The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 2, 2002 - Bl _ TERRACE STANDARD INSIDE SECTION B © COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 4 Around Town Art raffle HOW’S THIS for a great idea? Help support the Terrace Art Association and receive a chance to win an original piece of art by a ta- lented local artist. The Terrace Art Association, the parent or- ganization that runs the Terrace Art Gallery, is raffling off four original works as a way to raise money. Just 1,500 tickets will be sold. The draw takes place Nov. 16, First prize is an acrylic painting called “Market Place” by Maureen Worobey. The other prizes are a watercolour by Joyce Find- lay called “Skeena River Salmon”, a water colour; Maureen Worobey’s pen and ink/watercolour, “Nap Time”, and a framed photograph of a Kermode bear by photographer Chris Harrington. These artists all chase to donate their works to the raffle. Each has been closely invalved with the art association over the years, Stru- mecki said. Soon, you'll be able to take a peek at the prizes. They’ll be part of a display at the gift - shop in the art gallery. Tickets are $2 for one or $5 for three. They are available from art association members and at the Terrace Art Gallery. Call Aron at 638-8884 for more information. FLORAL DISPLAYS are just one set of criteria judges used to rate Terrace. Bloom time HOW DID we do? Terrace finds out Saturday how well we fared in the national Communi- ties in Bloom contest. This summer, judges from the contest rated Terrace on eight. different categories ranging from floral displays to-environmental aware- ness Kelowna, B.C., hosts this year’s national convention and awards ceremony. The winners will be announced Saturday, Oct. 6. It’s the eighth year for Communities in Bloom, a national and provincial competition that promotes beautification, civic pride, com- munity involyement, and environmental! awareness — through the spirit of friendly com- petition. Communities in Bloom was inspired by European beautification programs. It started in Canada in.1995. Terrace competed in the pro- vincial version of the contest last year. Entrants compete with similarly-sized towns. Terrace is entered in the 10,001-20,000 population category. Once again, we’re up against Fort St. John, B.C,, which earned three blooms out of five in last year’s provincial competition for heritage conservation. Other towns in our size category are: Centre: Wellington, Huntsville, Midland, North Perth, and Pembroke, ON; Leduc and Wetaskiwin, AB; Summerside, PEI; Shawinigan Sud, QUE; and Rathesay, NB. Williams Lake, B.C., won the 10,001- 20,000 category last year, Country kudos COUNTRY MUSIC performer Isabelle Marie is singing the praises of organizers of last month’s Riverside Festival — and the town it- self. “I love the mountains, the scenery and the .people of Terrace,” says the Williams Lake, B.C., - based performer, who returned for her second year at the festival, sponsored by the Elks and Royal Purple, and hosted at Har- Lee's place. “I'd like to thank the Elks and Royal Purple for their kindness and generosity. They have a very well organized music festival.” Marie also thanks the fans, musicians and volunteers who helped make the fourth annual gospel and roots music festival possible. “I tip my hat to you,” she added. Italian for Beginners A DANISH romantic comedy is next film on view at the Tillicum Twin Theatres as part of the Travelling Picture Show. Italian For Begin- ners, playing Monday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m., fol- . lows the intersecting stories of singies in a night school course. It was filmed in the Dogma 95 style ~ a movement founded by Lars von Triers of ' Breaking the Waves fame that means the movie is shot on video, on location, using am- bient Jighting and sound. Italian for Beginners is fresh, quirky, and funny, critics say, but has + some dark moments that help distinguish it from regular Hollywood fare. “> OMMUNIT Y=: Great expectations How will Terrace’s economic woes impact the food bank? It’s hard to know. By JENNIFER LANG THE PEOPLE who run Terrace’s food bank are wondering what de- mand will be like when it opens up next week. The Terrace Churches Food Bank, open one week per month from October to April, except for December, goes on haitis during the summer, “We don’t know what to ex- pect this year,” president Dennis Brewer said last week, as he and other volunteers prepared for the upcoming distribution dates. Brewer, a former credit union manager, wonders if tougher eco- nomic times in northwestern B.C, will translate into increased de- mand on the bread lines. “I think it’s important we keep donations coming — it’s going ta be a long, cold winter.” Brewer said employment assistance is starting to run out for Terrace workers affec- Dennis FOOD BANK vice president Irma Brewer sorts through a recent donation from Save-on-Foods. It's three months’ worth of goods with damaged packaging. It represents about 5,000 pounds. Brewer ted by the year-long Skeena Cellulose sawmill shut- down. “This community is starting to hurt, from what I can gather,” Brewer said, While hundreds of students ap- pear to have left the school dis- trict over the past year, it’s im- possible to know how that will impact the food bank. “At the end of last season, we were ending up with a lot more single people than normal,” Brewer said. 7 Last year’s numbers show the food bank distributed 680 bags of groceries to the needy in April, Single people and couples without dependents are given one bag of groceries. Larger families receive more, The food bank is supported =. through donations people make through their churches, and through drop off bins at three local stores ~ the Bargain Shop, Safe- way and Save-on-Foods. Customers at the two grocery stores can also purchase BC Shar- ing Coupons for the food bank. The coupons translate into cash and are used to buy needed items. Brewer stresses the food