways that meet the organization’s needs and their interests

• Advocating for policies and legislation that support the environments we need to make the vision possible and against those that threaten to harm our communities and those we serve

• Leading in ways that inspire board members to contribute their very best, every day and every meeting to the organization’s success.

For more than twenty years, Marina Stanko has nurtured Clements Centre Society. Marina has seen the organization through many challenges and most importantly, has looked to the future. Her ability to ask tough questions has kept the board focused on realities. Personally, Marina has been a mentor for me and has helped me understand what being a board president is about.

Thank you, Marina, for your wisdom, your dedication, and your nurturance. All the best in your future endeavours.

Leslie Welin Board President

www.clementscentre.org • Spring 2016 • The Connector • 3

The Facebook Advantage

Tell our storyBy leveraging the power of video to advance our message and tell the stories of the families we serve. People love to watch videos, particularly of themselves or those they love.

Ignite ConversationsBy driving interest that might ultimately lead to other forms of action – advocacy, volunteerism.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat - the list goes on. There are so many social media avenues down which we can travel, but which are the best for our purpose? We have found that

Facebook is one of the most effective tools for our online community. This is why we like it so much. It allows us to:

7 Reasons Why We Like It So Much

AHMAD FAIZAL YAHYA / Shutterstock.com

by Dianne Hinton

gmstockstudio / Shutterstock.com


Thank and CelebrateBy taking the time to celebrate milestones and thank our community.

Have funBy adding interactive tools, viewer comments, twitter feeds, apps, games or quizzes, we can encourage visitors to spend a little more time with us.

EducateBy posting videos, pictures, numbers and, piggy backing on the messages of others who share our message.

Gauge Our ReachBy analysing numbers of likes, views, clicks, tweets and timing, we can strategize ways to expand our reach.

Get to know our community on a deeper levelBy gauging the interests of our staff, families and volunteers on issues and understanding their reasons for connecting with Clements.

Go ahead….Like Us on Facebook!

And please consider how you might contribute to the

Facebook page. Share with Dianne Hinton

([email protected]) any ideas you have that

might be included: upcoming events, stories through

videos or images, information through links….the

cloud is the limit!

Help us reach 500 likes this

summer. Click the “Like” button and share

our page with all your friends.

JaysonPhotography Shutterstock.com


The Face of Volunteering

Volunteers are of huge value to non-profit organizations and Canadians are particularly generous. Recent studies indicate that Canadians volunteered close to 2 billion hours in 2013. Volunteers provide excellent support, increase contact with the greater community, make available expertise and complement the efforts of employees.

Volunteers who serve on boards of directors and their committees are the lifeblood of non-profit organizations. While the Executive Director manages day to day matters, volunteer directors take responsibility for guiding strategic direction, policy making, assuring adequate funding, and for meeting any challenges that might arise.

At Clements the current 10 member board meets monthly. Some members additionally volunteer time to committee work. At Clements these include; membership, champion and executive. A generous commitment of time and expertise, extremely valuable to the operation of the agency.

by Dianne Hinton


Trained volunteers can be invaluable in helping to deliver services to those served. They complement the work of employees and provide exceptional service given their passion for the organization’s mission. Many volunteers bring expertise or experience that the organization otherwise may not have —information technology, data entry, gardening, artistic talents and more.

Other volunteers to remember are the amazing team of employees who donate their time above and beyond their paid positions. These employees provide opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be possible - long distance dream vacations and even weekends away closer to home.

It is a reciprocal relationship. For each volunteer there is the reward of helping others, of serving the cause, and often the reward of a new relationship…..those smiles!

With information from: https://volunteer.ca/gvp and https://volunteer.ca/content/future-volunteering-risk


Hilary’s RetirementIt was 20 years ago when I met Hilary Simmons while doing my practicum at Campbell house. She was warm and inviting and I noticed that she had a special way about the way she worked with the folks. She was firm and direct (the English way) yet the softer side of her would speak out when she would talk about the folks she was supporting.

