United Native Friendship Centre

2015 Christmas Newsletter

UNFC Contact Numbers

Main Building and Circle of Life Centre

274-8541

Toll Free: 1-877-496-9034

Aboriginal Headstart: 274-7244

Fax Numbers

Main Building 516 Portage Avenue:

274-4110

Circle of Life Centre 616 Mowat Avenue:

274-4067

Aboriginal Headstart 308 Butler Avenue:

274-8500

www.unfc.org

United Native Friendship Centre Mission Statement

In recognition of the ever changing world in which we live, the United Native Friendship Centre is dedicated to

enhancing the lives of Native and Non-Native people in our community and surrounding area. Its primary

responsibility is to serve Aboriginal people with special services in the fields of social, educational and cultural

development while, at the same time, building a bridge of understanding between Native and Non-Native

people.

UNFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015/2016

Richard Bird, President

Eugene McPherson, Vice President

Mike Jones, Secretary/Treasurer

Richard Bruyere, Board Member

Ernie Jones, Board Member

Armand Jourdain Sr, Board Member

Darwin Woods, Board Member

The United Native Friendship Centre

Board of Directors and Staff would like to

wish everyone a safe and Happy Holidays!

Sheila McMahon Executive Director

Judith Lindholm Program Director

Melanie McPherson Executive Assistant

Lori Devoe Secretary/Receptionist

Tamara Tamara Beyak Finance

Danielle Spuzak Homelessness Outreach Worker

Tara Henttonen Homelessness Outreach Assistant

Rose Marie Tuesday Healing & Wellness Worker

Reo Walton Healing and Wellness Worker

Tiffany Clifford-Smith Alcohol/Drug Worker

Larry Indian Youth Justice Worker

Steve Latimer Career Developer

Karen Chowhan Apatisiwin Employment Counsellor

Amanda Levesque Literacy Worker

Tracy Jensen Student Support Worker

Christa Bruyere Healthy Babies Worker

Kerry Zub Prenatal Nutrition Worker

Robert Bombay Criminal Court Worker

Traci Traci Lockman Combined Court Worker

Sydney Jones Youth Worker

Sy

Angela Mihichuk Early Learning Program Lead

Charity McMahon Head Start Teacher

Dana Ward Head Start Teacher’s Assistant

Cassondra Caul Head Start Classroom Assistant

Wendy Kabel Head Start Cultural Family Worker

Kari McLean Head Start Resource Assistant

Mindy Taschuk Head Start Cook

Angela Fiset Head Start Driver/Maintenance

Karly Rousseau Family Support Worker

Kristen Kelly Family Support Worker

Shelly Mallet Family Support Worker

Aimee Beazley Healthy Living Worker

Terry McMahon Healthy Living Kids Worker

Ann Sinclair Life Long Care Worker

Diana Sharp Life Long Care Support Worker

Dorion Chambers Children’s Mental Health Worker

Rochelle Bird Akwe:go Worker

Kaleb Firth Wasa-Nabin Worker

Kate Bartlett Youth Employment Worker Carter Brown Youth Worker

From the desk of the Executive Director

I’d like to start out by wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR.

This year our Christmas membership dinner is on December 9 at the Metis Hall. All of our

Little Elves will be cooking up a meal that will fill your bellies with holiday cheer.

The man in red suit will be making an appearance to see who has been naughty or nice this

year.

The Friendship Centre will be closed from December 21, 2015, to January 1, 2016; this

allows our staff to enjoy the holiday season with friends and family.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Fort Frances Lakers Hockey team for their

continued support by holding their Annual Food and Toy Drive at their home game on Nov 27.

“Stuff a Cruiser” is on Saturday December 12th. We will be in front of Safeway, The Place and

Walmart. Another big thanks to the OPP for their support.

Christmas is a time when people celebrate being kind to their fellow man, it is a continued

tradition throughout the world. As this is my favorite time of year, I always hope that the

kindness is celebrated all year long. Have a safe and happy holiday.

Yours in Friendship,

Sheila McMahon

2015 SeaSon’S GreetinGS

from the UNFC Program Director

I hope this finds you all well.

Our staff has been very busy here at UNFC. There has been a lot of planning and activities going on and upcoming within our three sites.

Our annual November 11th Aboriginal Veteran’s Day Powwow was very successful. We had approximately 350 people turnout to support the event.

The Christmas Craft Sale is November 28th at the UNFC’s Circle of Life Centre, 616 Mowat Avenue. You are invited to come and support local crafters.

December 9th is the Membership Community Christmas Dinner at 5:30 p.m. at the Métis Hall.

The December 12th annual Stuff-a-Cruiser event located at local grocery stores helps to fill the shelves of local food banks. We look forward to seeing some of you there.

