Somerset West Community Health Centre at Laroche Park BOYS CLUB BY: JORDAN WELLS GIRLS CLUB BY: ANGELICA PINEDA AND PAULINA GAREAU COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - RCR1396 Part A - Vision, Assessment and Goals and Objectives (10%) Vision: Somerset West Community Health Centre exists to help the residents of West-Central Ottawa achieve optimal health and social well-being. Special attention is given to those who have additional needs because of income, language, culture, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family composition, disability or other factors and as a result have difficulties accessing primary health care or social services Believes Several fundamental beliefs guide the operation of our organization: 1. The social, political and economic structures of society set societal values. This dictates the status assigned to different groups of people, allowing some to flourish, while constraining others. 2. Diversity enriches the community in which we live and work. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, have equal opportunities and an environment free from discrimination or harassment for any reason. 3. Quality of life in the community is determined by the people, the environment and the interaction between them. Therefore, people can affect change in their lives by action at the community level 4. All individuals have the ability to grow, develop, contribute and take responsibility for their own lives to the fullest extent possible. 5. People are most effectively helped by a process which empowers them to achieve self-determined goals What are you trying to achieve? First step of our process would be to figure out how our strengths can benefit the Somerset Community Health Centre (what do they need and what can we do to help). What is your ideal outcome for this community? To have a positive effect of the community and a positive influence on the lives of individuals. Assessments and building blocks The community of Laroche Park is situated in Mechanics Ville, Ottawa which is identified as a low income neighbourhood. The children that Laroche Park services are considered to be of a volnurable sector due to their living situation and being wards of the crown. Laroche Park is part of the web of services offered in this community amongst community housing and shelters. Laroche Parks need is their space capacity for the amount of children they can take on that need positive programming. There is a desire for more connection to services. Laroche Parks Physical Capacity is 20 People, they have a computer room with 4 computers that is earned through a point system based on reward points for behavior and positive participation within the program. The have two baseball fields that are also used as dog parks, a splash pad, a play ground with swings and a jungle gym as well as a gazebo and one basketball court needing resurfacing and one outdoor rink with one light during the winter. Our desired outcome to this problem is to help alleviate the limitation of the field house capacity. By connecting Krystal and Laroche Park with Dovercourt this extends the reach of this communities assets. As well, we have acquired donated hats, mitts and gloves so that they can offer their outdoor rink and large amount of field space to the children of the neighborhoods during the cold Ottawa winters. This community has a value for mutual respect. In a community of large uncertainties offering mutual respect that can be trusted upon is vital to the development of the children of Laroche Park. Though these clients test us and push us as they continue to demonstrate their need for us to add to the development of their resilience. Goals and Objective Goals: Youth being confident enough to volunteering for leadership roles during activities Goals: Seeing youth work together as a team during team activities and develop their critical thinking. Goals: To promote recreation and leisure services and volunteering Objectives: Build their self-confidence by encouraging them to express themselves and voice their opining in an appropriate manner. Objectives: To promote teamwork with team building activities and group thinking. Objectives: Inform youth about the positive effects that recreational professionals and also volunteers have on community by programing to meet the needs of the community. Part B - Action Plan, Implementation and Evaluation for actual cause/event (10%) Our Participation at Laroche Park started with Boys Club on November 2, 2015 and Girls Club on November 5, We could not receive any kind of consent for media, a majority of the children at Laroche come from community housing projects, shelters and other services that makes their identity unable to be authorized for a blog use. The compromise was photos of set up, photos of hands and personal blog post reflections on our time spent volunteering weekly. Our blog posts discuss our programming and desired outcomes as we adapt with the routine at Laroche Park. Our reflection and evaluation is included and updated weekly as we make improvements to our approaches with the kids. Jordan is running Boys Club on Mondays and Paulina and Angie are running Girls Club on Thursdays and Fridays. Jordan is updating the groups progress on his blog. Our weekly blog posts are intended to demonstrate this execution with our person recounts of our weekly programming at Laroche Park. Our Needs Assessments has identified two strong needs with this coming winter. This first is the field house volume of 20 people is cramped and they are un able to offer Christmas programming. The second is the children need outdoor wear such as gloves and mitts and Leroche Parks has little stock of donated outerwear to give out to those needing to stay warm. As we volunteered weekly we touched on the needs of the clients that we observed while interacting with them in their environments. After each visit we would follow up with Krystal on how things were going since our last visit and as questions based on the needs we have assessed while delivering our programming that day. Weekly follow up and at the