She spent the next several years working alongside the folks at Campbell dedicating her time making sure that the individuals had a home that was well decorated with gardens full of flowers. Marchmont house was lucky to “steal” her away and she became our new “den mother” creating the same environment for us. We appreciated her many talents not only in the garden and the home but also as our “Ms. Fix it” and as Kevan says “she’s a good cooker”. She has been a dedicated employee and a strong advocate for those she has supported and will be missed by many! Marchmont home will not be the same without her and we wish her well with the next chapter of her life.

by Heather Fillery


Farewell LindaClements Centre says farewell to Linda Ryan. This is Linda’s second retirement as she came to Clements after retiring from her former position. And we are very happy that she did! Linda assisted the Sundrops team with all manner of administrative and IT support. After 7 years of great service, we are sad to see her go, but wish her all the best!

Thanks for everything Linda!

by Dominic Rockall


There are many benefits to offering child care in your home when you are a parent and genuinely enjoy being around children. By offering child

care, you can create a program that will include your own family. Your children can be at home with you while you work which is great and it offers an opportunity to develop healthy relationships with other children.

What happens if your children like the idea of having you at home but aren’t enthusiastic about sharing you and their toys all day with other children? It can be challenging for young children especially to share their parent’s attention with other children. Children under three years in particular, can be more focused on their immediate needs and desires so it isn’t uncommon for them to struggle with sharing toys or parental affection.

Empathy (the ability to share someone else’s feelings) is a skill that takes time to develop and nurture. By

encouraging empathy in children, this helps to cultivate the concept of sharing without forcing the issue while respecting the developmental growth of children. Children need the support and guidance of a caring adult to feel safe and attached to every day. Creating a safe environment where children feel like they can return to you as their primary source for nurturance, reassurance, guidance and support throughout the day, will foster a sense of security for them to develop positive connections with other children as well.

As a care provider, being sensitive to the developmental needs of your children as well as the children in your care will help with being understanding and patient. You know your children best and this will help to develop strategies to make it easier for them to adjust to sharing you with other children.

But I Don’t Want to Shareby Catherine Carter Clark


Here are some suggestions to consider when providing child care in your home:

Acknowledge your children’s feelings when it is hard to share toys and “you”

If possible, make their bedroom off limits to other children during child care hours to respect their personal space if they are having difficulty adjusting to child care in the home

Talk with your children about any really special toys they may want to put away until the end of the day to keep in their room or closet

Carve out some time at the beginning or end of the day to spend with just your children (it could be as simple as reading a book together or giving them a hug and thanking them for helping to make it a great day)

Talk to your children and the children in your care throughout the day acknowledging and supporting them with their feelings and stay connected to them and close by if they are upset. It is helpful to bend down or sit to speak to them at eye level if they are younger children. For example:

o I hear that you are sad because you want to sit on my lap but right now I need to change a diaper. Would you like a hug? When I am finished, I will come back and we can read a story. Could you help choose a book to read?

o Sam, I know it is hard to wait for a turn but I see Joe is still using the truck. Joe, when you are finished with the truck, you can let Sam have a turn. Sam, I see another truck in the sand box to play with too while you are waiting.

Remember to breathe! There will be days that will feel more challenging than others but try to take a moment during the day for yourself - even just a refreshing glass of water or cup of tea, while children are resting can help to feel rejuvenated

Children look to you for guidance so modelling behaviour you hope to encourage goes a long way but remember you may not see instant results! Time and patience is key as they develop skills

If you notice there are certain toys that are very popular and seem to create sharing issues, try putting them away and rotate them with different toys. Bring them out another day

Try having more than one popular toy to share especially with a younger group (example: if your group enjoys playing with toy cars, have enough for everyone to play)

Stay close, connected and engaged to help support children in play: knowing you are near can be reassuring and encourages positive social interactions

Check out your local library for books on sharing for children such as:

o We Share Everything by Robert Munsch

o Should I Share My Ice Cream (An Elephant and Piggie book) by Mo Willems

o I Want It by Elizabeth Craryo The Berenstain Bears: Sister Bear

Learns to Share by Stan and Jan Berenstein

Tap into the many resources and toys and equipment available at your local CCRR to bring fresh materials into your program. This can be especially helpful to have “neutral” sharing toys that don’t “belong” to your children but are special lending library resources that can be rotated

