Wood's Homes Blog

As of October 17, 2018, cannabis for recreational consumption will be legal in Canada.

And, whether you like it or not, your teen (and their friends) will probably try it.

While the minimum age for buying, using, possessing and growing recreational cannabis in Alberta is 18 (the same minimum age for the sale of alcohol and tobacco), it’s very likely that your teen will be exposed to the drug before that age. 

Getting outside is good for kids. In fact, it’s good for everyone – children, adults and families together.

Science tells us that spending time outdoors – whether hiking in the mountains, losing ourselves in the reflections of crystal clear lakes, visiting local parks, or walking or biking community trails– helps both our bodies and brains.

To truly share my first impression of Wood’s Homes, I have to step back ten years. In September 2008, I was 14 years old, and I tagged along with my dad for a Day of Caring at the Parkdale Campus to re-paint the rooms in the cottages. At the time, I had no concept of what Wood’s Homes was, or the work that the agency was doing, but throughout the day I learned, quite quickly, that the experiences I had growing up were very different than the experiences of the clients.

With my backpack tight and my walking shoes on…

During EXIT Outreach’s transition to its new home in Inglewood, the EXIT team has been on the streets talking with homeless and at-risk youth. Street outreach could mean many things, depending on who you ask. It could mean handing out sandwiches or coffee. It could mean speaking about available resources or providing water on a hot day. It could mean, simply, giving somebody a hug and providing a listening ear – a brief escape from the daunting reality of life on the streets. For EXIT, street outreach embodies all of these things.

Calgary Pride will be hosting its 28th annual Pride Parade this weekend, the final celebration following a week full of Pride-related activities and events (including the rainbow flag raising at City Hall). Calgary will also be hosting the Dyke and Trans March on Sept. 1, where those who identify as lesbian, gender neutral and transgender march to celebrate, empower and educate society at large.

This is the last post in this series about instilling a sense of home in children and youth, even when they are no longer living with us. Last month, we talked about temporary separations like summer camp. But as the long weekend approaches, many of us won’t just be preparing for our kids for back to school; rather, we’ll be preparing for them to move away from us for the first year. 

It’s that time of year again! From shopping for school supplies and new indoor shoes, to squeezing in those last few summer adventures before the fall routine sets in, parents are busy getting their children ready for the upcoming school year.

Although going back to school is a very exciting time, we also know it can be a time of increased stress, anxiety and behavioural concerns for both students and their families.

In the realm of human services, we have the simultaneous challenge and benefit of working in a field in its relative infancy.  We can look back at our foundations and see (perhaps more than most other sciences) just how far we have come in the last century. Furthermore, the subject of our science and work is constantly changing — western civilization and the people who live in it are very different from how they were even a couple of decades ago.  

Last month, I talked about the importance of instilling a sense of home in our children that they can carry with them throughout their lives.  This month, I’ve been thinking about some of the ways in which separation can be a rite of passage for children (and their parents) resulting in positive feelings of independence and self-esteem, while still invoking a sense of connection. 

Ever wonder what the true definition of a great partnership is? At Wood’s Homes, we think we know the answer – a mix of commitment, support, hard work and great chemistry. These are the ingredients we share with our friends at Vermilion Energy, whose staff demonstrated their passion for our work once again at a recent Day of Caring!