beginning of each session then demonstrated our on going improvements. Our time line had it so that we had had our meetings with our agency and the chosen location we had identified to make a positive impact on the week of October 26, We decided upon November being the month we would be volunteering at Laroche Park making ur final visit and donation drop off being November Each blog post discusses and identifiesthe positive and constructive feedback we receive from our participants as well as the staff and other coop students at Laroche Park. Crystal was good in pointing out our achievements through our perceived struggles and short comings. She was a constructive reminder that aloud us to build on our skills when working with a vulnerable sector. With Laroche Parks high turn over rate Krystal identified the need for my help in connecting with Dovercourt Recreation Association as the 16 OC Transpo Bus goes door to door of the community center from Tunnys Pasture Bus Station that is a walk able distance from their field house. I discussed this need with John Rapp one day at work for Laroche Park and their capacity not being able to provide to more than 20 people. He offered 10 Last Minutes Club Forms for identified children to be able to participate in this Christmas holidays Christmas Camp from Laroche Park. Part C - Reporting, Presentation and Evaluation (10%) Summary of our initiative; to get to know the Mechanicsville community and the youth, to provide them with volunteers, to connect them with Dovercourt (free programming) as well as outdoor active wear so they can take advantage of their outdoor rink. We want to initiate team building and positive attitudes to these underprivileged youth. The things we thought went well; activities with the girls, connecting with the coordinators, providing grants for the organization and overall team work. Recommendations we have for the future would be providing more structure with the children, they were all over the place and very excited. The best part of the experience for us was spending time with the children, getting to know them and their lively community. The community centre at Laroche Park The park surrounding the community centre More photos of the surrounding area Murals painted on the side of the community centre Week 1 Girls Club Every Thursday from 4:30 to 6:00pm Ages: 6 to 13 years old Our first day with the girls was on Monday November 2 nd, we decided to join Jordan for his Boys Club day that is held every Monday. We simply wanted to meet the girls we would be working with, to get to know them better as well as getting a sense of what kind of activities they wanted to do (A LOT of sports and fun games which was very encouraging because we were hoping they would participate this whole-heartedly). We played a simple ice breaker of throwing around a ball to anybody around the circle to find out their name and an interesting fact about themselves. The girls quickly became comfortable with us, which led to them asking their teachers permission so we could take them outside to see the dogs that always roamed the park around that hour of the evening (accompanied by their owners). This provided distraction for about 15 minutes then they wanted to play our first ever game together, of course we let them decide what we would kick off the foundation of our program and they chose a game based on speed, agility, trust, partnership and comradery Freeze Toilet Tag!! Shortly after it was time to leave so we hugged the girls goodbye and we were on our way, having accomplished a wonderful beginning to new friendships. Week 2 Our second day with the girls was on Thursday November 12 th, the real first day of our Girls Club and to our surprise there were a few new members added to our group, which was excellent because that was the day we saved for our best craft activity of making a poster for our club with decorated hand prints with two important pieces of information; a girls name and her aspiration for when she is older (there were hands that held future lawyers, future doctors and more). These young ladies have very big aspirations and incredible imagination, they decorated their hands and the poster with incredible interest and importance. We were very happy to have had a chance to get to know these girls more in depth, considering more personal factors such as interests, aspirations, skills and more. When it was time to leave, we once again received many hugs, helped to put on winter jackets and we walked them out the door while reassuring them that we would get home safe on the bus and that they should respect their leaders instructions for walking home safe. Our Girls Club Poster Activity before we started it Our end result and the clean space after the activity Week 3 Team Building activities - November 19, 2015 Today I started by greeting the girls, asking them how their day was and what they learned at school. After their snacks the girls and I started our activities; which was centered around working on team building activities, we started by separating into two teams - there were some concerns that the teams would not be even and so the girls asked if instead of groups if the activity could be done altogether and so I agreed. Seeing that the girls were willing to participate as one strong team because they did not want the teams to be uneven was already a god sign that they were already thinking like a team. We started off with some brain teasers and riddles, after they have solved the riddles we continued to play charades surprisingly two boys asked to join our activity and so they started acting out the characters and fully participating in our activity. I was glad to see other children interested in the activities that the girls were taking part in. Week 4 Our last Girls Club at Laroche Park Friday night, November 27 th 2015 We knew this was going to be the last time we got to organize an activity for these great girls, so we knew it had to be something great. We decided on a movie night with a slight twist, instead of playing one movie the whole way through, we let the girls choose