<![CDATA[Norwood Centre - Norwood Blog]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 22:55:59 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[National Volunteer Week 2012]]>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:03:53 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2012/02/national-volunteer-week-2012.htmlThank You!
]]><![CDATA[New Years Resolution.....]]>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:16:21 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2012/01/new-years-resolution.html

Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of our ever-changing world seems to happen each year whether we mean for it to or not. I think it is important to remind ourselves and others to slow down, take a step back, and look at what is really important. I mean really important. Is it the 7:00pm meeting, or is it eating dinner at the table with your family and hearing about how your daughter stood up for someone at school who was being bullied? Is it replying to a text message, or is it seeing the look on your son's face after he scores his first goal? Is it wanting to get the point across that you are annoyed or angry so you decide not to say, "I love you" to someone important, or is it choosing to say "I love you" because you never know what the day will bring? 

Regardless, our family and friends are what make this world. Great grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles have helped make us who we are and our world what it is, and our children will help make us better and our world what it will become. Make the time to spend with the important people in your life; parents, friends, grandparents, children, coworkers, whoever it is, make the time...you never know when this may be your last resolution.      

10 things to do with someone who means something to you:

1) Create a time capsule or memories box
2) Watch a movie
3) Cook a meal/bake together
4) Sit outside and look at the stars
5) Do a puzzle
6) Go on a road trip
7) Swing on the swings
8) Dance
9) Paint each others hand. Press on 1 piece of paper, frame when dry and hang in your home
10) Have a photo sessionhttp://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-services-photography-video-Win-a-free-photo-shoot-W0QQAdIdZ329359297
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-services-photography-video-Free-Photography-W0QQAdIdZ349398375

]]><![CDATA[Goal Surpassed!!]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:11:38 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/11/goal-surpassed.htmlIt's official!

Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre has surpassed its 2011 United Way Campaign Goal of $5000.00.

Am I surprised? Not really. I mean, every year for the past three or four years I have increased our goal, and every year staff do whatever it takes to meet or exceed that goal. They understand the importance of the United Way and will do whatever it takes to make any type of investment.

Am I proud and overjoyed? Absolutely. Initially raising the goal I thought, “we are a staff of 35, how much more can we contribute?” Well, Norwood is not an Agency to be underestimated! Every year that the goal has been increased, we meet or exceed that goal. This is HUGE considering every year we have a handful of new/er staff, but every year we all continue to learn more about how our investments make a difference as well as gain a better understanding of the United Way and its purpose.

 To realize that people’s lives, or your own life for that matter, can change in an instant is scary. However, to know that if you reach out, somewhere within the city, there is someone, some place, that can offer you the support you need is amazing. How great it is to be a part of the CHANGE.   

Final 2011 United Way Investment: $7546.70

]]><![CDATA[CHANGE STARTS HERE.]]>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:46:39 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/09/change-starts-here.html
Wow! This video is extremely different from years past. Rather than becoming an emotional disaster, I smiled. I felt good. I started grooving in my seat! I was impressed and inspired. What a positive video with a personal touch. Be prepared to have this song stuck in your head!
Watching this video, you see hope, love, and success. Listening to the lyrics, hearing that you can be the change in someone's life, knowing,
Change Starts Here...Change Starts With You. 

Change Starts Here - Lyrics
Chorus:
We gotta get up, we gotta get ourselves together, we gotta be strong, can't have no fear
We gotta wake, we gotta work with one another, United Way means the change, the change starts here

Verse 1: (R.J. Cui)
The change starts, he reviews his thoughts, refuse to lose, or peruse parking lots, poverty
To possibility possibly, with disregard for what all the costs will be, of course
He came up short, forgettin' the cause, because he 'd create costs, he couldn't afford
Forget the faux pas, won't pause gotta move on sing his own tune old school wit a new song
Fella got his groove back, bet he be back better job, better mood, better feedback
Reach up off your knees we will find you U-AND-I-TEd way we're here right behind you

Verse 2: (Omar Mouallem)
He brushes the dust off his pant cuffs, stands up, no more feeling landlocked, with his hands up
They gave him a hand Instead of giving handcuffs, cause they know every one can have some bad luck
He was never too much a man to grab one, now his little man reaches for his dad's thumb
His world is theirs so they're compelled to invest with Homeless Connect and Coats for his kid
Now he's got two loves when he used to have none, and the hope they give puts slack in his rope
Cause he never wants to go back to battling with dope, beat his Waterloo to see his new home grow

