Caledon Parent-Child Centre
Nominator Comments:
A leader by example, Kelly ensures that the team around her is always successful. She inspires others, working with various teams to build supports for the community. She leads by doing.
Three years ago, we had a Life for Youth program participant volunteer at our centre. Life for Youth is a program that supports at risk and/or vulnerable youth in our community. Kelly took this youth under her wings and became one of her mentors. Kelly modeled facilitator skills and gave the youth opportunities to practice these skills in our various programs. With Kelly’s guidance and supervision, this youth established positive relationships with our families. Kelly’s time and dedication had a lasting impact on this individual. She thrived in this environment and developed a passion for working with children. This youth decided to go to college and earn her ECE diploma. She returned both summers she was a college student, and became a paid student summer employee, as well as a valued and well liked member of our team. This youth, now an adult, has graduated and earned her ECE diploma, This story demonstrates how Kelly’s leadership, guidance and her commitment, inspired a vulnerable youth in our community to set attainable goals, reach them and follow her passion that has led her to a path of success.
Demonstrate strong relationship building abilites:
- facilitates a weekly CAPC program for families experiencing financial challenges
- focuses on building capacities as parents in areas such as nutrition and mental health
- decreases social isolation
- fosters community relationships while building social supports, such as multi-generational interactions between families and the seniors in the housing complex
Foster cross organizational teamwork:
- continues to maintain and support a positive working partnership with The Exchange (non-profit community support organization) who provides volunteers to cook healthy, nutritious meals for our families
- fosters the partnership with Peace Ranch, a mental health agency offering social recreational rehabilitation programs, who makes monthly meals for our families using foods they grow on site
- Peace Ranch participants contribute 30 hours of meal preparation annually
- connects the participants of Peace Ranch with our families by hosting Peace Ranch at our program site, providing the opportunity for interaction
Inspire those around them:
- builds relationships with ECE students, volunteers and Life for Youth participants
- models facilitation skills
- mentors
- encourages and supports students and their learning
- assists with supervision
- oversees learning objectives
- completes evaluations
