Calgarys Child Magazine 2011 Sept-Oct : Page 5

Calgary Cares is a free forum designed to match those with needs to those willing to help. If you work for, volunteer for, or know of a charity that needs some support, please let us know so we can tell our readers. CCM Help is Just a Phone Call Away! PROUDLY SPONSORS THIS COLUMN 211 Community Connection (24 hours) Dial 211 to get connected to the community services you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 CALGARY CARES Calgary Cares CWA (Cat with Attitude) Finds His Forever Home PROVIDED BY KAREN TAYLOR-BINNIE hree-year-old Frank is a CWA (Cat with Attitude), according to his new family, who recently adopted him from the MEOW Foundation. “He thinks he owns the place,” says Anna Saliba of Frank, but it’s clear she, her husband George, and their 17-year-old son Zach adore him. Whether he’s waking them up at 4am by vibrating their bedroom door stopper, climbing on the cupboards, lying on his back for a tummy rub or simply snuggling on their lap while watching TV, Frank is now part of their family. “We fell for him right away,” says George Saliba, “even though he is a little Anna & George Saliba, and Frank, CWA. devilish.” The day they went to visit him at the MEOW shelter was the day they took him home. It was clear from the start that Frank was the companion they had been seeking. “We have a heart for the underlings,” says Anna, “and we knew we could give him a good home.” Frank is one of more than 5,000 rescued or abandoned cats who found his forever home through the MEOW Foundation since July 2000. At any given time, MEOW has approximately 200 cats and kittens available for adoption. “When you adopt from MEOW, you’re really saving two lives -the cat you are adopting and the cat that is waiting to be admitted to the adoption centre or to one of our many foster homes,” says Board Chair Robert Pronk. “We’re in the business of saving lives,” says Pronk. “We believe there is no one so sick, so frightened, so battle-weary or so abused that they cannot be changed by love.” MEOW (Make Each One Wanted) Foundation is the only Calgary-wide no-kill charity that rescues and cares for stray and abandoned cats and matches them to suitable adopters and foster homes. For more information about the MEOW Foundation, visit meowfoundation.com. CCM T Calgary, the only not-for-profit family-centered organization in the city that provides counseling and support groups specifically for children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one, regardless of financial circumstances. Melissa and Susan started attending Kid’s Club, a grief group where children participate in creative and fun activities designed to help them understand their losses and engage in life again. There is a concurrent parental component that focuses on parenting through grief. “Melissa soon realized that she wasn’t different and she wasn’t alone,” says Susan. “Grief often surfaces as children adjust to a new school year, birthdays or holidays. Support groups can help children and parents build resiliency for these times,” says Blair Collins, Child/Youth & Family Services Counselor. Throughout the program, Susan saw positive changes in Melissa. “She stopped having nightmares and acting out. The sadness is still there, but now we can talk about it and have some tools to figure out what we can do with it,” she says. Hospice Calgary offers Kid’s Club and Dream Catchers, support groups for grieving children and teens as well as individual and family counseling. For more information and September start dates, contact 403-263-4525, email info@hospicecalgary.com or visit hospicecalgary.com. *Names have been changed at the request of the family involved. CCM AADAC Help Line (24 hours) Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-866-33AADAC (2-2322) Adult Counselling and Prevention Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-297-3071 Youth Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-297-4664 Alberta Children’s Hospital Child Abuse and Mental Health Program Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-955-5959 Alberta Health Services – HEALTHLink Alberta 24-hour line providing health information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-943-5465 Toll Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-866-408-5465 Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse 24-Hour Crisis Line and support for people who have been sexually abused/assaulted and their families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-237-5888 Children’s Cottage Crisis Nursery 24-hour child care for parents in crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-233-2273 Child Abuse Hotline Report child abuse-24 hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-387-KIDS Community Resource Team 24-hour mobile crisis team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-299-9699 Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre of Calgary Offers a number of respite options for families with a child with a disability 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, voice message after hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-240-3111 Distress Centre 24-hour telephone support and referral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-4357 Teen Help Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-264-8336 Men’s Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-4357 Early Start Support for Families with New Babies Seven days a week, 24-hours a day support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-244-8351 Families Matter Society Education and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-205-5178 