Archives for August 2013

Archive for August, 2013

Join us at our Annual General Meeting

Posted on: August 29th, 2013 by Nellie's No Comments

Notice of 40^th Annual General Meeting

6-8:30pm, Thursday September 10, 2013

Ralph Thornton Community Centre

765 Queen Street East, 2nd Floor

Food, Childcare & Sign Language Interpretation

AGENDA
6:00 – 6:30	Business Meeting
6:30 – 7:00	Guest Speakers, Dr. Lisa Bamoff * & Mary Byberg *
7:00 – 7:15	Special Recognition Ceremony
7:15 – 7:45	Buffet Dinner
7:45 – 8:15	Entertainment by Roula Said *

* Lisa Barnoff is currently the Director of the School of Social Work at Ryerson University. She has been a full-time faculty member in the School since 2003. Lisa’s primary research program has focused on the implementation of anti-oppressive practices within community-based social service agencies. She has authored multiple publications on this topic. Lisa has extensive experience in feminist services, having worked in front-line, management, and board positions. Lisa worked at Nellie’s in the early 1990’s and was a 2 term member of Nellie’s Board, in the early 2000’s leaving her post as Co-Chair.

* In 1992 Mary Byberg left an abusive relationship with her 2 young daughters and lived in a woman’s shelter. Despite a long journey, she transformed herself from victim to a proud mother and grandmother. Mary works in the legal profession and volunteers to improve the lives of women and kids and helps other women realize that is possible to be happy and fulfilled. Mary is a 2 term Nellie’s Board Member and past Treasurer, and sits on Nellie’s Fund Development Committee.

* Roula Said is a Middle Eastern dancer who has been performing and teaching bellydance as well as Whirling Dervish spinning for nearly 20 years. She is also a vocalist, percussionist, and qanun (table harp) player, and currently co-leads Gypsy/Arabic funk band, Nomadica. Roula produces the hippest bellydance event in town, FunkaBelly, and teaches her unique system of bellydance-based movement, rhythm and vocalization, Seven Waves. More about Roula @ www.omlaila.com.

BUSINESS
1	Approval of Minutes of 2012 Annual General Meeting
2	Report from Board President
3	Auditor’s Report
4	Appointment of Auditor
5	Election of New Board Members
6	Meeting Adjournment

Please RSVP to Janna/Maja at 416-461-8903 by Friday September 3 to register for childcare.

To apply for Membership to Nellie’s, fill out our Membership Form. Female applicants only, please.

Please support our Back To Basics Campaign!

Posted on: August 26th, 2013 by Nellie's No Comments

Families should feel happy, protected and safe – but the reality is that some mothers and children aren’t so fortunate…

Because of what’s happening in their home, some of them are living with the constant fear of violence and abuse. And often, when they come to Nellie’s seeking help, they arrive with a hastily packed suitcase or bag with only a few personal possessions on hand.

Sometimes, they arrive with nothing at all.

You can help give these mothers and children the first things they need to start a new life:

-$80 will help a children start this fall fully equipped with a ‘Back-to-school’ kit which includes items such as a backpack, pencils, and clothing.

– $40 will provide a woman with a ‘Basics’ kit which includes essential items like soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.

-$120 will allow you to support both programs.

They may seem like simple things – but they do so much to help women and children adjust as they move towards a life free from violence and abuse. It’s amazing how resilient they can be, with just a little help from Nellie’s and generous people like you. Please support our Back-To-Basics Campaign today!

Donate now and help make a difference in the lives of the women and children at Nellie’s Shelter!

Summer Camp: Week 5

Posted on: August 21st, 2013 by Nellie's No Comments

We had another fun week at Summer Camp!

We started off the week by preparing our pinatas that we’ll be cracking open on our last day next week. Now they’re all painted and ready to be stuffed with goodies. Each camper painted their own pinata however they liked. We spotted a Ninja Turtle and even Spiderman in the bunch.

Swimming is always a well-loved activity. Our campers are very respectful when we go to the pool and do a great job of following all the rules. We’re always proud of them after a trip to the pool. This week was no exception.

We baked this week, and the brownies got rave reviews! Baking is a great activity to get everyone involved no matter what the camper can do. If egg-cracking isn’t your thing, there’s always room for decorating!

Another successful art workshop with self-portrait trading cards let the campers explore what they dream of for their futures. Lots of imagination and high aspirations came through their drawings! The campers also explored a brand new splash pad and park in our area. Afterward, we hit the library for face-painting and games.

We ended the week with a PJ party and movie day just to bring everything to a close. This was a great week — there was such a positive energy and a lot of caring to go around.

Summer Camp: Week 4

Posted on: August 2nd, 2013 by Nellie's No Comments

This week our campers have been running around all over town!

We’ve had some great excursions to Riverdale Farm, the Bata Shoe Museum and the Ontario Science Centre. We even went to The Beaches to fly our kites — it was a breeze!

We began this week with another successful art workshop about life drawing with Meghan, our OCAD leader, and an impromptu rain-day movie. We finished off the week with pinata-making and swimming. All in all it was a busy but fun week. The campers were very cooperative and willing to participate in all the activities and excursions.

Even though we were out and about, we still found time for our regular suggestion circle. This week’s topics were respect and the differences between inclusion and exclusion. The campers had great ideas and were always willing to share their contributions.

Next week we’re looking forward to our self-esteem workshop and the activities to be put on by our friends at One Fire Movement.