livingfeature
SARAH REDEKOP PHOTOGRAPHY : ANTONIO AGUIRRE
CREATING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY
IN THE EARLY MORNING , after the school kids have been shuffled into their classes , parents and their younger children can be found gathering at Family Centre for “ parent café .” Here , parents are able to come together in an informal setting to share ideas and learn from each other ’ s experiences . “[ It ’ s a place ] to build relationships , and to get either peer support or support from professionals ,” says Peter Imhof , Executive Director at Family Centre .
The new Family Centre location is also a place where parents are able to establish a strong support network . As Lethbridge continues to grow in population , Peter says many families are moving here , leaving family and friends behind . “ They don ’ t have their natural supports with them – their sisters , brothers , parents .” Peter says the parent café provides a hub for families to meet and develop new supports within their community . “ This is an opportunity to create and foster those networks with other families that have young children so you can help one another out .”
The west location focuses on providing early childhood education through parent-child playgroups as well as parenting classes , education and support . Although the space is tailored to children six years of age and under , the parenting classes at the centre offer assistance for dealing with children of all ages .
Since early childhood development is a focus , the space is designed to engage young children in both an indoor and an outdoor area . “ The kids love it ; it ’ s very stimulating ,” says Amara Matthews , a Parent Educator at the west location . “ It ’ s a beautiful space ; it ’ s bright and we have a lot of activities .” Amara says families really enjoy the way it is set up and parents get involved in the activities with their children . “ It ’ s exciting for everybody ,” she continues .
Amara says it is a good feeling when people in the community see the value in Family Centre and exhibit generosity when it comes to assistance . “ Without community support these kinds of things can ’ t happen – if everyone puts in a little bit , we get something beautiful , like this space .”
Helping one another individually and as a community is at the foundation of what Family Centre is all about . Their vision , “ Healthy Children , Healthy Families , Healthy Community ,” embodies the importance of having all aspects in order to succeed . Although Family Centre receives assistance from the government , the west location would not have been possible without support from the community . “ We had two big corporate sponsors : McDonald ’ s
Youngsters show off their face paint at Family Centre West location ’ s grand opening in September 2017 .