Inside Reach - Reach Child

insidereachSpring/Summernewsletter2015in this issue.2346President’sMessageReach YoungPhilanthropistsRecent EventsFeeling Grateful.Thank you to our supporters!Listing of ourBuilding forChildren Togetherdonors andsponsors

insidereachis published quarterly and isdistributed free of charge to themembership of Reach Child andYouth Development Society.If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe call604-946-6622 ext. 0 or emailinfo@reachdevelopment.org andwrite “newsletter” as subject line.Submissions are welcome.Children’s writing or artwork iswelcome. Please include yourcontact information with yoursubmission.Submissions can be emailed toalisonm@reachchild.org with“newsletter” in the subject line,faxed to 604-946-6622 (pleasedo not fax artwork), mailed ordropped off at the front desk. Formore information about the “inside reach” newsletter please call604-946-6622 ext.337.Message from the PresidentMy son and I hadthe opportunity tospend a bit of timeout on the waterrecently and wereonce again witnessto this stunninglybeautiful placewe all call home.Sometimes youhave to stop, take a deep breath, and justlook around you for inspiration.As I look to our New Building Campaign,inspiration is not hard to find. We are verypleased to acknowledge that the ReachFoundation has reached a significantmilestone in preparing for our new buildingwith the total funding available now reaching2.5 million dollars! I’d like to recognize, andthank, the members of the Reach Foundationfor their efforts in achieving this goal.The Reach Foundation, the Reach Society,and our New Building Campaign aredependent upon a small army of volunteers,including Foundation Board and Committees,the Society Board and Committees, staffvolunteers, community volunteers, andnumerous business who have welcomedReach into their fundraising and donationplans. This support was very apparent at ourrecent, 3rd Annual Reach for the Stars Gala.Hosted at the wonderfully renovated anddecorated Tsawwassen Coast Hotel, with ourmayor and many councilors in attendance,and emceed by Delta’s very own SteveDarling, it proved to be yet another success– both in the event itself and the fundsraised as a result.Periodically Reach endeavors to re-evaluateitself by checking our vision, our mission,and how that impacts our strategic plan. Ionce again had the pleasure of participatingin a strategic planning session includingour Board of Directors, our programcoordinators, and several of our key staff.Through a focused set of brainstormsand discussions, we have establishedthe framework that should guide ourorganization for the next five years.On behalf of the Reach Society Board ofDirectors,Rob vanSpronssenPresident2014/2015 Board of DirectorsReach Child and Youth Development Society :#3 - 3800 72nd StreetDelta B.C. V4L 1G9604-946-6622 Fax: lopment.orgReach Play and Learn Centre11425 84th AvenueNorth Delta, BC V4C 2L9604-501-1502 Fax: 604-501-1359Rob vanSpronssen, President; Tom Siba, Treasurer; Marcia McCafferty, Director; PhyllisWith, Director; Karen Ostrom, Director; Donna Burke, Director; Leslie Senft, DirectorReach Child and Youth Charitable Foundation:Barbara Wallick , Chair; Tom Siba, Treasurer; Agnes Douglas, Director; Valerie Bartlett,Director; Norman Stark, Director; Katherine Bamford, Director; Tanya Corbet, Director;Joan Hansen, Director; Bob Mann, Director; Denis Horgan, Director; Jeff Scott, DirectorLike , follow, look and watch . There are lots of ways to connect to Reach .Visit us at www.reachdevelopment.org to link to all of our social media.

Young Reach PhilanthropistsWhether asking for donations instead ofgifts at their birthday parties, baking andselling cupcakes to their classes or enteringa competition to build awareness around acharity of their choice, these young peoplewere thinking about others. Through generousdonations of time and work, all of our youngphilanthropists made a difference.We had a visit from KojiKaneko on June 4. He wasbringing his 6th birthdaydonations he collected forReach. It is so incrediblytouching to see such youngchildren wanting to make adifference.JimmyDouglasturned in his 9th birthdaytakings recently. Jimmystarted donating to Reachon his 5th birthday andnow has given a whopping 740 to date! He’s picturedvolunteering with his momAgnes at McHappy Day, May 6th.Marc Finke and Hunter Thomas have birthdaysone day apart and celebrate joint birthdayparties. The last two birthdays they asked kidsto bring “a toonie for each and a toonie forReach”. They’ve donated about 100 together.Marc & HunterIsabella Corbet combined entrepreneurial andphilanthropist skills. She launched a cupcakefundraiser at her school and raised 230 forReach. Thank you for showing incredibleinitiative Bella!High-school students also played their partthis Spring. Seaquam students Kiva Ford,Danielle Chies, Rasha Syed and Emma Douglaswith a cheque for Reach from the Youth andThis dedicated group of studentsadopted Reach as their non-profitof choice to compete against othergroups in their school to win the 5000 award for Reach.Philanthropy Initiative presented byJessica Daly.All of us here at Reach are thrilledby the interest these young peoplehave taken in helping children withspecial needs and their familes.other groups in their school to win the 5000 award.COMING UP IN THE FALL:Reach Society AGM 2015 is onOctober 16th, 2015 from 5:30 to8:30 pm at Delta View. We aregoing to thank the people behindthe scenes! We could not do whatwe do without our volunteers.Non-profits like Reach dependon an army of volunteers: event,program, social enterprise and ourboard volunteers all make adifference together.There are vacancies on the ReachChild and Youth Society Boardcoming up for the 2015/2016 year.at.0sterRegi 622 ext-664-9t604or a hild.orghca c@re byinfo5, 201er 2botOcAre you interested in becominga Director at Reach? Our newSociety Board will be voted in atthe AGM. Phone now and findout more at 604-946-6622 EXT. 0.There’s plenty of time to be addedto the 2015-16 Slate of Directorsbetween now and October.3