Check in with your local CCRR for support and ideas for programming too and attend workshops and networking opportunities through the CCRR to connect with other providers


Red Flags for Feeding & Swallowing

The Pediatric Feeding Team at the Sundrops Centre has put together a short guide on feeding and swallowing. They have included some things to watch out for, as well as guidelines to make feeding your child a safe and enjoyable experience.SIGNS OF FEEDING PROBLEMS

Difficulty breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Difficulty transitioning to solid foods.

Difficulty transitioning from tube feeding to oral feeding (swallowing difficulty may be involved here).

Sensitivity to textures.

Behavioral issues around feeding, picky eating, or food refusal (these may also be signs of swallowing problems).

Delayed progress with using utensils for feeding.

Positioning difficulties.


GENERAL SAFE SWALLOWING GUIDELINES

Position, position, position!!! Children should be sitting and supported as upright as possible when eating and drinking. A slightly forward tilting of the chin may also assist swallowing safety in some cases.

The child should be alert and focused on feeding.

Reduce distractions, and make sure your child is not talking when swallowing.

Feed the child slowly, or if they are feeding themselves, make sure they are finishing what is in their mouth before they have another mouthful. Keep it slow and steady.

STOP feeding the child if there are any signs of excessive coughing, choking, increased breathing rate, and gurgly or wet-sounding voice when swallowing. Make sure the child is referred for an assessment. If they are chesty, wheezy or have an unexplained fever, take the child to your family doctor.

SIGNS OF SWALLOWING PROBLEMS

Coughing, choking or gagging when eating or drinking, or on saliva.

Respiratory distress when eating or drinking, including altered breathing rate or apnea. This also includes blueness around the eyes, lips and fingernails.

Gurgly sounding voice.

Excessive drooling, particularly in addition to speech/language delays.

Lack of energy for feeding, or meals may take a long time.

Difficulty getting the swallow started.

Multiple swallows per mouthful.

Food or drink falls out of the mouth, or remains in the mouth after swallowing.

Failure to thrive (not putting on enough weight) or poor nutritional intake.

Reflux.

Chest infections or frequent respiratory infections of unknown origin.


Sundrops DrawCongratulations to Karleen Barber! Karleen is the lucky winner of the Sundrops draw for a $50 gift card from Country Grocer. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey and participated in the draw.

Pictured above is Betty Kasper, 16 year volunteer at Clements Centre pulling the lucky ticket along with Executive Director, Dominic Rockall.

Karleen Barber


Sundrops Storiesfrom the Smith Family

The team at the Sundrops Centre for Child Development received this wonderful thank you and gift from the Smith family.

“How do you find all the right words after almost 5 years of amazing service and therapies? We have been blessed with the most amazing people for our child. This program is staffed by angels. This place and the people in it have become part of our family. It’s impossible to find the right gift for this type of circumstance but I tried my best at creating something that is near and dear to my heart. This quote has been a source of comfort for me and a beautiful reminder to celebrate the individuality of each child. Thank you Sundrops Centre for providing both our family and our community an outstanding and much needed service. How we will miss the friends we have made. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”


Bobath Treatment Table

SunFest Donation

The Sundrops Centre would like to thank Brentwood College School and a private donor for their contributions to the purchase of a Bobath Treatment Table. This provides a safe and capable lifting system for the children receiving therapy and their therapist. It is installed in the gym at Sundrops and, as you can see from this photo of Patti and this wee cutie, it is being put to good use!

Your generosity makes a difference!

Little Harvey Rousseau enjoying a workout on the new Bobath Table with Sundrops physiotherapist, Patti Patstone, as Dad (Geoff) cheers him on.

photo credit - Crystal Rousseau

A big thank you to the generous folks at SunFest who donated $4000 this past December. Thanks for your support of the Clements Centre Society!