several movies that we watched parts of, followed by questions about the movie clip. Every right answer was awarded with a strawberry or peach candy cane (they also have a cup full of buttery popcorn and a cold glass of water for the movie scenes). After lots of laughter, talking, running around and compromises over which movies to pick, we had all the girls (and a few boys) settle down onto the mats and couches with us to watch these clips. They were extremely happy to be doing such a simple activity with us, because they too would miss spending time with Angelica and I. After the movies were done, we had a special announcement for them (after they got their second round of candy canes), we showed them the gloves, hats, scarves, earmuffs, sweaters, warm pants and movies to keep that we brought them. We told them all of this stuff would stay at the community centre for them to use whenever they wanted to go outside and play. They were very thankful, but it was time for us all to head home, therefore they gave us multiple bear hugs, said many heartfelt goodbyes, made us promise we would come back and visit then we said our final goodbyes to these wonderful young ladies that we hoped we had changed their lives if only a little. Walking away, Angelica and I discussed what working there showed us, and it was summed up in a quote that Crystal the instructor told us; if you can survive Laroche Park, you can survive anything! (Pictures to follow) Movie night photos! Donations for Girls Club Program Coordinators Somerset West Community Health Centre - As a Community Health Centre located in a diverse neighbourhood, we run a variety of children and youth programs (as well as a variety of others) that emphasize physical activity and healthy behaviour. Somerset West CHC 755 Somerset St. W K1R 6R digdeeep.wordpress.com Check out Jordans blog with our community development assignment and other cool stuff ! Boys Club with Jordan Week 1 - November 2, 2015 Today was my first day at Laroche Park, I was greeted very warmly by the staff working that day who were expecting me. I sat down with the kids for snack, baked beans and mini croissants with great big black berries for a sweet dessert. With a little bit of coaxing to eat their fruit we went out to the field where the boys started to introduce me to all of their friends in the community who were already outside playing in the field. I had found six Frisbees in their games supplies area, four green and two red, prefect for playing capture the flag with the four green Frisbees in the middle and the center lined and the two red Frisbees as the flags. After quickly assessing the group as I had met them and noticing how they gathered in front of me as I explained the game I appointed two captains and told them to make their own teams, this worked and I joined a team and we split to our respective sides. After the sun was long set and well over an hour had passed we had played at least ten round of capture the flag with other children from the community joining in. I got to learn a lot about the childrens behavior in how they listened to their social workers and staff comparatively to my self and another the coop student who has spent a few weeks there already. Week 2 - November 9, 2015 I showed up on my skateboard today, the kids all ran up to me and were stoked to see me as I went and sat down with them on the bleachers in front of the field. Of course everyone wanted to know; can I try it? What my best trick was? How long had I been skateboarding for? It was a fun chat with the boys and I. the boys whom I had been speaking to were mostly the boys from the community not registered in the program but hanging around waiting for their friends to come out from eating their snack inside. As I told them Id be back to play again in a minute I wondered to my self whether or not they had eaten an afterschool snack Eating snack I recognized some new faces as well as some I knew whom where happy to see me. We hung out and played Beyblades while they ate great big black berries and raspberries nearly the same size with cheddar fishy crackers. Once I got out side the kids were all playing soccer in the out door rink boards that had been set up since I had last been there. I joined in and ran around for a bit until the boys started to ask me about playing capture the flag like last time, so again I chose two leaders who were the two boys that were the most eager to play. There were a lot of local kids out that day; it was a very nice day out yet we tried to assemble two teams and claim the outdoor rink as capture the flag area. It took the better part of 20 minutes to set up the Frisbees like the week before and to get the first round of capture the flag started, the round lasted about 10 minutes and set up for a second round took another ten minutes. Five minutes into the round kids started coming in with hockey sticks, soccer balls and just running through the game. The other staff tried to help keep the kids out of the outdoor rink area that werent playing capture the flag and as I tried to speak to one of the boys who was swinging around a hockey stick like a sword, he defied me and walk away, so again I asked him to bring his hockey stick somewhere else and be respectful and again, he walked so I continued to walk with him and asked him why he was being so rude to me and he swore at me telling me it was just a game, surprised I walk up and grabbed at the hockey stick he had started to swing towards me which I then caught the stick and threw it out of the arena. He became enraged and I asked him again to please leave the rink and to be more considerate of others. He stomped away and one by one he jumped up in the air with two feet together smashing through the center line of Frisbees, he managed to smash three of them before I could get in his way enough until he began to scream and swing firsts at me and as he started to connect his punches to me the social worker that had been watching came running over to hold him back. I debriefed with the social worker after that explained to me the background of that boys living situation