害羞草研究所淐ome in, we害羞草研究所檙e awesome.害羞草研究所�

Tim Gibson, executive director of the Shuswap Children害羞草研究所檚 Association (SCA), laughs as he describes the words on the rug at the entrance to the organization害羞草研究所檚 facilities on Shuswap Street in Salmon Arm.

He is clearly proud and appreciative of the staff he works with, their stated goal to 害羞草研究所渉elp children and their families to play, grow and thrive.害羞草研究所� SCA, which is a non-profit serving kids from birth to age 19, provides family-centred programs, services and resources focusing on children害羞草研究所檚 developmental and support needs.

As several staff members gather around a table, having agreed to talk about their services, some themes emerge.

From food to clothing to housing, it害羞草研究所檚 getting more difficult for many families in the Shuswap to make ends meet. And there are disparities.

While one child might have an overripe mushy banana for a snack, another might have a five-course selection in their lunch bag. While one might not have adequate winter clothing for playing outside, another might have two pairs of snow pants, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. One family shares one pair of boots between three family members. Families struggling economically appear to be in the majority.

Food prices are making healthy food choices more unattainable.

Those schools and daycares able to provide snacks or meals can make a big difference in a child害羞草研究所檚 day.

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害羞草研究所淲hat I hear with our play group is that families have to pick and choose when they come into town because gas is a big issue,害羞草研究所� said Christine Ondang, with Child Care Resource & Referral, referring to people who live farther from Salmon Arm, even Canoe. 害羞草研究所淎nd even with programming, rec centre swimming costs money, Junglemania costs money, just a lot of things they want to do but they don害羞草研究所檛 have the money to do. Free programming is really important.害羞草研究所�

SCA offers more than a dozen programs and services for a variety of ages, several of them free, serving an area which includes Sorrento to Revelstoke, Enderby, Blind Bay, Sicamous and Malakwa.

Tracey Morland with the Loft, Project Affinity and Respite Care coordinator, said staff have provided extra supports in order for a child to participate in two programs in one day so their parent doesn害羞草研究所檛 have to make two trips into Salmon Arm. 害羞草研究所淲e are adjusting to try to make things work.害羞草研究所�

Gibson explains there is no funding provided for food, clothing or gas, so people are referred to organizations like the food banks for food, or the Shuswap Family Centre and the SAFE Society害羞草研究所檚 Hub for clothing.

He explained not all families receive funding for developmental delays or support needs their child may be experiencing.

害羞草研究所淚f they have a diagnosis, they can use funding for programs, depending on the diagnosis. But not all diagnoses come with funding. But they can害羞草研究所檛 use it for gas, they can害羞草研究所檛 use it for food. They can害羞草研究所檛 use it for living expenses, just therapy services. So it害羞草研究所檚 only for certain diagnoses,害羞草研究所� Gibson said.

害羞草研究所淎utism comes with individualized funding they can use for therapy services. And some materials, depending on what it is. That害羞草研究所檚 it. But some diagnoses don害羞草研究所檛 come with funding. So now you have a child in a family who has some challenges, but that family doesn害羞草研究所檛 get any financial support. Like FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders) or Down syndrome. There害羞草研究所檚 no individualized funding, or funding, for that.害羞草研究所�

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Rachel Richardson, with Supported Child Development, said referrals to programs are up and money is definitely tighter for families than it once was.

害羞草研究所淭he price of everything is going up.害羞草研究所�

Morland added: 害羞草研究所淣obody害羞草研究所檚 getting off scot free. Everyone害羞草研究所檚 affected.害羞草研究所�

The isolation of the pandemic has also been hard, particularly on teens害羞草研究所� mental health, Tracey Morland said.

害羞草研究所淎nd they害羞草研究所檝e missed out on some developmental milestones too. The 14 year olds haven害羞草研究所檛 had work experiences or summer jobs. This stuff adds up害羞草研究所�害羞草研究所�

The association created the FLY program, Friends & Leisure Youth program, for kids eight to 18 because the Loft program has such a long wait list that kids won害羞草研究所檛 get in it. FLY helps kids work on social skills, learn new activities, get out in the community and stay active.

Young people who have support needs don害羞草研究所檛 necessarily get to participate in community sports, Gibson pointed out.

