M.I. Understanding Has your child been struggling with meltdowns and big feelings during the pandemic? If so, you’re not alone. Since COVID-19, almost 60 per cent of parents noted be- havioural changes in their children, ranging from outbursts or extreme irritability to drastic changes in mood, behaviour or personality, altered sleeping patterns, persistent sadness and more. *Children’s Mental Health Ontario M.I.understanding, in partnership with five London organizations (Custom Plush, MLD Solutions Inc. TecAlliance, Western Education, Kids Mental Health Optimist Club), has developed a new online program for families to help children build resiliency. The “MI friends” program provides children with a comfort toy (named Poppy), while connecting families to an online video/ activity program, giving parents strategies, tools, resources, and suggestions on how to support their child as they learn to self-regulate. Poppy’s role is to help families develop strategies, start a conversation, and bridge the gap to care with tools to strengthen educational and medical support.
The program was developed with the experts at The Child and Youth Development Clinic at Western University and will drive future research and development around children’s mental health. Equally important, a portion of every purchase will go back to reinvest in children’s mental health to support research and program development. M.I.understanding facilitates early intervention and increases awareness and understanding, providing more families with tools and resources to raise healthy and resilient children. Videos on a wide range of topics to help families start a conversation can be found at www.miunderstanding.ca. Please help us continue to create a community of support for families by sharing our program, pre-ordering Poppy for a family in need, and/or making a donation: https://igg.me/at/mifriends For more information, contact: Paula Jesty- Paula@miunderstanding.ca FB: M.I.understanding Emergency Community Support Fund, funded by the Government of Canada. This funding went directly to support education and digital events for rural LGBT2Q+ youth who are socially isolated due to the pandemic in Elgin & Middlesex. “We were extremely excited about this funding and the programs we offered and continue to offer for the many youth in our communities that are feeling especially isolated during the pandemic,” says Lorna MacDougall, President of the Rainbow Optimist Club. TheRainbowOptimist Club – SWOworks to provide programming and education for rural LGBT2Q+ communities, with a focus on youth. This funding allowed the organization to hire a contract Project Coordinator to help provide engaging and informative virtual events, social media content and educational materials. Some of these programs included Drag Storytimes, Rainbow Speaker Panels, social media contests and the sharing of new videos and resources from Prideunderstanding.ca For more information about the Rainbow Optimist Club - Southwestern Ontario, please visit: RainbowOptimistClub.com. Twitter: @MIunderstanding Instagram: M.I.understanding
Rainbow Optimist Club Ramps Up Activity
The Rainbow Optimist Club – Southwestern Ontario Inc. has had a busy few months and launched several new initiatives to support LGBT2Q+ rural youth, their families and their communities in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Counties. Check out the new RainbowOptimistClub.com The brand newwebsite contains program information, partnerships, information about upcoming initiatives and a new resource section, that will help connect individuals with resources, community organizations and crisis support services in the area. Drag Storytimes go virtual A global pandemic will not keep London’s finest drag performers from entertaining the masses! Check out the brand- new Virtual Drag Storytimes online at: RainbowOptimistClub.com/DragStorytime and find out when they air on Facebook or watch past Drag Storytimes! A new cookbook is coming!
Junior Optimist International and the Rainbow Optimist Club are creating a cookbook with recipes from around the world. To order your cookbook, visit: RainbowOptimistClub.com/Cookbook. New Rainbow Speakers Panels for Elgin, Middlesex & Oxford
The Rainbow Optimist Club offers a unique opportunity for rural communities to hear directly from members of LGBT2Q+ communities with a series of Rainbow Speakers Panels. Check out the brand-new panel discussions for Elgin, Middlesex & Oxford online at: RainbowOptimistClub.com/RainbowSpeakers. Funding helps expand Rainbow Optimist Club programs The Rainbow Optimist Club – Southwestern Ontario was proud to receive $31,275 in funding from the United Way Elgin Middlesex
PRIDE Villager
Page 9 Issue 6 • Spring 2021
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