MOVING ON UP!

The number of clients at The Caring Place continues to grow. At the end of August 2012, we were over 700 clients ahead of where we were a year ago. We continue to have low income clients, but the number of EAP referrals and full-paying clients is increasing. This is good news for our financial stability. We still have work to do, but our marketing efforts continue to pay off.

As our number of clients increases, our counselling hours have increased and we ran out of space in our first floor offices. When Verite' Films moved out in the summer, we were presented with the opportunity to rent the entire building. So we did, at an excellent rate.

We are using two offices and the Board Room on the second floor, in addition to our first floor facility. We are subletting the reception area, waiting room and four offices to four naturopathic doctors, the Cathedral Wellness Centre. Our subletting arrangements enable us to "break even" on rent and have more space.

The Board Room enables us to hold seminars, workshops and support groups in our building, which we could not do before. Dr. Sam Berg is leading a professional development workshop for counsellors on Emotionally-Focused Therapy this weekend. We have put up a white board, and a cadenza and modular tables were donated to us. The room was used this week by our Board for our scheduled Board of Direcctors meeting. It is wonderful to have this extra room for such meetings.

Anyone interested in seeing our upstairs "digs" can come by and we'd be happy to give you a tour!

EXCITING TIMES FOR THE CARING PLACE
Just a few months ago The Caring Place was still struggling financially. While we are not knee deep in money, the funds are coming in by way of new clients. And we have expanded our counselling contingent by adding a registered doctoral psychologist and a new female counsellor.

Dr. Todd Sojonky, left, specializes in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He works with all ages, male and female, individuals and couples. He is accepting new clients.

Kayely Schoeber is our new female counsellor. She has considerable experience with children and youth. She is also accepting new clients.

Call The Caring Place today for an appointment!

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES...
The Annual General Meeting of The Caring Place happened yesterday. As we reviewed the 2011 Audited Financial Statements, I was amazed at how far we have come in just a few months. Last September I wasn't sure if we could keep our doors open. Now I'm planning for the future. Amazing!

I just passed my two year mark at The Caring Place. I have seen so many miracles in the lives of people, in the way money has come in, and in the publics awareness and support for The Caring Place.Again, amazing!

We are still working hard on fundraising, but we are able to meet most of our financial obligations each month. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has given, whatever the amount. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has prayed and PUSHED on behalf of The Caring Place. And, especially, a huge THANK YOU to staff who have stayed beside me through thick and thin. Your support has kept me going.

The Caring Place still needs funding. We want to establish a minimum of $25,000 in our Client Support Fund by the end of 2012. We also want to increase our monthly automatic donations from the current $1,000 to $5,000 per month by this time next year.

Staff will be sitting down soon to discuss our goals for the next three years. Any ideas or suggestions are always welcome. And a huge THANK YOU to God for His goodness to The Caring Place.

PUSH = Pray Until Something Happens!

Over the last few months, The Caring Place has been faced with a severe financial crisis. We put our heads together, came up with a few ideas, and started working hard to raise some money. To date, we have raised $37,000. It's a lot of money but not nearly enough.

As Executive Director, I've been leading the attack on fundraising. And I'm getting tired. Sometimes I wonder where God is taking us. I'll get down and He will boost me back up. I'll be excited and then be disappointed. Yet within all that goes on, I know that there is a plan and a purpose. I keep saying that old adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and I think it is working.

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to us. You have made a difference and our doors are still open, our rent is paid for October and we are all working hard at The Caring Place. Let's all keep PUSHing and we'll find our way.

Joy Johnson, PhD, ABC
Executive Director

Has Spring Finally Sprung?

While some parts of the province had a blizzard last weekend, this week has been bright and sunny. The weather forecasters are predicting rain for tomorrow, but that is still warmer than the blizzard a week ago.

Our moods often follow the weather patterns. When the skies are dark and gray, we may feel down and grumpy. When the skies are blue and sunny, our moods may be elated and we are happy and lively.

As I was pondering our behaviour, I began to wonder why the weather has such an impact on us. Is it the temperature, the colour of the sky, the wind speed or other factors?

Then I thought about how much control I have over my mood. While many factors each day impact our lives, we CHOOSE our moods and whether we are happy or sad. The choice is mine. If everything goes wrong in the day, I can choose to look at the positives that did occur and be upbeat and happy. Or, I can focus all my energies on the negatives and be miserable.

The choice is mine, and yours.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE LONELY

The Caring Place has entered the world of social media. We now have a Facebook page and, of course, this blog. We are new to these means of communication but hope that our supporters and clients will access these sources and interact with us. So far things have been quiet, and lonely.

We will be launching a fundraising campaign on April 25 -- "A Week of Caring." We will be promoting The Caring Place through radio, television, print and social media, to raise our profile and raise some funds. The week will culminate in Caring Place Sunday and we are asking Regina's faith community to take up a benevolent offering for us.

Donations to The Caring Place can be made through our website at http://www.thecaringplace.ca/ under Donate. We are looking forward to comments on Facebook and on this blog.

MID-WINTER BLUES

The red ink symbolizes love, which was February 14 -- the only "hot spot" in the middle of winter. Here in Saskatchewan, winter sometimes seems to last 10 months of the year. We've all heard the old joke: "In Saskatchewan there are only 2 months -- winter and road construction." Right now it is a VERY cold winter at -23C with a wind chill that feels like -37C.

 

So how do we get through the days, weeks and months of such cold without getting severely depressed? Here are a few helps. Use what works (at your own risk) and ignore the rest.

 

1. Leave for a tropical climate on July 1 and return June 31.
2. Have a beach party in January -- indoors.
3. Have a "how cold is it?" debate and try to outdo each other.
4. Take the family to the Moose Jaw spa for a treat weekend.
5. If you can't afford a weekend in Moose Jaw, spend an afternoon at a leisure centre.
6. Sit down with a globe and find climates that are colder than Saskatchewan. Research them on Wikipedia.
7. Go through your closet trying on and sorting summer clothes that no longer fit or are worn out.
8. Look through pictures or a scrapbook of a memorable vacation, no matter where it was.
9. Rent a Beach Blanket movie for the evening.
10. Look at your warm home, warm winter coat, hat/gloves and winter boots and count your blessings.

As the song goes, "See you in the summer ..."