Angelina Hartwig with FLY noted: 害羞草研究所淭hey really need these opportunities to make new friends and find a place they belong, a safe place they can try new things and feel like they害羞草研究所檙e part of our community.害羞草研究所�

Brad Shields with Supported Child Development emphasized the importance of social connection.

害羞草研究所淲ith Covid coming in we get so used to being at home, and with the cost of things it害羞草研究所檚 a lot cheaper to stay home. To offer a program that害羞草研究所檚 free, gets them out and about, fresh air, meet new friends, the social part of it, it害羞草研究所檚 more important now than before.害羞草研究所�

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Making programs cost less is what SCA is working on. Because it has bills to pay, it has to generate funding to support such programs.

Here害羞草研究所檚 where the public comes in.

SCA is constantly doing fundraisers as it害羞草研究所檚 a charity, so it can take donations and provide donations receipts.

害羞草研究所淲e have a monthly donor campaign coming out now. Monthly donations help us provide services and programs to the community,害羞草研究所� said Gibson.

Currently the association is selling campfire sticks to raise money for FLY. It害羞草研究所檚 also doing a 害羞草研究所榮ponsor a camper害羞草研究所� campaign as it害羞草研究所檚 holding a weekend camp for kids with support needs in September. It puts on film festivals and a number of community events such as Story Time in the Park, a partnership with the library. Once again it plans to hold a Summer Bash in Blackburn Park with about 600 people expected.

害羞草研究所淚t is a free event for families, so any kind of donation to the agency helps all this programming we do,害羞草研究所� said Ondang.

She also points out that an Early Years Fair is set for May 10 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the rec centre in Salmon Arm, which will include many agencies that provide early years services.

SCA sells Askew害羞草研究所檚 cards at cost to the public and then gets a seven per cent reimbursement from Askew害羞草研究所檚.

害羞草研究所淎ll the donations, all the fundraising, all the grants we write 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 all about community building and providing services to the community,害羞草研究所� Gibson emphasized.

The association is located at 240 Shuswap St. NE, phone number 250-833-0164.

Like the families they support, staff also feel the stress of the current situation.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e feeling the pinch to provide the services and we害羞草研究所檝e got some things in-house to help everyone to cope with the magnitude of the work we害羞草研究所檙e dealing with on a daily basis,害羞草研究所� said Gibson.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the struggles that we see of our families we support and these kids we support. It also weighs on us,害羞草研究所� added Shields. 害羞草研究所淲e just want to offer solutions to fix it. It害羞草研究所檚 not always as easy as it sounds.害羞草研究所�

Emphasized Ondang: 害羞草研究所淲e care about the families we work with so much.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌�

Kim Sinclair, executive director of Aspiral Youth Partners Association, sees issues similar to those experienced by SCA.

The mandate of his organization is to work with young people to find supports and resources to build success in their lives.

A lot of the work they do is connected with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development, he said, working with young people who are struggling for a variety of reasons: family circumstances, trauma, mental health issues and more.

害羞草研究所淥ur job is to work with them to help them find a stable connection in home, community and school as possible.害羞草研究所�

Some good news, he said, is that the B.C. government plans to enact legislation that will support young people better, beyond the adult-youth agreement, with more financial and other support when they turn 19 and age out of eligibility.

Housing can be a big issue for people, much moreso than in the past.

But it害羞草研究所檚 not the biggest concern.

害羞草研究所淭he biggest one we害羞草研究所檙e struggling with right now is mental health.害羞草研究所�

Sinclair said the association害羞草研究所檚 work is always about making connections, building relationships, helping people look at what they want and what strategies are going to help them to get there.

Asked what the most important message he害羞草研究所檇 like to convey to the public is, he replied:

害羞草研究所淟ook around to the people that are within your sphere and connect. To re-establish those personal relationships and be there to support people害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所楬ey how you doing, you want to go for a coffee, you want to go for a walk?害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 those human-to- human connections that are really the heartbeat of our mental well-being.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌�

This is the third story in a bi-weekly series on poverty, its effects and the services available. It is in conjunction with a campaign by the City of Salmon Arm and its Social Impact Advisory Committee to address poverty and help ensure residents know where to find resources.

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