vacation....of sorts

I get two weeks vacation every year, and I can take my overtime as lou time whenever appropriate. I'm just not very good at it.

I'm suppose to be on vacation this week. So far I've finished a report for our Community Matters project and wrote up our strategic plan. I still have one more grant proposal to write and then I can be free and clear to relax for a day.

But it's hard to relax when I keep reading about the death of women, and family members, at the hands of their spouse, two in 24 hours this week.

We react in horror, but the reality is, what are we doing as a society to protect these families?

We don't make it easy for women to get out of abusive relationships. For most women leaving an abusive relationship means instant poverty, further abuse by the justice system and no real hope.

The United Way funds two front line programs for violence prevention: Women's House Serving Bruce and Grey and The Men's Program.

The Women's House is a crisis shelter for women seeking to escape abusive relationships. Funding to the Women’s House covers a portion of the shortfall in funding from the Ministry of Community and Social Services in order to sustain the essential programs and services already in place. In addition to shelter services Women’s house also provides outreach counseling in 9 communities throughout Bruce and Grey, and is launching the new Sexual Assault Services out of Owen Sound.

The Men's Program is an anger management program for men who have been either court referred to deal with their anger, or who self identify that they are not being safe with their anger. The Men’s Program only receives funding from the Ministry of the Attorney General for men who are court mandated. The United Way has been funding the community-referred portion of the Men’s Program. In 2005, 75 men self referred them for help to the Men’s Program, getting the help they needed BEFORE committing a crime.

It's never enough and sometimes it doesn't seem like you're making a difference at all. Women continue to die at the hands of their partners.

The United Way of Bruce Grey held a press conference on June 22nd announcing the awarding of over $160 000 in grants to the community , $135 000 directly to local service agencies . The United Way will be funding 4 new funded programs. The United Way will fund 18 agencies in 2007.

These agencies are:

Women's House of Bruce County $18,000.00
Family Services Perth Huron Bruce Grey $15,000.00
Men' Program $14,000.00
Grey Bruce Eat & Learn $13,000.00
Keystone Child Youth and Family Services $12,000.00
St. John Ambulance $9,000.00
GRACE $8,000.00
Epilepsy, Huron-Perth-Bruce $3,850.00
Brain Injury Society $2,650.00
Durham & District Food bank $5,300.00
Housing Resource Centre $1,200.00

2nd Year Asks
South Grey Bruce Youth Literacy Council $5,000.00
CHIP - Adult Learning Centre $5,000.00
Friends & Neighbour Club (CMHA) $5,000.00

New Asks
Big Brothers & Sisters Of Hanover District $6,000.00
Big Sisters Owen Sound & Grey $2,000.00
PRANCE $5,000.00
Keystone - School program $5,000.00

Know your talents

I've come to the realization that I'm a big picture person, not a details person. It's neither a good thing or a bad thing, it's just a 'thing'.

But when it comes to days like today, when I need to get a grant application written, my 'big picture' mentatlity gets in the way. I just want to write "We're a great organization and we do great things so just send us a cheque", but alas it never works that way.

We need work plans, and expecations and sustainablity modles, and partners and letters of support and on and on it goes.

I have friends who live and breath this stuff, who can take 2 or 3 of my ideas and make them sound really brilliant and potentially grant'able. But dollars are limited and hiring people is out of the question and I've used up all my favours.

Plus the whole "new and inovative" bit is driving me batty. Can't repeat anythign we've ever done before, it has to be all new and dynamic. That gets weary after a while.

It's so pretty...

Ok confession time, I'm a girly girl. My favourite colour is pink, I love flowers and I'll cry over...well anything.

So when it came to think of a 'fun' way to give out our grants, I went all girly this year. I took our ficus tree and blew $20 at the dollar store and with 18 cheques to give away we now have 18 pretty butterflies in the tree, and pretty butterflies on the walls around. It's all so pretty and delicate, and corny.

But I can live with that.

I just find handing out envelopes really boring. Last year was exicting as we were 'squatting' in what is now the United Way Centre. We couldn't say it was ours, only that it was "in process" lots of mystery and intrigue.

This year it's just going to be fun and all perky and bright.

Busy spot

Dates of note:
One

The United Way of Bruce Grey will be holding a press conference on June 22nd at 10 am announcing the awarding of over $181 000 in grants to the community. The United Way will be funding 4 new funded programs. The United Way will funds 18 agencies in 2007.


•Allocations $135 000.00

•Funded 211 expansion $ 25 000.00

•Board Fund $ 2 800.00

•Children & Youth Fund $ 18 508.44

Total Community Investment Budget: $181 308.44

Recipients of these grants will be on hand for interviews and information sharing.

As the United Way of Bruce Grey begins its 10th campaign, it celebrates a community cash investment of over $800 000 over the past 9 years.

The press conference will be at the United Way Centre, 380 9th Street East, Owen Sound.

Two

Please accept this invitation to attend our opening of the Community Garden, Li Saydr and Trwaw Soeur, Tuesday, June 26 at 12:30 noon. We will be glad to show you what is growing and what we are ‘plotting’. Call if you have questions 370-0435. The Community Garden Committee.

It's Seniors Month

The Seniors Advocacy and Awarness Network (SAAN) is running a series of television and print ads to draw attention to the issue of Elder Abuse, and it seems to be working. I spoke to the Social Worker that is works with SAAN and she told me they are getting community referrals.

While it's hard to celebrate incidences of elder abuse, it is a celebration that people are becoming aware that there is help out there for them. It's a paradox of working with such an issue.

We are fortunate to have a dedicated Elder Abuse Social Worker, there are only 2 or 3 in the province. As the population ages the will be more and more cases of Elder Abuse, unless we can make the change here and now.

By educating people we can empower them to raise flags, get clarification and to simply connect with resources within the community to prevent this from happening.

it's Bruce Power Day!

Today is Bruce Power Day. Our own intrepid golfer Chris, and Vice President of the board, is off to Whistle Bear in Cambridge for the Bruce Power Suppliers Conference and Golf event to benefit the United Way of Bruce Grey. In 2005 $75 000 was raised from this event, in 2006 it was $80 000. This is the single largest donation to the United Way, and the only person who is working on it, from our side, is Chris. A very efficient way to fundraise.

It will be a few weeks before we get a total on the event and that cheque will be invested and put to work over the next 11 months.

It's going to be a quiet day around here as our kids are off on their year-end trip to the Scenic Caves in Collingwood. I had really wanted to go with them, as an additional adult, but the state of my desk tells me I should stay here and get some work done. Besides I twisted my ankle at Bruce Peninsula National Park on Saturday, hiking, and if I stay off it it's fine, if I walk too much, it aches by evening.

The garden plots are being outlined so if anyone wants a small plot to get dirty and play in, just email the Metis and they'll get you set up. There's not a lot of space but enough to have some fresh produce this summer. It is an organic garden!