Newsroom
What’s happening at BFO-MR?
With spring upon us, we’re excited for warm sunshine on our faces, and for the growth and renewal that naturally comes along with this season.
The last few months have been full of growth and renewal for Bereaved Families of Ontario – Midwestern Region – these are inspiring times for our organization. We thank you for being on this journey with us.
Team update: In April we welcomed Carly Kowalik who will be filling the Program Coordinator position for a one-year maternity leave contract. Carly has been involved with BFO-MR in a number of capacities and we are thrilled to have her on-board in this position. Thank you for helping her feel welcome in her new role. Carly can be reached at 519-603-0196 or carly@bfomidwest.org.
The road ahead: The staff and Board of Directors have been busy working on our strategic plan and are very close to being ready to launch it to our stakeholders. It’s an ambitious yet thoughtful plan that will guide us through the coming years and we can’t wait to share it with you. Stay tuned!
Out and about: We’ve had a number of opportunities to be out and about in the community, raising awareness about BFO-MR. In January, our ED Jaime appeared on the Fergus Cogeco show Parenting with Barb to talk about our programs and ensure families in Wellington County are able to access our support. Later that month, we participated in a volunteer fair at Conestoga College and made some wonderful connections in the school community.
February saw us participate in a Wellbeing Waterloo Region forum where BFO-MR was able to share what community wellbeing means to us. It was a wonderful opportunity to provide our perspective and insight into this process. If you are interested in learning more, or if you’d like to share your own feedback, please click here.
In March we were honoured to attend the United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries Annual Achievement Night where they acknowledged amazing supporters and volunteers who contribute their time and energy to making that community a better place. It was a truly inspiring evening and we were so grateful to attend.
We attended another volunteer fair in April at Cambridge Centre mall. We appreciated the opportunity to share volunteer opportunities currently available at BFO-MR, but more importantly have conversations with people about our programs. It was wonderful to connect and help people access the support they need. Also in April, the Family Centre hosted an open house where partners and the community were invited to learn more about the amazing things that happen under this roof. It was wonderful to connect with other Family Centre partners and learn about ways we can work together to support families in the community.
Spring Facilitator Training: We recently wrapped up our spring facilitator training program. Typically this training is only offered once per year, but in 2017 we have committed to doing it again in the fall to ensure we can continue to meet the needs of the bereaved in our community. We would like to thank those who gave us their time, energy and compassion to complete the training. We look forward to working with you.
Annual General Meeting: It’s that time of year again! Mark your calendars for our upcoming AGM on Monday June 26, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there.
What’s Coming: There are lots of exciting things coming in the next few months from our golf tournament and conference to our annual Butterfly Release and Walk to Remember. Stay tuned for more information about these exciting events and initiatives.