Postpartum Support -8:30 am to 4 pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-205-5177 Resource Line -8:30 am to 4 pm Mon. to Fri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-205-5189 Food Safety Information Society Mon to Fri – part-time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-866-503-7638 Hospice Calgary Grief Counselling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-263-4525 Kids Help Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-668-6868 La Leche League Breastfeeding Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-242-0277 Mental Health Help Line 24 Hour Help Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-303-2642 Mental Health Crisis Line (Mobile Response Team) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-1605 Canadian Mental Health Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-297-1700 Suicide Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-297-1744 Missing Children Society of Canada Organization dedicated to the search for abducted and runaway children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-661-6160 Parent Support Association 24-hour self help for parents of children nine and up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-270-1819 Poison Centre Calgary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-944-1414 Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-332-1414 Ronald McDonald House® Southern Alberta A home away from home for out of town families with seriously ill children in the Calgary Hospitals – 9 am to 9 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-240-3000 Shelters (all 24 hour access) Calgary Drop-In Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-3600 Children’s Cottage Crisis Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-233-2273 Women’s Emergency Shelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-234-SAFE (7233) Sheriff King Family Support Centre Crisis Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-0707 Awo-taan Native Women’s Shelter Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-531-1972 Wheatland Communities Crisis Society Shelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-934-6634 SIDS Calgary Offers support to families who have lost a child to crib death . . . . . 403-265-7437 Telecare Caring, listening, help, suicide information & intervention 24 hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-0700 West Central Communities Resource Centre One-stop approach for family services in the SW communities in regards to early intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-543-0555 Women’s Health Resources Women’s Health Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-944-2270 YWCA Sheriff King Family Support Centre Non-crisis information -8 am to 4 pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-266-4111 UNICEF’s Partners for Safety PROVIDED BY UNICEF Photo: Saliba Family: Courtesy Meow Foundation Illustration Right: Dynamic Graphics/liquidlibrary/Thinkstock ‘Don’t Wanna Talk About It’ PROVIDED BY HOSPICE CALGARY O n a cool spring night in May, 2009, *Susan found out that her husband had died at a work camp in Fort McMurray. Not long after her daughter, *Melissa, then six, began to have nightmares and started acting out at school. The school was concerned, and so was Susan. When she tried to talk to Melissa, the response was a tightlipped, “Don’t want to talk about it.” Counselors at the school recommended Hospice While trick-or-treaters won’t be carrying UNICEF boxes on Halloween night, UNICEF wants to ensure children are safe as they go door to door collecting candy. For the 17th year, UNICEF’s Partners for Safety will be on patrol. More than 800 vehicles will patrol Calgary streets from 6pm to 8pm, making sure this will be a safe Halloween. The Partners for Safety include: Calgary Police Service, Emergency Medical Services, Calgary Fire Department, Calgary Transit, Shaw TV, Calgary Halloween safety tips: Animal and Bylaw Tell your parents which area you Services and will visit and when you will be back. Calgary’s Child Stay out of houses and cars Magazine. Any unless parents permit. child experiencing Travel in groups down one side of the a problem can go street before crossing to the other. to a partner for Look both ways before crossing the street help. and cross only at intersections. The UNICEF Avoid shortcuts through alleys, Partners for Safety lanes or private property. remind all Check treats with an adult motorists to be before eating them. extra cautious when driving on Wear bright, reflective clothing. Halloween night! Use makeup instead of masks, Hospitals Alberta Children’s Hospital 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-955-7211 Foothills Medical Centre 1403, 29 Street NW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-944-1110 Peter Lougheed Centre 3500, 26 Avenue NE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-943-4555 Rockyview General Hospital 7007, 14 Street SW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-943-3000 Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre -Urgent Care 1213, 4 Street SW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-955-6200 South Calgary Health Centre -Urgent Care 31 Sunpark Place SE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-943-9300 McDonald’s is proud to sponsor this column. With Ronald McDonald House Charities, we share a commitment to helping Calgary’s children and their families. which can limit your vision. Carry a flashlight. For more information, visit unicef.ca or contact 403-270-2857. CCM Sept-Oct 2011 • calgaryschild.com • 5

