Shortest Walk for the Biggest Cause

I was recently approached by the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario (SSO) about helping to spread the word regarding their annual Walk of Hope for schizophrenia fundraiser. They actually came to my office and dropped off their impressive posters which say: " shortest walk for the biggest cause " - I like it! Shortly after this I was talking to Marina Sue-Ping at SSO regarding another matter and got to talking about their Walk which happens to be exactly one week before the FAME divas fundraiser. Marina shared how much her and her kids enjoy this outdoor walk each year which is being held in Coronation Park in Oakville. I lightly mentioned that maybe I could bring my kids and join in. For the next week or two after this conversation I found myself revisiting this idea and whether or not I could find the time. Whether it was the close feeling I have to the SSO because of the similarity they have to FAME in being a small, low funded organization or because of the fact that, like divas, this is such a good cause I decided I HAVE TO GO!

So if anyone wants to join us or to sponsor me or just pat me on the back(lol) then feel free.

In sunshine solidarity,

Frank

Thanks to the Partnership

Hi all,
Just wanted to share a really nice outcome that came out of the partnership FAME has with Rapport Youth and Family Services. As some of you may know, the Brampton FAME office is located within Rapport's ECLYPSE youth drop-in centre. For some time now, I have been looking for a place to store extra boxes and supplies that I felt were unsightly in my office. My wife happened to have a tall wardrobe container that she no longer had room for in her Toronto clinic and she was willing to donate it to FAME. However, the piece was a dull colour and really needed a paint job. After talking the situation over with Everton, Eclypse youth staff member, and discovering we still had paint left over from when I painted the office when moving in, Everton came up with an idea. How about having one of the youth that do their community service hours at Eclypse do the painting.

Well the wardrobe container got painted the 2 matching wall colours, holds all my extra office and group supplies and looks great! There you go, just one example of how partnerships work!

Frank

An old friend says hello!

Many of our Mississauga families will remember Melissa Judd our Family Outreach Worker who left us to move to Bermuda with her husband Charlie who is teaching at a school in Bermuda. We were really sorry to see Melissa leave us but we understand that sometime you just can't pass up certain opportunities. Of course this led us to meeting and hiring our beloved Lyndsay! Regardless, a couple of weeks ago Melissa and her family were back in the metro area visiting family and we took some time to meet up for lunch. First thing out of her mouth was....."how are the families doing!". We miss Melissa and her devotion to the families that FAME served and it was great getting a chance to visit with her. Safe journey home Melissa....so great to see you....and Charlie and your two beautiful daughters! After all, it is all about the families. :)

Christine

Looking for a Sound Bite!!!!

I know that FAME has made the difference in the lives of so many families all across the GTA. Now we need to hear from you! We are making a small 3-4 minute clip, directed and edited by Andrew Brown, the incredible volunteer who helped up put our "simply divas" clip together.
We can't do this clip without you! We can film you right in our office, in our newly renovated family intake room (we've got a comfy couch with your name on it!) and we've got a couple of questions we can send to you ahead of time so you can think about what it is that you want to say. All in all, while we may film about 20 minutes, in actuality about 15-20 seconds is what will end up in the final cut. What you have to say though is important and can help so many other family members understand who FAME is and what we do.

If you are interested, please give Michelle Bake here at the office a call. We'd love to hear from you.

thanks,
Christine

Scarborough Office

It's damp and draughty in Scarborough today and I will soon share news of another date in the Scarborough Speakers Series. Meanwhile, we're preparing for 'simply divas' so keep the afternoon of 31 May 2009 open for food, fun and music.

paulo