Changing Lives

Gaston
Cindy Chisholm has been beside Gaston Ibarra from diapers and first steps to watching him make choices for high school and musing about possible career paths. But Cindy is not Gaston’s mother.

Through a quirk of timing and career progressions, Cindy, an early childhood educator, has accompanied Gaston throughout his Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) child care journey. She was with him in infant care and by chance followed him as he moved through the various programs to his graduation from Grade 7.

There were tears on both sides – as well as from his parents – at the grad ceremony Cindy and the team at Graham Bruce School-Age Child Care organized.

Gaston remembers the many firsts he experienced in the program, such as his first field trip to the Vancouver Aquarium at the age of 2 and the first time he touched a snake when he was 5 years old.

In CNH’s child care program, Gaston made lifelong friends. Gaston rhymes off the names of his child care workers – Calee, Mary, Ivy, Andrea, and Cindy – saying, “I thank all of them for my many great experiences at CNH and for everything they’ve taught me, from potty training (Cindy), to Foosball (Mary) and even being humble (Calee).” Gaston’s parents Fernanda Gimenez and Patricio Ibarra said that Gaston’s successful education would not have been possible without CNH’s Child Care Program and CNH’s knowledgeable, supportive and trusted staff. They offered special thanks “to the wonderful Cindy, a child care professional whose career path was so perfectly timed with our child’s growth.”

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Gladys
When they thought about their goals for life in Canada, Filipino mother and son had different ideas. Gladys hoped to get settled and find a way to support the pair. Graysun wanted to play hockey. His goal? To score goals! At CNH they both found what they needed.

Shortly after Gladys, a physiotherapist, immigrated to Canada with her son Graysun, a friend referred her to Immigrant Services at CNH, where she was welcomed by settlement worker Karen Caguioa. With Karen’s support, Gladys was able to settle in Renfrew-Collingwood with all the necessary identification documents to start life in BC. She received help in finding out how to look for housing, access child care and prepare her son for school. She received advice on how to find transitional employment, deal with visa matters, and prepare a Canadian-style resume. She found a job that allowed her to spend time with her son.

One of Gladys’ main concerns was to find a way to work in her profession in Canada. To help Gladys achieve this goal, she was referred to the Skills Connect and Career Path program at Douglas College. Right now Gladys is completing her prerequisites and is on track to become a licensed physiotherapist in Canada.

One of Graysun’s main desires was learning to play that famous Canadian sport. He was thrilled to be able to sign up for floor hockey at CNH where he gets to play with passion and, in the process, make friends, build self-esteem and experience Canadian culture. He’s also learning to speak English in a CNH class.

With support from Karen and others at CNH, both mother and son are meeting their goals. “CNH helped me to become a better me,” Gladys said.

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Sage
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. That is what Sage Rinaldo did when she had to leave her job due to declining health. Her stressful career as a nurse, a debilitating Fibromyalgia diagnosis, and the demands of being a single parent combined to force a lifestyle change that ultimately steered her towards CNH.

Sage’s interest in food led her to volunteer with the Community Lunch program at CNH. She found, however, that food prep and cleanup were not fulfilling. Her visits to local farmer’s markets and passion for being outdoors made her the perfect volunteer for the gardens and orchards run by the Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute. Under the leadership of Coordinators Elise Barber and Cassandra Ly, Sage has helped with weeding, watering, and harvesting. Recently, she worked with mason bees. Sage has also helped with administrative tasks such as emergency preparedness for seniors, asset mapping, and poverty reduction work.

After years of health challenges, Sage says she has finally found her happy place volunteering at CNH. It’s close to her home and the skills she has learned have helped in her personal life. She has made friends, learned new gardening techniques and has even reached out to help seniors in her apartment building stay socially active. And the support Sage receives from the staff, who she describes as kind, accommodating and non-judgemental, has helped lift her spirits throughout her difficult journey. She feels that her volunteer experience at CNH feeds her emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Volunteering at CNH is part of her treatment plan and it’s working.

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