Wood's Homes Blog

We thought we’d offer up something a little different on our blog this week. It’s a subject matter that everyone has had a challenge with now and then. Email communication! We all send and receive emails, and yet how often do we stop and think about best practice? This, especially in a social service setting that demands confidentiality.

Have you ever been in a store where each employee that you ask for help has to go ask someone else about it? Maybe they have to call another department? Wait for the manager? This may only take a few minutes, but when I find myself in this situation I can’t help but wonder if things could be better organized to make the store more efficient.

Every year, the Santa Project brings Christmas cheer to children, youth and families at Wood’s Homes. This project, similar to adopt-a-family, supports over 100 families each year. These families are all involved in one of our 40+ programs. Dozens of generous community members provide donations such as grocery store gift certificates, warm winter clothing, and toys for children. Through the Santa Project, Wood’s Homes and our wonderful donors are able to make the holiday season a little brighter for these families.

What is Research? Cambridge Dictionary (2019) defines ‘research’ as the study of a subject, in detail, in order to discover new information or reach a new understanding. Within Wood’s Homes, we have many people who are passionate about research and data, and Adam Flegel, program supervisor at the EXIT Youth Hub, is one of them. EXIT’s outreach programs started in 1989, and offer a service in which young people (12-24) have walk-in access to on-site staff who provide counselling, crisis support, employment and housing support, community advocacy, as well as health, mental health and addictions support. I had the opportunity to talk with Adam about his programs. It was an inspiring conversation, and it kept me thinking not only about the numbers, but the stories behind them.

Did you know that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the number one cause of developmental disabilities, and is ahead of Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

September is FASD Awareness Month, a time to create awareness around the importance of abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy.  FASD is referred to as the invisible disability and does not discriminate – every woman who is pregnant and consumes alcohol is at risk of having a baby with FASD. 

Wood’s Homes Kinship Support Program consists of two Kinship Support Workers (that’s us!) and our Program Manager, Camella Magulike. We are part of an interconnected group of services offered by Wood’s Homes’ Family Support Network to improve outcomes for children and families. The program began in 2015 and has grown a lot since then, from supporting 16 children placed in 13 kinship homes to supporting 66 children placed in 44 kinship homes in our 2018-2019 reporting period.

At Wood’s Homes, We Never Say No, We Never Give Up, We Never Turn Anyone Away.

This motto is a large part of why we implement trauma-informed care into our everyday practice. Traumatic events are experienced by everyone and are part of being human. When children in particular are involved in such events, this can act as a host for other social and neuropsychiatric problems (Perry, 2006). The Wood’s Homes Supported Visitation and Transportation Program works primarily in collaboration with two programs at Wood’s Homes: The Family Support Network (FSN) and the Foster Care Network (FCN) in providing services to parents and children involved with the Alberta Children’s Services Forest Lawn site. We help to manage risk and safety while supporting access between biological families when the children have been removed from the home due to child protection concerns.

Since 2005, Wood’s Homes Lethbridge has hosted a Gala Dinner in the spring of each year. The event is theme-based (Cinderella, Peter Pan, Pinocchio) with amazing decorations and decor, coupled with great food and live entertainment. It’s an event people look forward to every year. The guest speakers are typically previous clients of Wood’s Homes and are always a highlight, as they share their stories and how Wood’s Homes supported them along the way.  The generosity of the business community, countless volunteer hours, amazing committee members and leadership from Wood’s Homes, make this the Gala of the Year!

Kinga and I have had the esteemed opportunity in attending and supporting a variety of local fundraising efforts over the past decade or so. We have found that during that time, while we have been living, working and raising a family in our community, Wood’s Homes has become an increasingly special place that we have come to call our own. After we became aware of all of the services that Wood’s provides, it truly hit home with us – raising three children of our own, we always knew that we hoped they didn’t need the services of Wood’s Homes, but rested in the comfort of knowing Wood’s is there.

Over the past 10 years, all three levels of government, the private sector, non-profit and health institutions have partnered together in the 10 Year Plan To End Homelessness. As part of this plan, members of Calgary’s youth homeless-serving sector and community met in 2017 to launch the 2018 Refresh of the Calgary Plan to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness.