SAiF Society June News

Gazette Readers' Choice Award

We were amazed to learn we'd been nominated & then won the St Albert Gazette's Readers' Choice Award for Favourite Service Club this year.

We are honoured & humbled by all the readers who nominated & then voted for us. We were up against some groups that do fantastic community work & we applaud them all!

You all know that we don't do this work for any kind of accolades or special recognition. We're just so grateful that we're here for the 100s of people who reach out to us for help. Last year, we worked with over 578 local families & that was in large part to the generosity of our community. Thank you so much to the readers in #StAlbert, #SturgeonCounty & wherever you are. Wow. Just thank you for all your support which makes our work possible. This award belongs to all of you as much as it does to us.

June: Men's Mental Health Month

This year, we've noticed a dramatic increase in the # of men & masc presenting folks seeking help. While the reasons are varied, we appreciate the courage it takes to reach out. Please know that we support all genders without judgement so call or email. If you, or someone you know or suspect is struggling with mental health, you or they don't have to suffer in silence. To get connected to general mental health supports, please call 211.

Launching SAiF's Family Counselling

We've been working on this for months! One of the gaps in service we've seen, particularly over the past 2 years, is the increase in family conflict & interest in affordable family counselling. While we can't offer this service for free, we have set a flat fee of $100/session. For us, safety is always paramount so our pre-intake process & simply learning about the program is entirely free. We want to make sure this is the right service for you and your family, first and foremost.

If you'd like to learn more & discuss your situation with one of our clinicians, please book a free phone consult today. 780.460.2195 x301 or email us.

WEAAD Event - June 15

To commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day this year, we partnered with the St Albert Library to "Grow the Conversation" with a tea & cookie event. They also featured a display in the library all week, on elder abuse resources.

We discussed setting boundaries with caregivers, had a social with our guests & provided a little gift along with purple ribbons. Thanks to Ireen Slater (our founder), Marie Renaud, Ken MacKay, Shelley Biermanski, & Wes Brodhead for stopping by.

Outloud's PRIDE Event

Pride came back to St Albert in spectacular fashion. After 2 years of the pandemic, Outloud was able to bring back the popular event for June 18. A little rain did not mar anyone's enthusiasm. Our booth had interactive games including a ring toss, relationship jeopardy & a spin wheel for a chance to win great prizes!

Check out our Instagram In to see the fun!

New Direction Intakes

New Directions is a free group education program for families who have witnessed and/or experienced family violence. Up to 10 families per 10 week session are eligible with our first session running Sept - Dec. Want to learn more or sign up? Give us a call today 780.460.2195. ext 301 or email us.

SAiF Education

We offer cyber safety, healthy relationship, & anti bullying education. Book for free this summer for youth sports teams, summer camps, etc. Contact Ignacio today.

Fall Groups

In person fall groups planned if there's enough interest. Max. 10 participants/group. These are free but intakes are req'd. Sign up here.

- Family Law Support Group
- New Directions
- 5 Week Support Group
- Conflict Resolution
- Communication 101

Counselling

We offer free counselling options for ages 5 & up.
- Child play therapy
- Youth Counselling
- Adult Counselling

- Phone Consultations

If you've been impacted by family violence or bullying & live in our service area, we're happy to talk to you.

We're Hiring

We are looking for a 2nd P/T Education Facilitator to help Ignacio as he will be spending more time on our programming for male identifying youth. Want to learn more? Check it out.

Summer Block Parties: Checking In

Block Parties are a fantastic way to build connections with neighbours, try something new, get active...all right at your doorstep! The City of St Albert supports these community get togethers with all kinds of resources you can find right here.

They are also an ideal time to check in with each other. Maybe a neighbour has been feeling overwhelmed & anxious in their home or a senior has an awful of unexplained bruises that you're concerned about but don't know what to do? Maybe the kid next door has told your child they're scared at home? These can be critical moments for people to recognize signs of abuse or mental health issues & offer support. But how to do that without stepping in it? We've got a blog for that!

Car Rally 2022 Fundraiser

Our 2nd Annual Car Rally was a fun-filled event on June 11 w/ 16 teams registered & 11 finishing the course. This year, we closed w/ games, voting for best dressed team, & ice cream for everyone! And our winners were....

Best Dressed: Pac Attack (by popular vote) took home our summer prize pack.

1st Place for the $500 Visa Gift Cards: The Treble Makers

2nd Place for $200 Grocery Gift Pack: Boo's Crew
3rd Place for Family Night Movie Pack: Pac Attack

Thank you to our sponsors; IG Wealth Management (Paul Monson), St. Albert Gazette, True North Gravel, and St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce. Thank you also to our pit stop hosts:

Marie Renaud, MLA St Albert & her team
African & African Descendants of St Albert Friendship Club
Gypsy Moon Winery
St Albert Public Library - Jensen Lakes Branch
St Albert Rotaracat & Rotary Clubs
St Albert Food Bank & Community Village
IG Wealth Management

Board & Committee Members

Looking to serve your community in a meaningful way? Want to put your skills, expertise & experience to work for a cause you care about? Learn more about how you can apply online to join our Board who serve in a governance role for the SAiF Society and actively supports our fundraising efforts. We're also looking to recruit for the following Board committees:

Fund Development Committee
Finance & Risk Committee
Clinical Advisory Council

Other Resources & Supports

AB Family Violence Info Line 24/7 Toll Free: 310-1818
AB Family Violence Info Chat 8 am - 8 pm: alberta.ca/SafetyChat
Other Local Resources: shelters, crisis lines, & legal/housing supports

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