The Centre’s 3 sites will be closed December 21st to January 1st to allow staff to spend time with their families over the school break and holidays.

Please feel welcome to come and visit or utilize the programs and services which cover all aspects of life from prenatal, children, youth, and seniors.

Good health and happiness to all!

Judith Lindholm, Program Director

Wasa-Nabin program would like to thank everyone for a great year,

and may everyone enjoy the break.

Merry Christmas from the Aboriginal Prenatal Nutrition Program

Create a NEW annual tradition! Instead of the typical advent calendar, make an activity-based countdown jar. On 24 strips of

red and green paper, write out special activities to do with baby, like reading a Christmas-

themed book, shopping for Christmas pajamas or taking a walk in the snow. Then toss them all

into a jar and pull one out to do each day. By Christmas Eve, you’ll have made an entire month’s worth of fun

memories for baby’s first holiday, rather than just one or two days.

Create a holiday countdown jar Here’s an example of some idea’s

to include in your jar! Take

pictures of each activity to create a

beautiful memory book that can be

given as a Christmas gift even!

Create your own special traditions

and ideas for lasting holiday

memories.

Join us for:

Crafting Tuesday’s 1:30-4

Bake exchange Dec 2

Lunch with Santa Dec 10th

Merry Christmas and see you in

2016! Kerry

Merry Christmas From Rochelle and the Akwe:go Program!

Very Merry Nutrition Night – Thursday Dec 3 from 4-6:30 pm

Christmas Baking Extravaganza - Saturday Dec 5 2pm-6pm

Akwe:go Client Christmas Celebration & Dinner - Thursday Dec 17th 3pm-7pm

Wishing everyone happiness and family togetherness this holiday season!

NOTE:

The United Native

Friendship Centre offices

will be closed for the

Christmas Holidays on

Friday, December 18,

2015 until Sunday,

January 3, 2016.

We will resume regular

business hours on

Monday, January 4, 2016

@ 8:30 a.m.

GREETINGS FROM LIFE LONG CARE

CHRISTMAS HOUSE RULES

1. BELIEVE IN SANTA 2. LIVE IT UP AND LAUGH IT UP 3. REMEMBER IT IS BETTER TO

GIVE THAN RECEIVE 4. DON’T GET YOUR TINSEL IN A

TANGLE 5. CHRISTMAS CALORIES DON’T

COUNT 6. ALWAYS HUG IT OUT 7. THERE’S MAGIC IN THE

MERRY 8. ALL HEARTS COME HOME

FOR CHRISTMAS

We wish all of our membership a Merry Christmas and a happy and

healthy New Year.

Ann Sinclair & Diana Sharp

Aboriginal Healing & Wellness Program

This program creates awareness in Family Violence Prevention, Cultural healing and various

other culturally based activities.

Upcoming programming for the months of November & December will include Residential

school survivors group November 24th & December 8th from 4:30-6:30pm located at our

main office downstairs, drumming Nov 30th and Dec 14th all starting at 4:30-6:30 pm also located

at our CLC building.

To learn more about this program and what it can offer you, please feel free to drop in or call

Reo Walton@ 274-8541 or email rwalton@unfc.org

Stay warm and have a safe and enjoyable Christmas Miigwetch

The Homelessness

Program would like

to wish everyone a

Happy Holidays and

all the best wishes

for the New Year.

Danielle and Tara

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE ZAAGI-IDIWIN ABORIGINAL HEAD START

We wish all our families, children and members a safe and happy holiday. Children love being outside and playing in the snow, bundle up, head outside and make some art!! A couple squirts of food colouring in a squirt bottle or squirt gun and then send the kids outside in the snow to ‘paint’ the snow. This is also fun for decorating snowmen, or put some food colouring in your ice cube tray with water, freeze, and then hide the “jewels” out in the snow, have a treasure hunt to see who can find the most. One of the songs the children at Head Start have been learning in their LYNX program: sung to the tune of Row, row, row your boat.

Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! - Tiffany Clifford-Smith – Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Worker

