The Snow Lake Family Resource Centre (SNFRC) is celebrating and spending a $2,000 grant from the Canada Post Foundation. The centre received $2,000 Oct. 10 to help out their Parents and Tots program.
The centre bought new chairs for their program.
“We've been updating the environment to be more cohesive, to promote parents engaging with their children,” Paige Loggie, administrative assistant for the centre said.
“Before, we had seating that didn't work very well. Some of the chairs were higher and we want the parents to really engage with their families. We bought some smaller chairs that we're getting the leg room that parents would need, but at the same time they leave them at the eye level so that they can always be engaging with their child.”
Loggie said the need for family programming is high in Snow Lake.
“We're looking to create healthy environments for families, for moms, dads, children to make better, more informed decisions,” she said.
“We're looking to open the space up for families to come in help to educate their children. They are on the path to succeeding in school, they're able to read at a higher level.”
Some money from the Canada Post grant will also be used to upgrade tools and space for kids inside the centre.
“It's updating and adding to the space so that we can have more age appropriate supplies and equipment for school aged children,” Loggie said.
“[We want to] open it up to allow for more of a family counselling kind of environment. Let's say families were struggling to have their children develop in a normal kind of setting. They come over here and we have educational toys and various things and therapy that we would assist them in their development.”
One of the big goals for the centre is to upgrade their library and refresh the material kids can interact with.
“We have big plans for this place,” Loggie said.
“We have a bunch of kids activity books and media kits that have been here for quite some time and they need a bit of updating and refreshing to more modern titles that would actually help boost a child's education.”
Loggie said providing this kind of space for children can help their development.
“They always have the school, and our school is a great place for a foundation, but what is he to do after school?” she said.
“We try and do our best to create programming that's going to be educational, informative, produce results and promote wellbeing.”
Loggie said the centre will be looking to improve their counselling space, saying the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) has used the space.
“[AFM] just gave me a raving review about how welcoming this place is and how the environment that she now has to work with clientele is so comfortable,” she said.
“They love to come in and that boosts our readiness and preparedness to look after people and our clientele.”