Reach for the Stars G A L A 2 0 1 5Recent EventsTanya Corbet,Reach Foundation Board DirectorMayor Jackson & Kurtis ReidWe express sincere gratitude to all thebusinesses, individuals and volunteers whosupported us to build a brighter future forchildren with special needs on April 25th. OurBlack and White Gala raised 100,000: a hugemilestone that marked the half-way mark to the 5 million dollar fundrasing goal for our newchild development centre in the heart of Ladner.Presenting sponsors were MK Delta LandsGroup, Port Metro Vancouver and IvanhoéCambridge. Century Group sponsored our venueand dinner and Ocean Trailer sponsored thetable wine and volunteer dinner. Oldum BrownLimited and Agnes Douglas, Portfolio Managerand Investment Advisor and Hillmar IndustriesLtd. were the Platinum Sponsors for the Blackand White Gala.Highlights of the April 25th gala included MayorLois Jackson’s short speech where she appealedto the 250 gala guests pledge 1000 towardsthe capital campaign Saturday night. Global BCmorning news co-anchor Steve Darling was acrowd pleaser as MC. A local family shared theirson’s journey with autism in a moving video andsinger Cherlyn Cortes sang a beautiful renditionof “Hallelujah” . The gala was held at the newlyrenovated Coast Tsawwassen Inn.All funds raised go towards Reach’s “Buildingfor Children Together” capital campaign helpingmake our new centre in the heart of Ladner forchildren and youth with special needs a reality.Steve Darling, MCEmma Lea Farms 2015Strawberry Fundraiser4Strawberry Season cameearly this year and EmmaLea Farm donated abumper crop of proceedsto Reach. This is thesecond year that EmmaLea hosted a Strawberryand Ice creamFundraiser to benefitReach. Proceeds fromhotdog, milkshake andmost importantly, strawberry sundaes, totaled 4,605 at the June 7thfundraiser. This total isdouble the 2014 eventtakings. Thank you somuch Emma Lea Farms!Ruth Katagi, volunteerSteve Krawchuk, ownerHolly Sorley, managerKaren Horn, ReachBarbara Westlake, ReachMcHappy Day 2015Steve Krawchuk of South Delta McDonald’s presents Reachwith a record McHappy Day donation, almost 13,000. May6th marked a great community event on so many levels.Thank you to everyone involved!

by Lisa Woudzia Ph.D., Reach Associate Executive Director.Defining and pursuing happiness and “thegood life”, once restricted to the domainof philosophers, has now become a topicof science, thanks to advancements intechnologies such as neuroimaging, and tomovement in psychology towards a morepositive focus. These shifts can move thoseof us who love and/or support individualswith autism or other developmentaldisabilities, to question what is valuablein life, and in doing so, shift us away frompursuing “normalcy” and toward well-being.At the same time, neuroscience is telling usthat we have agreat deal ofcontrol over ourown happinessand if we workat it, we canmold our brainstowards higheroptimism. Thiswill increase ourown wellbeingand happinessand those weinteract withday-to-day.Martin Seligman, known as the “fatherof positive psychology’, has identified 5elements crucial to wellbeing: Positiveemotion, Engagement, Relationships,Meaning, and Achievement (PERMA).In pursuing these elements in our lives,nothing is dictated about the sources of theelements, so that individual differences areeasily accommodated. For example, meaningin my life may come from helping my ailingaunt, while meaning for you comes fromserving as a board member on a non-profitsociety, or pleasing your teacher by bringingher an apple every week. Although meaningdoes imply efforts directed at something/someone beyond yourself, one need notfind a cure for cancer to have meaning intheir life. This diversity of causes is alsoembedded within the other elements. Whatengages you, what relationships you enjoy,what counts as achievement, and whatcreates positive emotion within you are allopen and relative to the individual. If wepursue well-being, rather than “normalcy”,we gain a better understanding of eachindividual, we shift away from what is“wrong” and we embrace a diversity ofways to live good lives.We still may feel defeated or pessimisticabout the challenges facing our children,friends or ourselves, if we have a disability. We may even be reluctant to want tofeel happy, while others we hold dear arestruggling. The first step toward helpingthose around us, especially those closest tous, is to experience ourown wellbeing. We create emotional environments wherever we areand a positive, accepting, and encouraging environment will always bebetter for those aroundus, and may in fact haveprofound positive effectson them.Our brain functions better when we are not anxious and worried.The good news from neuroscience is thatwith practice, we can change our worrying,ruminating minds and attain better focusand wellbeing. Our brains can change, evenin old age. The saying is that “neurons thatfire together wire together”. This meansthat if we consciously shift to focus ourminds on the positives, even in challengingsituations, our brains can become calmer,better focused and able to stop the negative chatter that goes on in there! This isn’teasy, but there are plenty of options including meditation, CBT, and mindfulness to getyou started. For information and optionssee: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/ orhttps://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/. You will be able to get manymore good resources from these sites. Remember: “Happiness is an inside job.”Join the ReachFINDS Team!!We are welcomingindividuals who want tohelp with our childrensthrift store.FINDS is at4927 Elliott Street, justnorth of West CoastSeeds in Ladner.Phone or email Robyn at604-946-6622 ext 328volunteer@reachchild.orgto find out more.volunteerReach for Happiness & Wellbeing5