As part of our giving back to the community, RESA Ottawa Members actively engaged in a very special project at St. Mary’s Home—an Ottawa-based social service agency that provides a full range of programs and services for young pregnant women, young moms and dads, and their infants and young children. This facility, located in Ottawa’s Vanier community, supports young women to have a healthy pregnancy and birth, and help young parents gain the knowledge and skills to raise healthy and happy children.
Our project involved re-painting three main rooms in the centre: the Cafeteria, Stroller/Cloakroom, and Child Development Areas, as well as the entrance and reception areas. We changed the out-dated burgundy, purple & dark blue/yellow colours into fresh pistachio, chocolate brown, light rose pink, silvery grey/blue and shell & water blues. The group added a couple of unique features — some birch trees on one wall in the cafeteria, a faux garden window in the tots’ play kitchen corner and flowers on the wall at the entrance to the Child Development Room! In addition, new floor tiles have been ordered and will be installed in the Stroller/Cloakroom in the near future!
In her comments on the completed project, Kathleen Cummings, Executive Director at St. Mary’s said, “Words cannot begin to express the gratitude felt by myself and everyone here with St. Mary’s Home. My breath was taken away when I looked in the rooms today.”
In addition, the Executive Director indicated that she “would love to showcase this amazing gift both in our Annual General Report and at our Annual General Meeting in September”, and invited our volunteer members to attend!
The Young Parent Outreach Centre, managed by Early Childhood Educator, Dixie Desmarais, provided services to 447 youth (young pregnant young women, moms and dads) and 225 children under the age of four. Service to these clients resulted in 7,523 youth visits and 2,492 visits from children. In addition, the Child Development staff had 2,423 child visits and 204 distinctive children in their programs.
St. Mary’s receives funding from various groups and organizations and is supported by many, many volunteers who help keep this facility a vital resource for many young men, women and children. RESA Ottawa Members were more than happy to help make a difference for this community.
This project was brought to our attention at our May, 2016 meeting by one of our members, Nuala Durkin of NuLook Interiors. RESA Ottawa would like to thank the wonderful staff at St. Mary’s and those listed below for making this event so special:
RESA volunteers:
Stacie Chamberlin (Access Staging)
Kim Dingwall (Refined Rooms)
Judy Darling (Darling Home Staging & Décor)
Jeanne Zacharuk (Showcase to Sell)
Jessie King (Silver Linings Home Staging)
Patricia Burnett (Burnett Staging)
Nuala Durkin (NuLook Interiors)
Nancy McPherson (Elegant Strategies)
Kathryn Wilson (HomeReady Home Staging)
Joanne Paquette (Image Home Staging)Generosity from the following:
Denis Lacelle (provided 15 gallons paint)
Frank Ryan Catholic School (Cash donation 226.20 for supplies)
Ron Zaleski (Plasterer)
Ben Elliott (Flooring Installation)
Submited by Judy Darling
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