Advocating TogetherA Letter from LauraMy name is Laura Clement and I was so happy to have a job. I used to work at Bruce’s Groceries a long time ago and I had transit back then because there was a bus.

Where I live now there is bad bus service and I cannot always get to and from work on time because of the schedule. My caregivers are busy because they have kids and cannot always drive me.

I was hired at the movie theatre in Duncan last summer. I was so happy to work there. It was my dream job. I used to work for 4 days a week and then it got tough to get there and we bumped it down to 2 days a week. My mom was driving me the 2 days a week. It was tough. Then just before Christmas they let me go at the movie and promised to hire me back in summer. I felt unhappy and I need it back in my life.

The bus system and Handi-Dart system just go until 6pm and my shift was from 6:30pm until 8pm. On Friday night I scheduled a sleepover with my mom to make it easier to get there the next day but on Tuesdays it was hard to get home.

I lost my job because of transit. I would like to see a better bus or Handi-Dart system that goes past 6pm. It is also difficult for my friends to get around too. They like to go out past 6pm sometimes for drinks, movies, bowling and that kind of stuff.

Are there any other persons or groups that are advocating for better transit? Maybe we can advocate for this together.

Laura Clement

A Visit With Enzo

Daniel who is a huge fan of the RCMP met with Enzo the police dog and his handler Constable Henderson. “I was so excited to meet Enzo and Garfield !” A big thumbs up to the RCMP in all of the work they do in our community and beyond!


Seasons GardeningHappy spring everyone - although it feels more like summer!

Spring is one of my favourite times of the year when things seem to come back to life after their winter sleep. Early spring bulbs have already bloomed and gone, with so many other things coming into flower or with the promise of things to come.

The gardens up at Ryall are looking very beautiful this year as the perrenials are in their third year which is usually their fullest. We have lots of flowers, and veggies on the go. We are hoping to grow lots of gourds this year again for crafts including sponge gourds for Christmas crafts.

The gardens around Clements Centre are coming back to life looking nice and green right now. The birds have come back, raising their families in the houses in the back. Also the gardening program has been busy planting trees in the back yard of the yellow house with a few more to come.

So happy gardening everyone, enjoy the season and hopefully it won’t get too hot to cause a severe water restriction!

by John Madden



www.themindfulmouthful.caby Dominic Rockall,Executive Director


This Spring, the Clements Centre Society will be launching the Mindful Mouthful! This baking business, (formerly the well-known and well-loved Lunch on Clements) is being developed with two main intentions. One is to provide employment for the people we support. The other is to continue to make high quality and delicious cookies, meat pies and other baked goodies. We are very excited to launch this business and for its potential to improve the quality of life for some of the people we support by providing them some additional income. As you may know, the PWD (disability) income that people receive is very minimal. The rates in BC are amongst the lowest in the country. So we are very happy to be able to help a few people earn some extra money.

The product will have new packaging and new labeling. Prices will change. We have analyzed food costs and conducted market research to determine a fair market price for the products.

We have our first corporate customer - the Oceanview Restaurant and Lounge. They buy squares for meetings and banquets. After the launch, we hope to be selling to other business customers, such as coffee shops, as well as doing more retail sales at local markets.

Our new website is:www.themindfulmouthful.ca.

We are on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/themindfulmouthful/ , Twitter: @mindfultreats and Instagram: themindfulmouthful.

So look out for the logo, share posts on social media, tell your friends and family, and let’s all help make this business a great success!


It’s been two years since the talented folks who make up the “Open Heart” art group and the “All Fired Up” pottery groups last staged a public show, but once again their work has been “wowing” the patrons of the PORTALS gallery in the Island Savings Centre, with a show running from March 31-April 19.

Experienced and new members of both groups yet again produced fantastic pieces, which the public has been clamoring to snap up! In fact, some pieces sold while the show was being staged for viewing. Artists from around the Valley who were at PORTALS to enter their own work for the Spring Fine Arts Show, were smitten with pieces such as “Mr. Potato Head” amongst others. They made sure they got their favourite pieces before anyone else got to them.