Verse 3: (Doris Djulic)
Through his father he's given a change, for a chance to a better life, warmer nights, the ability to write
To learn to earn, cuz he deserves to be, all that a kid can be, and a chance to reach his full potential
His finishing his last semester, on the road to becoming a successor, but he'll always remember
where he got his pencils, and who helped him with the shelter, with a dime a day he gained a way to maintain and all it took was one minute, 1 change, 1 vision, 1 gain, 1 belief to succeed to achieve his dream, but who'da thought he'd be the kid sitting right Next to me

Bridge: x 4
United Way will make a way, it ain't too late to make a change
U-AND-I Ted Way will make a way, it ain't too late to make a change!
]]><![CDATA[Success]]>Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:56:48 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/08/success.htmlPicture
21,100,000
The amount of dollars raised in the 2010 United Way Campaign - the most
United Way has raised in their
70 year history.

Last year, Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre set a goal of $4200.00 for our campaign. At the end of our campaign, we had raised over $5282.00! 
This year, we will increase our United Way Campaign goal as we look forward to participating in fun activities and supporting one of our major supporters.

Change Starts Here

]]><![CDATA[Ohhh the simple things!]]>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:18:51 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/07/ohhh-the-simple-things.html
Watch somewhere with sound.
]]><![CDATA[Smile, it may be the only sunshine someone sees all day]]>Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:10:39 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/07/smile-it-may-be-the-only-sunshine-someone-sees-all-day.html
Watch somewhere with sound.
]]><![CDATA[A fun way for children and youth to build skills]]>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:05:04 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/06/a-fun-way-to-build-skills.html
Is skateboarding a bad influence? Answer: Skateboarding is only as bad of an influence as you want it to be. Skateboarding itself is not a bad influence at all - in fact, it's a very good influence! Skateboarding keeps kids active, teaches them to set and achieve goals, challenges them - there are a lot of reasons that skateboarding by itself is a very good influence.

Top 6 reasons to skateboard:

1. To try something new
2. To keep fit
3. To make friends
4. To learn perseverance
5. To build confidence
6. To have fun!

]]><![CDATA[Top 10 reasons children should exercise]]>Tue, 24 May 2011 08:26:39 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/05/top-10-reasons-children-should-exercise.html1. Exercise helps improve motor coordination and enhances the development of various motor performance skills.

2. Children who are active report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and a better overall mood.

3. Participating in regular physical activity prevents or delays the development of many chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension) and promotes health.

4. Kids who exercise have greater self-esteem and better self-images.

5. Research shows that exercise promotes improved school attendance and enhances academic performance.

6.  Exercise improves the quantity and quality of sleep.

7. Exercise aids in the development of important interpersonal skills—this is especially true for participation in team sports.

8. Regular physical activity helps build and maintain strong, healthy muscles, bones and joints.

9. Exercise helps kids achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

10. Kids who exercise are more likely to keep exercising as an adult.  ]]><![CDATA[Service Groups $10,000 richer]]>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:18:26 -0800http://www.norwoodcentre.com/1/post/2011/04/service-groups-10000-richer.html

                                                        BUSINESS                      EDMONTON JOURNAL

EDMONTON / Four local service organizations were awarded $10,000 each by Edmonton's $7-million Social Enterprise Fund to help kick-start new community based ventures.
    The awards, which include 25 hours of free coaching from business-startup experts at TEC Edmonton and novaNAIT, were handed out at the conclusion of a weekend boot camp for "social entrepreneurs" at NAIT.
    The boot camp, which drew about 30 participants, was aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills for those launching new, self-sustaining social service ventures.
    The winners include:
Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre: It plans to partner with an Edmonton firm to offer child and family support services in the workplace


 

Norwood Child & Family Resource Centre is a charitable nonprofit that has been providing child and family services for over 45 years in Edmonton's inner city.   They have designed a social venture where they will work with large corporations who are willing to invest space to Norwood who in turn, works with the employees of the corporation to design services that meet their needs with a primary focus on children, families and community.

They are in the process of working with a company where they have designed businesses around providing childcare, family and multicultural support as well as establishing a small bistro and drop off/pick up dry cleaning business.   The profit from these businesses will allow Norwood to increase their programming for high risk youth, increase the number of parents that can get respite to decrease the number of children from potential neglect and abuse and will free up at least 80 more spaces for those who are on waiting lists for childcare in the city of Edmonton.

By putting a cost to the benefits for the company like less training needs, increased staff retention and satisfaction, a decrease in absenteeism, we estimated that this current company could in return save 5 times the amount of their investment in space to Norwood. 


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