MEOW Foundation

CWA (Cat with Attitude) Finds His Forever Home PROVIDED BY KAREN TAYLOR-BINNIE Three-year-old Frank is a CWA (Cat with Attitude), according to his new family, who recently adopted him from the MEOW Foundation. “He thinks he owns the place,” says Anna Saliba of Frank, but it’s clear she, her husband George, and their 17-year-old son Zach adore him. Whether he’s waking them up at 4am by vibrating their bedroom door stopper, climbing on the cupboards, lying on his back for a tummy rub or simply snuggling on their lap while watching TV, Frank is now part of their family. “We fell for him right away,” says George Saliba, “even though he is a little devilish.” The day they went to visit him at the MEOW shelter was the day they took him home. It was clear from the start that Frank was the companion they had been seeking. “We have a heart for the underlings,” says Anna, “and we knew we could give him a good home.” Frank is one of more than 5,000 rescued or abandoned cats who found his forever home through the MEOW Foundation since July 2000. At any given time, MEOW has approximately 200 cats and kittens available for adoption. “When you adopt from MEOW, you’re really saving two lives - the cat you are adopting and the cat that is waiting to be admitted to the adoption centre or to one of our many foster homes,” says Board Chair Robert Pronk. “We’re in the business of saving lives,” says Pronk. “We believe there is no one so sick, so frightened, so battle-weary or so abused that they cannot be changed by love.” MEOW (Make Each One Wanted) Foundation is the only Calgary-wide no-kill charity that rescues and cares for stray and abandoned cats and matches them to suitable adopters and foster homes. For more information about the MEOW Foundation, visit meowfoundation.com.

Hospice Calgary

‘Don’t Wanna Talk About It’ PROVIDED BY HOSPICE CALGARY On a cool spring night in May, 2009, *Susan found out that her husband had died at a work camp in Fort McMurray. Not long after her daughter, *Melissa, then six, began to have nightmares and started acting out at school. The school was concerned, and so was Susan. When she tried to talk to Melissa, the response was a tightlipped, “Don’t want to talk about it.” Counselors at the school recommended Hospice Calgary, the only not-for-profit family-centered organization in the city that provides counseling and support groups specifically for children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one, regardless of financial circumstances. Melissa and Susan started attending Kid’s Club, a grief group where children participate in creative and fun activities designed to help them understand their losses and engage in life again. There is a concurrent parental component that focuses on parenting through grief. “Melissa soon realized that she wasn’t different and she wasn’t alone,” says Susan. “Grief often surfaces as children adjust to a new school year, birthdays or holidays. Support groups can help children and parents build resiliency for these times,” says Blair Collins, Child/Youth & Family Services Counselor. Throughout the program, Susan saw positive changes in Melissa. “She stopped having nightmares and acting out. The sadness is still there, but now we can talk about it and have some tools to figure out what we can do with it,” she says. Hospice Calgary offers Kid’s Club and Dream Catchers, support groups for grieving children and teens as well as individual and family counseling. For more information and September start dates, contact 403-263-4525, email info@hospicecalgary.com or visit hospicecalgary.com. * Names have been changed at the request of the family involved.

UNICEF's Partners For Safety

PROVIDED BY UNICEF While trick-or-treaters won’t be carrying UNICEF boxes on Halloween night, UNICEF wants to ensure children are safe as they go door to door collecting candy. For the 17th year, UNICEF’s Partners for Safety will be on patrol. More than 800 vehicles will patrol Calgary streets from 6pm to 8pm, making sure this will be a safe Halloween. The Partners for Safety include: Calgary Police Service, Emergency Medical Services, Calgary Fire Department, Calgary Transit, Shaw TV, Calgary Animal and Bylaw Services and Calgary’s Child Magazine. Any child experiencing a problem can go to a partner for help. The UNICEF Partners for Safety remind all motorists to be extra cautious when driving on Halloween night! For more information, visit unicef.ca or contact 403-270-2857.

Help Is Just A Phone Call Away

Calgary Cares Is A Free Forum Designed To Match Those With Needs To Those Willing To Help

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