Eight artists spent the afternoon of April 4th at the gallery for the “Meet the Artist” session, to show off their work to family, friends and anyone else who popped in. There were also a lot of great salesmanship skills on display, as people talked up their work and made sales right and left! Nellie would like to say “thank you” to the person who bought her clay piece “ Brown Dog” - it sold so fast that she got orders for two more! As well as the canvasses and pottery pieces which made up the show, there were a variety of sketches and art projects from everyone’s portfolios hung for display purposes, but people want to buy them too!

When asked if they had anything to say about either the art or pottery programs, the words heard most often were “It’s fun” and “I like it”, but Kara summed it up for everyone when she said “It’s interesting and it’s a good experience”. The creative process allows everyone to express themselves through a variety of media, therapeutic for sure, but also an opportunity to help one another and practice sharing – materials, skills and experiences. The best experience of all is seeing the appreciation for their work from everyone privileged enough to see it. Stay tuned for the next adventures of this talented group!

Coyotes and Cats and Flowers – OH MY! by Sheila Coogan


Portals Art Show 2016


Clements Receives Car Seats

BCAA is commited to protecting kids

in our community on the road. The

Community Child Car Seat Program,

offered in partnership by BCAA and

United Way of the Lower Mainland,

provides child car seats to eligible non-

profit agencies and community groups

throughout British Columbia.

Non-profit agencies and community

groups can use the child car seats within

their existing programs or provide

them to families they serve which have

children aged 9 and under.

It’s estimated that as many as 5% of

British Columbians aren’t using a child

car seat when transporting children. A

correctly installed child car or booster

seat is the most effective tool to help

reduce the risk of child-passenger injury

or death on our roads.

Keeping children safe on B.C. roads is

a top priority for BCAA. Through our

Community Child Car Seat Program,

BCAA invested nearly $300,000 during

the program’s initial year and will

contribute $100,000 each year during

the length of the program.

This will place thousands of children in

child car seats who otherwise may have

gone without, allowing parents and

caregivers to transport their children

correctly and keep them safe when

travelling on B.C. roads.

In April, we were approved to receive eight car seats through the Community Child Car Seat Program, offered in partnership by BCAA and the United Way of the Lower Mainland. Families who work with Clements and/or Sundrops and who might have difficulty supplying their child with a safe and properly fitted car seat can enquire about the program through their Clements/Sundrops contact person. We want to keep all of our children safe on the roads!


Sock Drive 2015

Success once again! Thanks to all of our supporters, we were able to surpass our goal of 2,015 pairs of socks. In fact, we raised a grand total of 2,271 pairs. All socks were delivered to various local charitable organizations to help keep the chill out this past winter.


Fall Camp-Out II

Last year’s campout was such a huge success that it has now become an annual event!

Our crew of 53 day program individuals and 13 staff packed up groceries, gear, and everyone’s excitement and headed off to the Cowichan River Bible camp September 9th, 10th, and 11th. We were spoiled once again with warm sunny weather which helps to make camping so enjoyable. We ate, slept and lounged for three days! Some enjoyed walks to the river, lawn yoga, parachute games, and the newly installed zip line. Others enjoyed swimming in the river, outdoor badminton, swinging, and sitting by the camp fire. S’mores were a hit once again as was the scavenger hunt!

Our daytime numbers hit 75 with thanks to South End and Ryall for joining us on our adventure. Our overnight numbers topped out at 52!

I truly want to thank my devoted team and all those caregivers who helped to make this year such a huge success. And yes, we are booked in again for 2016!

by Lisa Chileen


September 2015


Halloween



Christmas 2015



Run for the Claus


Duncan Light Up

2 0 1 6Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:00pm

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Staff Curling Party 2015


Duncan Caprice Theatre


Sweetheart Dance



Anti-Bullying aka Pink Shirt Day


Big Brothers, Big Sisters


Follow us on facebook or check out our web site at www.clementscentre.org

Supported by the United Way.

Please consider giving to the Clements Centre Society.

2 0 1 6Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:00pmE v e r y o n e W e l c o m e !

Documents

Spring Connector 2016