Tips for preventing the holiday blues, staying sober

Most people know the holidays can be a period of emotional highs and lows. Loneliness, anxiety, happiness and sadness are common feelings, sometimes experienced in startling succession. The bad news is the holiday blues can trigger relapse for people recovering from alcoholism and other drug addiction. The good news is the blues can be remedied by planning ahead. Why do the blues hit during this otherwise festive season? Doing too much or too little and being separated from loved ones at this special time can lead to sadness during the holiday season. Many recovering people associate the holidays with memories of overindulgence, perhaps of big benders that resulted in relationship problems or great personal losses. People experience feelings of melancholy, sadness and grief tied to holiday recollections. Unlike clinical depression, which is more severe and can last for months or years, those feelings are temporary. Anyone experiencing major symptoms of depression, such as persistent sadness, anxiety, guilt or helplessness; changes in sleep patterns; and a reduction in energy and libido, should seek help from a mental health professional. Whether you're in recovery or not, developing a holiday plan to help prevent the blues, one that will confront unpleasant memories before they threaten your holiday experience. Your plan should include improved self-care, enhanced support from others, and healthy ways to celebrate. Here are a few suggestions to achieve a happy, sober holiday season: Good self-care is vital. Remember to slow down. Take some quiet time each day and work on an attitude of gratitude. Plan relaxation and meditation into your day, even for a few minutes, no matter how busy you are. Relax your standards and reduce overwhelming demands and responsibilities. Don't overindulge. Go easy on the holiday sweets and follow a balanced diet. Monitor your intake of caffeine, nicotine and sugar. Exercise regularly to help maintain your energy level amid a busier schedule. Don't try to do too much. Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue is a stressor. Maintain some kind of schedule and plan ahead; don't wait until the last minute to purchase gifts or prepare to entertain. Enhance your support system. Holidays are a good time to reach out more frequently to your therapist, sponsor, spiritual advisor, or support group. If you're in recovery, spend time with fellow recovering people. Let others help you realize your personal limits. Learn to say "no" in a way that is comfortable for you. Find new ways to celebrate. Create some new symbols and rituals that will help redefine a joyful holiday season. You might host a holiday gathering for special recovering friends and/or attend celebrations of your Twelve Step group. Avoid isolation and spend time with people you like who are not substance users. Don't expose yourself to unnecessary temptations, such as gatherings where alcohol is the center of entertainment. If there are people who have a negative influence on you, avoid them. Focus on your recovery program. Holidays are also an important time to focus on your recovery program. For example, ask, "What am I working on in my program now?" Discuss this with your sponsor. Release your resentments. Resentment has been described as allowing a person you dislike to live in your head, rent-free. Resentments that gain steam during the holidays can be disastrous for anyone, especially recovering people. The Big Book of "Alcoholics Anonymous" refers to resentment as the No. 1 offender, or the most common factor in failed sobriety. Holidays may also be a time to evaluate your spirituality and find a personal way to draw support from the spirit of the season. Return the holidays to a spiritual base, and stress the power of unselfish giving. Recovery is serious work, but it is also important to have fun. Laugh a little and a little more. Start seeing the humour in those things that annoy you. Take from the holiday season what is important for you and leave the rest. Taken from - The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Merry Christmas from Aboriginal Healthy

Babies Healthy Children

December Activities Christmas Baking Dec.2

Lunch with Santa Dec. 10

Homemade gifts are always special! Salt Dough Hand Print Ornament

4 cups of flour

1 cup salt

Food coloring

Large Mixing Bowl

Water to moisten

cookie sheet

just a tad of oil

a small rolling pin or wooden dowel

a drinking straw

ribbon

a plate for a guide

paint *if desired

In your mixing bowl ~ gradually blend in your flour & salt with water. *Remember to add

gradually, because you can always add more water then takeaway.* Keep in mind you need to have

your dough thick enough to form the handprint. If your dough is too thin, it will not work. Place

in a 150* degree oven for an hour. Or you can air dry overnight & for 24 hours. Once dry tie some

ribbon and hang it on your tree.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Healthy Living for Kids Program

Watch for our January newsletter for some exciting activities taking

place.

If you would like further information about this program please contact

Terry McMahon at 807-274-8541

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE APATISIWIN PROGRAM KAREN AND STEVE

Season’s Greetings from the Wiinisidotam Adult Literacy Program

Come and see me about new and exciting programming in January!

Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.

Amanda Levesque, Literacy Worker alevesque@unfc.org

Phone: 807-274-8541 Contact hours:

Monday to Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.

You are invited to the…

United NativeFriendship

Centre Membership

Christmas Dinner!!

Wednesday December 9th

, 2015

@ 5:30 p.m. @ Métis Hall

Santa will be stopping by with a

treat for the kids.

See you there!

HAPPY HOLIDAY from the Healing and Wellness Program.

The woodcarvings in the picture are from our last craft class project. We will be starting a new class at the end of January. If you are interested in joining our craft classes, please contact Rose Marie Tuesday at 807-274-8541. We are looking for cotton t-shirts. If you have any gently used you can dropped them off at 516 Portage Ave.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Rose

Wishing

everyone a

safe and

trouble

free

holiday

season

from the

Criminal

Court work

Program.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS Robert Bombay,

Criminal Courtworker

Please mail your letters to: Santa Clause North Pole H0H 0H0

You may also leave a message for Santa at 1(951) 262-3062

Have a safe and joyous holiday season! From CAP-C Staff