KidStart volunteers meet monthly (usually on the 3rd Wednesday night) for training at the John Howard Society. Training topics include:
-FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and other brain function disorders
-Cross-cultural awareness
-Communication and compassionate listening
-Nutrition and healthy discipline
-Any other training areas that mentors request and would benefit their role as mentors.

Thank you to the following entities for supporting the KidStart program!

*River City Cycle Club
*Independent Order of Foresters
*Janine Martin-Odlum Brown
*North Island Battlefield Outdoor Laser Tag
*Showcase 5 Cinemas
*On the Rocks Climbing Gym
*Let 'Em Loose Playing Cafe
*Jet FM Radio Station

Campbell River Success Story!

Rachel* turned 9 years old in July. She's an adorable, bubbly, happy, energetic little girl who always has a smile on her face. It wasn't always this way, however. After issues of neglect and abuse were discovered in her home when she was three, Rachel was placed in a care home. Over the next five years, various circumstances had her moved through 13 different homes. When she arrived in Campbell River in 2007, she was an angry, withdrawn, and mistrustful seven-year-old. Anxious to get her the help she needed, and aware of the power of preventative programs, her care home provider called KidStart. At about the same time, Michelle* e-mailed to find out more information about volunteering as a mentor with KidStart. She described herself as active,
easy-going, and fun, and said that she loved to play. Her main reasons for wanting to get involved was her sense of gratitude at having led a very privileged life (i.e. she was middle class, of Euro-Canadian descent, never directly exposed to any form of abuse or discrimination, able to afford post-secondary education, and lived a fairly comfortable life). She strongly believed that she could combine her love of play with her dedication to making a positive local difference by connecting with one little girl.
After completing the screening and training process, Michelle was introduced to Rachel. As Michelle describes it, after about 20 minutes of shyness on their first outing to the park, she has never heard Rachel be quiet since. Rachel quickly settled into the routine of their 3+ hourly outings every week, and blossomed under the undivided, unconditionally accepting, and positive one-to-one attention she received in Michelle's presence. Her care home provider shared verbal reports of immediate positive differences in Rachel's behaviour. By the third week, Rachel would be bouncing with excitement and smiles on the days of her KidStart outings. By the fourth week she was coming home after KidStart visits and excitedly telling her care home providers every last possible detail of her time with Michelle (i.e. how many crabs they had caught at the beach, how many different shapes they had discovered in the clouds, and how she'd learned to skip rocks, etc.). Michelle explains that they've become really good friends in the past year, and said her time with Rachel has “precious simple moments which are the highlight of each and every week."
*Names have been changed.