Building community, one family at a time

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Winnipeg Free Press, Monday January 14, 2008
Reproduced with permission.
Photo: Joe Bryksa/Winnipeg Free Press

FROM September to June, kids often bring papers home from school. Crumpled up bulletins, report cards and other notes are routinely found at the bottom of backpacks.

But for two Winnipeg women, one of those notes from school had a lasting impact on their lives.

Last year, Linda Seaman and Shakila Rasa received applications for their families to participate in the FAST program (Families and Schools Together) at Victor Mager School, offered by the Family Centre of Winnipeg.

Rasa, a mother of four who immigrated to the city four years ago from Afghanistan, said she was a little confused at first, as fasting is part of the religious observance of Ramadan.

Both women decided to take part in the eight-week program, which aims to help families build personal relationships with each other and with teachers and administrators at the school through a series of activities.
By the end of the program, Seaman and Rasa became close friends.

Seaman even helped Rasa learn how to drive.

"She was very nice. Whenever I called her, she came," Rasa said.

"She wanted to learn and needed somebody, and I wanted to help," Seaman said.

The practice time paid off, as Rasa passed her road test on New Year's Eve.

She said it's made a huge difference in her life, especially when carting her kids around in Winnipeg's wonderful winter temperatures.

Seaman said FAST introduced her to many different families and cultures. "I'm really glad I joined the program," she said.

FAST encourages participants to continue to build on the relationships over the course of two years by meeting with at least one of the other families once a month.

"If you really want to build your community, you have to think long-term," said Rhonda Chegus, FAST co-ordinator at the Family Centre of Winnipeg.
The family centre has been offering the program at various schools across the city for 10 years.

Last year, 45 staff members at Victor Mager took part, attending at least one of the weekly evening sessions.

Luanne Mounk, a school social worker at the Louis Riel School Division, said FAST often makes a noticeable impact on the kids.

"I still hear comments from teachers about how successful this program was at Victor Mager. Kids have become more open, more connected," Mounk said.

Last year, the United Way invested $722,400 in core programs at the Family Centre of Winnipeg.