Spring 2021 news & updates
Tyndale Newsletter
A new support group in the Early Childhood Department
A year into the pandemic and the Early Childhood (EC) team is still going strong! The staff is working tirelessly to continue to offer young children and their parent’s activities via onsite and online programming. From providing families with food baskets and cooking videos, filmed, and edited at Tyndale, to hosting workshops for new parents, the Department continues to find ways to engage and support Tyndale families. 
 
After assessing the needs of some of the participants, the department introduced a weekly Parenting Group. This new initiative has been very helpful for the parents who join in to share, listen and lean on one another for encouragement and support. Each week, the team focuses on a specific topic such as self-care, or the importance of recognizing and maintaining healthy relationships within the context of the pandemic. The Parenting Group also provides opportunities for educational experiences. Experts in various fields have been invited to share their knowledge and answer questions; a registered social worker explained her role in different settings, such as CLSCs and schools, as well as shared where to find information available to parents; a school community outreach representative from the Little Burgundy Coalition introduced parents to the Quebec school system and its particularities, which can be an overwhelming experience for newly arrived immigrants. The Parenting Support Group will continue into the spring session.


To read Zoubaida's experience as a new Early Childhood Department participant, click here.
News from the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYF)
The After School Program for elementary school children was the first department to open after the second lockdown during the holiday season. With limited spaces and security and health guidelines to accommodate, the CYF team continued to offer its usual educational and recreational programming. The educators and animators work hard to ensure quality activities as well as ensuring to support the children in their emotional development.  
Youth Co-op
The Youth Co-op is a popular and successful summer program which helps teens gain valuable work experience, receive paid contracts for their services and fundraise. After assessing the needs of the youth, Tyndale decided to offer the program as a pilot project year-round. The dedicated group of teens meets three times a week to work on various projects, help in the community and discuss and support one another in their initiatives. With the guidance of two coordinators, they work on their intrapersonal skills, learn to build resumes, plan, organize and budget. They also learn how to cook!
 
Read CBC’s article on the Youth Co-op here. You can also listen to a CBC radio interview with Natasha (coordinator) and Kimonie (youth participant).
Tyndale St-Georges Children's Library
Drawing of the Library by Razanne
Donated books via the book drive
The Library has finally reopened its doors and we couldn’t be happier to service the children of the Little Burgundy Community again with books and a place to hang out! After one year of being inaccessible to our avid young readers, the library can resume its regular services and be the support to the many children who find solace in this tiny but magical space. At the Library, children learn to read and share, make decisions and help one another. Although the library can only accept 7 children at once due to the current restrictions, the staff and kids make the most of it. 
 


We would like to thank Andrea Borod who organized a book drive in March, for the Library. Due to her hard work, commitment and love of books, more than 100 brand new books were donated to the collection!

Curious about the Library collection or want to know if we have a specific book on our shelves? Check out the catalog!
The Adult Development Department (ADD) in hybrid mode
The pandemic has not been easy for our team and participants at the Adult Development Department. The Adult Centre prides itself in being a safe and welcoming space for all, where people meet on a daily basis to chat, have a coffee and read the newspaper. The Department plays an important role in helping fight isolation by providing connections, activities, and resources to its most vulnerable population. Although it has become a challenge for the team to be as accessible to the community during the pandemic, they are dedicated to providing assistance and guidance through services such as the Pre-employment program offered in a hybrid form both online and onsite, and the phone check-ins for our seniors.
 

You can visit our website to learn more about the Adult Development Department and the different programs and services offered to those 16+. 
A bit of extra news
Tyndale's Book Club
As a new initiative for 2021, Tyndale launched a virtual book club for adults. The staff at Tyndale proposed forming a book club as a way to encourage reading as well as a way to reach out and make new connections. It was announced in January, and by March 11th, the group was already meeting to review the first book! A group of 11 people made up of staff, participants, volunteers, community partners and donors are now meeting monthly to review, discuss and share their thoughts. Tyndale’s virtual Book Club is a great opportunity for people to reignite their love of reading and gives them the opportunity to gather and connect, without leaving the comfort of their couch! 
 
Here are the books read so far: The Guest List and American Dirt. In May they will meet to discuss The Night Tiger. 
 
If you are interested in joining the book club or if you are curious about their list, send them a message! 
Food security initiative during second lockdown
While the Centre was closed to in-person services from January 4th to February 8th, Tyndale repurposed the delivered goods the Centre receives every week from Le Garde-Manger pour tous, to provide food baskets for the community. These baskets were distributed to families struggling during the quarantine period. Approximately 12 to 15 boxes were delivered weekly for a period of 5 weeks. 

As an extra service, Tyndale’s chef cooked weekly meals, which were also included in these food baskets for the families most in need. Some of these delicious meals were: roast chicken, macaroni pie, beef stew, and spaghetti, The One Stop Jamaican restaurant in Ville Saint-Pierre partnered with Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre to provide a home delivery pre-made meals service.

Now that Tyndale is open for the After School Program, the Centre will continue to prepare and serve warm homemade meals to its participants. 
Pay It Forward Scholarship
In January, Tyndale St-Georges was excited to announce the Pay it Forward Scholarship Award. Thanks to generous Tyndale supporters, this new Scholarship Program will help 2 students entering university in 2021 and 2 students entering university in 2022, for up to 3 years per student. The intent of this Program is to provide annual scholarships to each successful candidate for the duration of their undergraduate program for up to three years. This represents $8,300 per student per year! We are very grateful for the generous donors and we wish all the applicants good luck!
Meet the Tyndale team as of March 2021
THANK YOU!
A very special thank you to Tyndale’s amazing volunteers who contribute to the Centre’s success in many ways. Whether you are offering your time online or in person, your dedication to Tyndale and its participants is invaluable and greatly appreciated. We couldn’t do it without you!
 
We are always looking for volunteers to help out in our different programs and departments. If you are interested, please fill out the volunteer form and we will get back to you.
Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre www.tyndalestgeorges.com