and how it can impact his impulse controls. I felt as I had wasted my time and failed yet she commended me on at least getting one full round of capture the flag out of the group. I tried not to feel discouraged when I told them that these are some of the most challenging kids I have ever worked with but when the staff and workers agreed with me that this group was some of the most challenging they had work with in the field I began to realized how much support Laroche Park really needs. Week 3 - November 16, 2015 Since my visit the week before I had reflected on my altercation quite often, I had waves of guilt and a feeling of incompetence. I understand that my friends at the park had long moved on and so should I. I concluded that we would all just hang out inside today and with this bag of finger skateboards I had borrowed from Dovercourt Recreation Association. I walked in today to see the usual faces and warm hellos of the staff and volunteers as well as the loud hellos and sassy whatevers from the kids there that day, as the scuffle started to disperse I began to recognize the face of a friend I seem to bump into out of the blue, in the strangest places and always on time. Today my friend Myron from my Child and Youth Worker program class had come back to visit his previous coop as he was on his way to India now that he had graduated. Myron and I started to catch up as the kids were bugging us to go play. We got a large Wok Pot and a Fisher Price slide up onto a fold out table and created a skateboard park of ramps and rails to fling and smash these tiny skateboards all over the room pretending we were in some kind of alternate video game universe of gnarly dudes. What I noticed was that once we began to engage as a group of 3 or 4 at a time including my self, the smaller grouping made it easier for us to talk and have fun as much as I was able to manage problem behaviors as they came up instead of allowing these behaviors time to escalate as they see me coming towards them from across the field while playing capture the flag in passed visits. Along with receiving many healthy reminders from a friend on a new path reminding me of a personal path passed and the skills and perspectives I had learnt along the way, I appreciate the reminder and the chance to continue on that growth. Week 4 - November 23, 2015 Last days are tough, good byes always feel funny as I have become part of the routine over this passed month. What I have noticed however is the amount of different faces I have seen come and go each Monday, also the faces and now names that are becoming familiar. I showed up early today before snack, this gave us time to play with the fingerboards again in the Fisher Price slide except the challenge was that there already was a group of three boys Beyblade battling in the slide. At first we all just played at once and it was funny and fun for a short while before people started to feel encroached on so I proposed a compromise. 2 Beyblade battles while we watch and cheer on your spinning top battle but after that we get 2 minutes of slide halfpipe. This compromise worked for almost ten minutes before the Beybladers lost inters and started to finger board with us until snack time. After a snack of rice crispys, banana slices and milk I began to get coaxed for a game of capture the flag, I told everyone to get their jackets on as well as a hat and gloves as it was getting even colder with the sun now almost fully down at 5pm. I walked around the field house trying to recruit more boys to come play yet the Beybladers had grown in numbers and they were content to battle, fair game, battle on. I got outside and we had six boys, enough participants for a game of 3 on 3 that started rite away and was over in less than 5 minutes. This got the boys fired up for a second round, as we split up again I asked some of the boys where their hats were or if they had gloves? Some had chosen not to wear theirs and others just didnt have any as they claimed. By mid round the girls were coming out to bug us and try and play and today being the last day I was at Laroche and that we needing more players, I decided girls could join boys club since the boys were happy for the competition. As I am apposed to boys vs. girls grouping in my programming I convinced the teams to mix up and I switched teams to appease some players of this decision. We got three good rounds that lasted 20 minutes, by that time we were cold and ready to go in, the kids helped clean up and I got into a nice chat about one of the boys love for football and how its kind of like capture the flag. As I put the equipment away I felt like we had accomplished something by being able to play together respectfully that day and as I explained this to Krystal she agreed. I mentioned that Paulina, Angie and I were going to try to fill the need for outdoor wear that we had noticed and would be delivering a bunch of gloves and mitts on the girls last visit on Friday. She was happy to hear that we had identified this and had acted on it. todays good bye didnt feel so bad. Grant Proposal Dear Snow Suit Fund, We are Recreation and Leisure Services students that are hoping to receive a generous grant or fund (any amount possible) to provide our organization with the simple things that they require such as skates and snow suits. Therefore we believe that if you could provide us with around 20 snow suits, this would have a positive impact to help the children with being able to enjoy the outdoors this winter, but it will also help the staff, the organization itself and it will help us feel great about the work we have done. We do not require much, For the fact that we simply want to see these people smile after having received anything to improve their situation. We thank you for your time in reading this proposal. We also thank you for considering our funding because we are doing this for those who truly need it, we are not asking for any superficial funding or free money. We simply hope to make these children smile with small everyday items such as gloves, hats, scarves, soccer balls, donations and more.