91裸聊视频淐ome in, we91裸聊视频檙e awesome.91裸聊视频�

Tim Gibson, executive director of the Shuswap Children91裸聊视频檚 Association (SCA), laughs as he describes the words on the rug at the entrance to the organization91裸聊视频檚 facilities on Shuswap Street in Salmon Arm.

He is clearly proud and appreciative of the staff he works with, their stated goal to 91裸聊视频渉elp children and their families to play, grow and thrive.91裸聊视频� SCA, which is a non-profit serving kids from birth to age 19, provides family-centred programs, services and resources focusing on children91裸聊视频檚 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, it91裸聊视频檚 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 child91裸聊视频檚 day.

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91裸聊视频淲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,91裸聊视频� said Christine Ondang, with Child Care Resource & Referral, referring to people who live farther from Salmon Arm, even Canoe. 91裸聊视频淎nd even with programming, rec centre swimming costs money, Junglemania costs money, just a lot of things they want to do but they don91裸聊视频檛 have the money to do. Free programming is really important.91裸聊视频�

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 doesn91裸聊视频檛 have to make two trips into Salmon Arm. 91裸聊视频淲e are adjusting to try to make things work.91裸聊视频�

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 Society91裸聊视频檚 Hub for clothing.

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

91裸聊视频淚f they have a diagnosis, they can use funding for programs, depending on the diagnosis. But not all diagnoses come with funding. But they can91裸聊视频檛 use it for gas, they can91裸聊视频檛 use it for food. They can91裸聊视频檛 use it for living expenses, just therapy services. So it91裸聊视频檚 only for certain diagnoses,91裸聊视频� Gibson said.

91裸聊视频淎utism comes with individualized funding they can use for therapy services. And some materials, depending on what it is. That91裸聊视频檚 it. But some diagnoses don91裸聊视频檛 come with funding. So now you have a child in a family who has some challenges, but that family doesn91裸聊视频檛 get any financial support. Like FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders) or Down syndrome. There91裸聊视频檚 no individualized funding, or funding, for that.91裸聊视频�

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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.

91裸聊视频淭he price of everything is going up.91裸聊视频�

Morland added: 91裸聊视频淣obody91裸聊视频檚 getting off scot free. Everyone91裸聊视频檚 affected.91裸聊视频�

The isolation of the pandemic has also been hard, particularly on teens91裸聊视频� mental health, Tracey Morland said.

91裸聊视频淎nd they91裸聊视频檝e missed out on some developmental milestones too. The 14 year olds haven91裸聊视频檛 had work experiences or summer jobs. This stuff adds up91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

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 won91裸聊视频檛 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 don91裸聊视频檛 necessarily get to participate in community sports, Gibson pointed out.

Angelina Hartwig with FLY noted: 91裸聊视频淭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 they91裸聊视频檙e part of our community.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淲ith Covid coming in we get so used to being at home, and with the cost of things it91裸聊视频檚 a lot cheaper to stay home. To offer a program that91裸聊视频檚 free, gets them out and about, fresh air, meet new friends, the social part of it, it91裸聊视频檚 more important now than before.91裸聊视频�

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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.

Here91裸聊视频檚 where the public comes in.

SCA is constantly doing fundraisers as it91裸聊视频檚 a charity, so it can take donations and provide donations receipts.

91裸聊视频淲e have a monthly donor campaign coming out now. Monthly donations help us provide services and programs to the community,91裸聊视频� said Gibson.

Currently the association is selling campfire sticks to raise money for FLY. It91裸聊视频檚 also doing a 91裸聊视频榮ponsor a camper91裸聊视频� campaign as it91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚t is a free event for families, so any kind of donation to the agency helps all this programming we do,91裸聊视频� 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 Askew91裸聊视频檚 cards at cost to the public and then gets a seven per cent reimbursement from Askew91裸聊视频檚.

91裸聊视频淎ll the donations, all the fundraising, all the grants we write 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 all about community building and providing services to the community,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e feeling the pinch to provide the services and we91裸聊视频檝e got some things in-house to help everyone to cope with the magnitude of the work we91裸聊视频檙e dealing with on a daily basis,91裸聊视频� said Gibson.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the struggles that we see of our families we support and these kids we support. It also weighs on us,91裸聊视频� added Shields. 91裸聊视频淲e just want to offer solutions to fix it. It91裸聊视频檚 not always as easy as it sounds.91裸聊视频�

Emphasized Ondang: 91裸聊视频淲e care about the families we work with so much.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频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.

91裸聊视频淥ur job is to work with them to help them find a stable connection in home, community and school as possible.91裸聊视频�

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 it91裸聊视频檚 not the biggest concern.

91裸聊视频淭he biggest one we91裸聊视频檙e struggling with right now is mental health.91裸聊视频�

Sinclair said the association91裸聊视频檚 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 he91裸聊视频檇 like to convey to the public is, he replied:

91裸聊视频淟ook around to the people that are within your sphere and connect. To re-establish those personal relationships and be there to support people91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频楬ey how you doing, you want to go for a coffee, you want to go for a walk?91裸聊视频� It91裸聊视频檚 those human-to- human connections that are really the heartbeat of our mental well-being.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频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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