聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥淲e are gap-fillers,鈥� says Cornerstone Family and Youth (CFY) coordinator, Jenn Sedor of Carlyle. 鈥淲e get out and look for niches in community needs and we fill them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Since 2003, the non-profit, charitable organization has offered family-friendly, accessible educational and recreational programming in Carlyle and area for babies, children and young adults, as well as provideing support and education for parents.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 CFY's efforts have recently been lauded nationally. Sedor was invited to speak in November 2015 in Toronto at the request of the Canadian Women's Foundation National Skills Insitute on Girls' Programming.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐rystal Fehrenbach and I were asked to attend, because of the girls' mentoring group that is in place at the schools in Carlyle,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淚 gave a snapshot of what we do in our program and we represented Carlyle to Canada.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The CFY Girls Group is a program in which female students at Gordon F. Kells High School in Carlyle mentor their younger peers. The group closed out 2015 with the Girls Group Wrap Party project, which brought Christmas cheer to local families in need.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In conjuction with The Bargain Shop! and sponsors such as Carlyle's 麻豆视频ern Plains Co-op store and others, the group assisted over 150 families during the holiday season.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ur job is to create new leaders,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淎nd we work with babies right up until young people are in grade 12, as well as with new parents.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e really go full-circle,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚've been here at CFY for eight years-and over six years as coordinator. I started doing childcare in the playroom program and now, some of those babies are now being mentored in our girls' program.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The seeds of CFY were first planted in 2002, when local parents and groups explored the idea of forming an organization that would focus on families, early childhood and youth. In 2003, Cornerstone Family and Youth was incorporated as a non-profit organization. As CFY quickly grew and evolved, volunteer members were joined by regular staff, which enabled the organization to offer consistency to the community it aimed to serve.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Since its first playroom program, CFY has also added other offerings to youth of all ages, adapting to changes and needs as they arise.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥�2016 is a big year for us,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淥ur last needs assessment was done in 2012, and we're up for another one this year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his year, we're going to contine to see a lot of changes in family situations,鈥� she adds. 鈥淲e want to be there for them and provide low-barrier, low-cost programs. We're always looking for the聽 community to offer us feedback. But we know that now perhaps more than ever, what we do can potentially help a lot of people, given the current economic downturn.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 CFY routinely partners with public health agencies, the Carlyle Library and Crescent Point Leisure Centre to bring its programs to the area.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n part, it's to avoid duplication of services,鈥� says Sedor. 鈥淎nd it's also a way to bring awareness of existing local amenities to families.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e want to reach out and offer new opportunities to kids in the community,鈥� she adds. 鈥淎nd we serve Carlyle and the surrounding area. Our public programs are open to anyone in the area, as long as they're in the appropriate age group.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n fact, our Summer Club has had kids from as far away as Calgary participate.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 CFY's website at gives updates on current and upcoming programming. Sedor says: 鈥淥ne of the things we're planning is a Family Trivia night on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the (Carlyle Memorial) Hall,鈥� adding, 鈥淲e're partnering with Cornerstone Community Theatre for that.鈥澛�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ome of the things we've done in the past year that stand out are: representing CFY in Toronto, our Halloween Fair, which was such a success, our Summer Club, our art class at the school and our Active After-School program.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ecause we're a non-profit, we rely a lot on our funding from business-and the RBC Foundation has been a great supporter of CFY. We also apply for grants and we are a registered charitable organization, so if someone chooses to support CFY that way, they will receive a tax receipt.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e have lost some program funding because a grant has been terminated,鈥� adds Sedor. 鈥淪o we're always looking for creative ways to fund our programs.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut we're committed to remaining open, accessible and supportive to new parents. Especially young parents, people new to this area and families new to Canada.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚f you're looking for something for your family or yourself, we will do our best to help you. We really just want to help people be the best people, parents and families they can be.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cornerstone Family and Youth is located in the Carlyle Civic Centre. For more information, call 453-2666, visit or Cornerstone Family and Youth on Facebook.