bank is a lean organization run entirely by volunteers. “The only money that’s not spent on food is the $25 ve got to give the gavernment every-year to be. registered,’ " Brewer said, # He admits there’s some. confu- Weta: Kens sion about who operates the food’ bank. All of the churches in town, notably the Salvation Army, oper- ate emergency assistance pro- grams, but the Terrace Churches + Food Bank is the town’s only offi- cial food bank, which leads to - some confusion, he admits. The Salvation Army distributes well-stocked and much-valued Christmas food hampers in De- cember, and also distributes food | and other emergency aid ‘through » .., its.community service programs. .. Another. example ‘is the Se- . venth Day Adventist Church, which operates a soup kitchen on Sunday afternoons at the Carpen- ter’s Halt ~— offering. people a chance for a hot, home: cooked meal. Unique learners get job search help By JENNIFER LANG IF YOU work with some- body who has a learning disability, chances are you don’t know it. Mest people who have learning disabilities never tell their employer or col- leagues for fear of losing their jobs — if they have one, says Mary Jo Wood- cox. She’s the regional coor- dinator of the Destination Employment program, a pilot project that’s helping Terrace residents with learning disabilities get ready to find work. One in 10 people has a learning disability that makes it difficult to read or listen to instructions, complete math problems down. She says someone with a learning disability can have trouble finding work or keeping their jobs, especially considering some would rather quit than admit to an employer he or she can’t read. So fat, she has nine clients. Between now and December, they’il receive an assessment and learn work skills that will help them find — and keep - a job, something that may have eluded them until now. The program also in- cludes a supervised four- week work placement. People with learning disabilities are not stupid, despite what they may sometimes believe about themselves, she says. In fact, people with learning problems nay be some of the most creative employees in the work- place because they've spent a life time finding other ways of doing things. Woodcox said the lack of understanding around learning disabilities in general has huge social costs. As many as 85 per cent of high school drop outs have learning disabilities, she says. “They say that 75 per cent of the people in jail are learning disabled,” she adds. Many people are fami- liar with learning disabili- ties like dyslexia, but Mary-Jo Woodcox much bigger picture — at- tention deficit disorder and hyperactivity are also classified as learning dis- - abilities. She’s discovered that people with learning dis- abilities often blame their troubles on their disability, She thinks that’s a cop out. And she should know — she has a learning dis- ability herself, a fact she happily shares with clients who may be using their problem as an excuse. She points out some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are learning disabled, in- cluding Robin Williams and Tom Cruise and for- mer talk show host Rosie O’Donnell. So is novelist Tom Clancy. The program is offered by the Provinclal Network- ing Groupwith money from ihe Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. and or even write something Can you help? that’s just a small part of a . HRDC. Parent support group is under threat CONTRIBUTED MOST PARENTS wouid agree that raising children is the most challenging job they have ever had. Not only is it a 24-hour, 365-days a year re- sponsibility, but there is no diploma or degree program to prepare you, no apprenticeship ex- cept your own childhood, and very little sup- port from the community. B.C, Parent Support Services (formerly B.C. Parents in Crisis Circle members have made comments such as: “At first when you come, you just cry and cry, but after a while, you start to feel better because everyone is supporting you. They don’t judge you.” And: “I used to spank my kids because that’s how 1 was raised. I've learned through the group that there are other ways to handle their behaviour ~ and they work!” Sadly, this year there aren’t enough facili- tators available to Society) began to address the needs of parents in the 1970s to lessen the stresses thal can ning. continue this important For the first time since its bagin- work, and so for the ning there will not be a group run- first time since its. be- ginning there will nol be a group running. lead to physical and emotional child abuse. Local parent circles starts up, with trained facilitators who could help parents share their strengths and their concerns with others. . For almost 30 years, Terrace has had an ac- tive circle that. parents attend confidentially every week. This is particularly un- fortunate due to the loss of most of the other parenting groups in Terrace following recent ‘government cutback. In addition, many. parents are facing extra stressors such as unemployment and’ reduced ' social assistance payments. Facilitators are volunteers, but they receive a weekend training session and yearly educa- tional conferences. Each communily also has a steering committee to support the facilitators and promote the circle to the public. A volunteer for a circle needs to be some- one who is: @ Comfortable with people of all different backgrounds. @ Non-judgmental. @ Able to maintain strict confidentiality (uniess a child's safety is at risk). BA good listener. @ Willing to help a Broup discuss their is- sues without trying to “run” the group, make decisions for people or give advice. Bi Open to learning. @ Able and willing to work cooperatively with another facilitator. @ Available once a week for two and a half to three hours, and willing to commit for a full year, from September to June. If you're interested in this important ‘work, please call Carol at 635-3459 of Tina toll free "in Prince George at 1-866-561-0607. ;