SAiF Society August News

Paint the Town Purple is Coming Back!

Our fall fundraising campaign is back this November for Family Violence Prevention Month. If you're a local biz owner & interested in the campaign, contact areni@saifsociety.ca. Our biz partners receive tons of perks in local promos & support SAiF families as well! If you're a personal donor, we'll be announcing our kick off breakfast soon, so you can participate too!

Summary of #Healthy Friendships Series

Missed our August #HealthyFriendship series on our social media? That's ok, we've summarized each week in a blog for you:
Week 1: Making Friends
Week 2: Being a Good Friend
Week 3: Handling Conflicts in Friendships
Week 4: Friendship Break ups

Seniors Sexuality & Online Dating Safety

We'll be doing an in person presentation of Seniors Sexuality & Online Dating Safety at the St Albert Library on Oct 4th. We'll also be doing a webinar version with a date TBA later this fall. Want to register for either? Contact us via email.

St Albert's 'The Healing Project'

The pandemic caused grief and loss and no one was prepared to take on the difficult situations that were experienced throughout this time. St Albert was not immune to such losses that went far beyond weddings, births, graduations, and other celebrations to illnesses and deaths of many loved ones.

The City of St Albert is inviting you in honouring these difficult times by participating in "The Healing Project". It's an opportunity to acknowledge our shared grief and loss from the pandemic and hopefully be able to replace it with a new sense of hope. If you would like to share your experiences, c lick Here

Petition for Action on Coercive Control

Coercive Control is a pattern of behaviour displayed in relationships in which the goal is take away someone else's freedom, and sense of self. This can be done through threats, demands, surveillance etc.

A new parliamentary e-petition in support of 'Stopping Coercive and Controlling Behaviour in Relationships' is available for signature. The goal is to reach 500 signatures before Sept 6th. Can you help? Sign the petition here.

Rural Youth Counselling Pilot

We're working on delivering a free virtual counselling option to youth in 2 rural communities in Sturgeon County this year. We'll be in Redwater & Gibbons, partnering with their local FCSS offices to provide a safe space for young people (13-18) dealing w/ the impacts of family violence and/or bullying. Want to learn more? Contact your local FCSS office or contact us via email.

Family Counselling

While we have a flat fee of $100/session, 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 & 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 .

Need Support To Deal w/ Bullying?

Some of our most popular SAiF Education presentations focus on bullying:

online safety & cyberbullying
tackling bullying - for kids & teens

'Sticks & stones may break your bones, but words can really hurt for a lifetime'.

Did you know that our youth counselling & child play therapy can be accessed to support young people who have been bullied & are dealing w/ that trauma? Or for those doing the bullying but want to stop hurting others? Seeking help takes courage but can mean all the difference to someone struggling. We can help.

New Direction Intakes

New Directions is a free group program for families who have witnessed and/or experienced family violence. Up to 10 families per 10 week session are eligible w/ our first session running Sept - Dec. We're booking intakes until Sept 9! Call 780.460.2195. ext 301 or email us.

SAiF is Hiring!

We're looking to fill 3 P/T positions: 1) a 2nd Education Facilitator & 2) a Child/Youth Counsellor to support our Child Play Therapy & Youth Counselling programs 3) a contract Event Planner/Fundraiser. Learn more here!

You don't have to have everything in common to be a good friend :)

SAiF Education

We offer cyber safety, healthy relationship, & anti bullying education. Book us this fall for your school or youth team. We can also offer parent night sessions to support communication with your children about this stuff. Email us today.

Fall Groups

In person fall groups planned based on interest. Max.10/group. Groups are free but intakes are req'd. Sign up here.

- Family Law Support Group
- New Directions
- 5 Week Support Group

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, call us.

Audit Services

We're seeking audit services for our year end. Here's the RFP if you're interested!

Will Power: Building SAiF Endowment

When you give, you help people in your community directly. You help a child overcome bullying trauma that could've held them back but didn't because you gave. You help teens contemplating self harm or suicide build the healthy coping skills they need to survive. You help families heal and put themselves back together.

And we understand, not everyone can give right now. Or maybe you can't give as much as you would like. But gift giving can come in many different ways. Wills Week is coming in October & if you haven't written a will, it's always a good idea to ensure that your estate is given according to your wishes - whether to a loved one, a cause that you care about, someone you want to make sure is taken care of after you pass or perhaps a combination of all or some of these.

Will Power is a new site that can help you calculate your gift giving & the legacy you want to leave behind. We're proud to partner with them to build our endowment fund - so we're here for whenever families need us. Contact us to learn more.

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

FCSS Spruce Grove & Parkland County are partnering to offer free 2-day evidence-based training by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) designed for people who have frequent contact with older adults such as continuing care, home care and seniors lodge staff as well as family members, friends, public and private caregivers, community health workers, & volunteers.

When you donate, you can change a life.