Four Things I Learned While Getting Office Furniture:

Let the games begin!

I don't know if it was in the looming isles of IKEA, or when our ED Christine raved about Brad Fremmerlid, the 25 year old who can assemble furniture within minutes, when I knew I was in trouble. It was time to put on my  'Bob the builder' hat and show 92 pages of Swedish instructions who is boss.

Really Ikea?....Really???

Alright, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Before bolts, screwdrivers, and yelling at inanimate objects, I learnt three pearls of wisdom in picking furniture;

Lesson 1: Target your Audience: As much as you might have a love for sea-foam aqua or cotton candy pink, perhaps the welcoming  feeling you get from it won't be reciprocated by a male, middle aged NFL fan looking for support.

Lesson 2: Determine your budget. Even if you think the deep purple pleather chair on clearance beats out any flea market find, garage sale, or thrift store bonanza, it doesn't mean its appropriate- less is more and quality over quantity.

FAME: TORONTO EDITION

WHO AM I?

Hello!  I'm Laura Vickers.  Yours truly has a splash of experience working in both judicial and trauma therapy, a sip of work in gerontology, a gulp of experience in newcomer and community settings and a bucket full of enthusiasm. I’ve backpacked on 4 continents but this might be my biggest adventure yet.

 Ok, first things first. Confession time. I am the new Family Support worker at FAME and I am thrilled to be a part of such a lively and passionate team. The excitement and energy surrounding the opening of our new office beats any Rob Ford video (sigh, oh Rob).  Like TFC soccer star Jermain Defoe arriving in Toronto...  FAME - ITS A BIG DEAL! 

The mothership itself is located in St James town at 333 Sherbourne in downtown Toronto, not far from Carlton and Sherbourne- an area representing all shapes and sizes of Toronto's varied population. Our community combines 160 languages and as many as 32,000 people with an average family income that is 41% below city average. FAME  is ready to hit the ground running!

FAME’s reputation and assistance has spoken volumes in the local area and we’ve already found ourselves on the St James Town network committee, participating in Toronto public mental health programs, leading scheduled information sessions, and have a continuously growing client base before we’ve even put a lick of paint on the walls. Our calendar is filling up fast with organizations eager to learn more!

Alright...Alright...I swore I wasn't going to just write facts, but I had to be sure to give you the low down on our neighborhood and quite frankly I'm pretty darn excited about what we are doing. Follow me through the trials and tribulations of opening our new office and thanks for reading!

Follow how things are growing by finding us on Twitter: @FAMEforFAMILIES

And on our Facebook too!

fameKids Etobicoke Group

With spring approaching, the birds chirping, and the sun shining, we have another fameKids group coming up!

This group will be held with our partner agency in Etobicoke, The George Hull Centre for Children and Families at their head office.  This is our 4th year running the fameKids program with the George Hull, and we are grateful for their continued support and commitment to helping children in our community.  The following are the details of the group:

Start date:  March 29 (every Thursday)

End date:  May 17

Time:  4:30-6pm

The group is almost full, so if you're interested in registering a child, please contact me soon!  You can reach me at:  416-207-5032 ext. 26 or anien@fameforfamilies.com

And remember...kids are amazing!

Yours truly,

Anie

fameKids Coordinator & Children's Outreach Worker