Hi Lisa,

Ah, February – the month of love! Do you recall your favourite book as a child? Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial for their development. When young children are exposed to words and sounds early, their literacy skills dramatically improve, as does their confidence. January 28 marked Literacy Awareness Day across Canada. In this edition of Connections, we have you to thank for filling our Resource Centre – a treasure trove of over 5,000 carefully curated resources by our therapists offered to all families in our community to borrow at no cost, thanks to being completely funded by donors like you.



Also filling our hearts with gratitude is our recent anniversary at KidsAbility Kitchener – 14 months (and counting!) in our bright, welcoming location at 4273 King Street E. with accessible features that continue to improve the work of our expert teams to provided exceptional wrap-around care to kids and their families.

You'll find both stories in this edition, plus so much more. In each story you read, I hope you'll see the incredible impact you make possible as a friend of KidsAbility.

I'll be back in your inbox next month!

Warmly,

Parents like Jason find support with therapist-approved resources that complement their families' needs, thanks to you. Keep reading.

Take a peek at our newest video to see how therapists are supporting families with a tailored approach to care and personal guidance to actively participate in their child's therapy at KidsAbility Kitchener! Simply tap the image to be directed to our Behaviour Support Services page where you’ll find the video located below the listing of our Service Offerings.

Do you know a high school graduate who is a current KidsAbility alumni planning their future in college, university or trade school? The Carol Shantz Bursary Award is their chance to receive a minimum of $1,000 of financial aid toward their post-secondary journey! Take me to the nomination form.

"How can I make a difference by donating my Ontario rebate to KidsAbility?"

As rebates begin arriving in the mail, you may be reading in the news of people choosing to make a charitable difference by pledging their Ontario rebate.

We want you to know that if $200 makes a difference for your family when you receive it, then we wouldn’t want you to do anything but keep it. Your kindness is measured by your shared belief in supporting local kids and families served by KidsAbility to thrive. 

However, if you have received your rebate and feel you are in a position to give, a donation of your rebate will make an immediate difference in a program like Specialized Feeding, a clinic which helps kids overcome their feeding and swallowing challenges, so that no child is at nutritional risk.

From dining out to ordering in, from books that give back to labels for the items kids lose – take a peek at all the ways YOU can get involved to raise funds for KidsAbility. When you take part in fundraisers, community events and purchase from local business partners who give back, it's a win-win for kids and their families. Take me to see more!

Do you know a past or current KidsAbility client or a family who would like to share their story? We'd love to hear from you for potential inclusion in a future article. Simply email me with your subject line, "I have a story."



If you have feedback you’d like to share, I welcome your thoughts and ideas. Thanks for taking time to read this edition of Connections.



Lisa Talbot, Executive Director, KidsAbility Foundation