In Solidarity - Understanding the Impacts Racism and Offering Hope
Grace Brown, FCC’s Clinical Supervisor wrote a powerful reflection on the heartbreak and trauma of the impact of the murder of George Floyd while raising a Black son and the hope she felt attending the Black Lives Matter March in KW.
Grace was interviewed by Natasha McKenty of In Studio, Rogers TV. In this powerful conversation she reads her post "Reflections of a Black Woman: Solidarity in Sorrow and Strength" as well as talks about being a Black woman and mother, the impact and reality of racism in Canada, the power of active listening and how we can all take action towards ending racism in our region.
Several positive outcomes resulted. One was a blog with tips and resources for navigating white privilege and joining the conversation in an authentic and lasting way: Social Justice is Mental Health.
FCC staff representatives participated in the Children and Youth Planning Table’s first conversation about the anti-Black racism movement and where as a collective we will go from here to support our community. The local FB page: The Anti-Racism Community Collective or on IG @anti-racism.cc is another helpful resource for discussion and action.
Celebrating Pride, Promoting Inclusion Tess Klaver, FCC’s newest hire who came to us with extensive experience working with the LGBTQ2+ population, prepared this excellent resource for parents for Pride Month: Five Recommendations for Raising More Inclusive Children
Acknowledging the Land and Indigenous History “Land acknowledgements are a way of looking back to remember, to grieve, and to make room for difficult conversations that are still relevant today.” Kaitlin B. Curtice
June was Indigenous History month and June 21, 2020 was Indigenous People’s Day.
FCC acknowledges the land the agency is on and the surrounding area as the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe and Neutral peoples.
Here is a list of resources to help you learn more throughout the year: 10 docs on Indigenous Life In Canada 35 Books to Read for National Indigenous History Month
Thank You to the CND Community Foundation Our Community Foundation was the original funder for Taming the Dragon, an anxiety group for children offered in partnership with the Waterloo Region District School Board. They have continued to provide funding over the past eight years. This year our original request for $2500 was approved and then the pandemic hit. When special funding was made available from the Federal Government, we applied to the Foundation for funds to move Taming the Dragon to a virtual platform so that we could continue to provide the group to children regardless of where the social distancing directives took us. The Foundation responded with a grant of $15,000. We will now be able to continue our support to children dealing with anxiety, whether they are in the classroom or in their homes. FCC has been busy working out the logistics and best practices for offering our school based program to empower kids with tools for anxiety management and reduction to a virtual platform. Stay Tuned in our September newsletter for more information.
And there’s more…$1100 for “Rooted”, a virtual healthy relationships group for young male teens, and $1000 for seniors’ services in North Dumfries. So THANK YOU!!!
WALK-IN Becomes TALK-IN FCC’s walk-in services were closed in March because of COVID-19. The reception area on Thursday afternoons was always full. That is no longer possible because of social distancing. Our determination to provide services to our clients and ensure the health and safety of both clients and staff led us to move from face-to-face to virtual. And Talk-In resulted! But Talk-In requires technology and technology requires funding. Once again CND Community Foundation stepped up. Through welcomed federal grants, the Foundation provided $30,000 in funding to help establish our virtual service Talk-In. The service will begin in late summer/early fall. Information will be posted on our website and our Facebook page.
ADDICTIONS For the first time in three months Ancora residents were back in the public health inspected kitchen getting ready for the Market on June 27th. Safety measures and planning are ongoing. Thanks go out to Randy Novak, our lead, and Wesley United Church for allowing us to share their facilities. Thank you! We are happy to be back!
THANK YOU The Great Canadian Giving Challenge 2020 helped raise a total of $27,576,578 for charities—that is 92% more than last year! From coast to coast to coast, hundreds of thousands of Canadians showed their support and generosity by amplifying and giving to the causes close to their hearts. June's Giving Challenge for FCC Raised: $1040.00. Thank you!
TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER Agency Ambassadors:
We are always open to new volunteers: Board members, committee members, volunteers with social media expertise, web designers, agency advocates. The time commitment is minimal but the rewards are exponential. Email info@fcccnd.com to find out how you can be part of the change. You can decide how much involvement you want to have.
Support our Programs Become a regular donor. Go to our website and indicate which program you would like to support: counselling for children and youth, survivors of domestic violence, healthy relationships for men, addiction services, seniors’ wellness, coping groups for women.
Be a supporter of mental health and wellness.
Stay Connected
FB @FamilyCounsellingCentreCND
IG @familycounsellingcentrecnd
Twitter @familycounsell1
Talk to Us Let us know what services you are looking for. Counselling? Relapse prevention? Resources for healthy living?
Let us know what workshops you are interested in. Reducing stress? Successful parenting? Mindfulness?
Send requests to info@fcccnd.com.
and trauma of the impact of the murder of George Floyd while raising a Black son and the hope she felt attending the Black Lives Matter March in KW.
