LaFF Community Association Newsletter

Edition 4 | Fall 2021

FUNdraiser
takes on festive
village theme

Ladysmith residents look after each other – nowhere is that more true than at LaFF. This holiday season, the organization is putting that sense of community into its holiday fundraiser, with an ‘It Takes a Village’ theme.

Building on the success of last year’s 12 Days of Holiday Cheer fund- raising event, which sent 250 cheer kits home with families, LaFF is again looking to create a safe and festive community experience with magical take-home activities, on Dec. 10.

The event at Aggie Hall will feature various stations, through which families will cycle to pick up activities to complete throughout the season.

In past years, LaFF relied heavily on its popular Breakfast with Santa holiday event for a significant portion of its annual fundraising. But Covid forced a creative solution to still be able to wrap a blanket of support around local families.

Various sponsorship opportunities are available to support the initiative. Family event tickets will be available for $80, as will ticket sponsorships.

For more information, e-mail laffadmin@shawbiz.ca or call 250- 210-0870.

Programming pivots again

Things are slowly getting closer to normal at Ladysmith Family and Friends, even if they’re still a ‘new way of LaFFing’. Face-to-face family activities returned early this past summer, and right after Labour Day, those outdoor activities moved back to Aggie Hall.

LaFF Outside is Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-noon at Aggie’s Nature Play Space. Sign up for LaFF Drive-thru 9:30-noon Wednesdays and Fridays. All four days include access to LaFF staff, clothing exchange, lending library, free pantry, craft kits, wellness packs, personal hygiene products, and premade meals.

“It’s another shift and another pivot. If we have to shift again, we will. We’ll just keep being flexible,” says Jacqueline Neligan, executive director, adding that “the way we LaFF” is updated as needed, including now encouraging all adult participants to wear masks.

Two sets of one-hour, appointment-only visits opened in June at LaFF’s temporary home at the former École Davis Road building, and ran through August.Those and this fall’s sessions include all the same elements offered at Aggie Hall pre-Covid.

“We’ve made sure our community still felt that LaFFing support, but now they can start to experience that face- to-face interaction, that’s been really amazing to witness,” Neligan says.

LaFF is looking to connect with local seniors to connect and gather their wisdom and ideas for inclusion in a special book.

1. How did your family spend time together when you were young?

2. Do you have holiday traditions?

3. What were your favourite activities as a young person? (Do you still enjoy this?)

4. What was the best gift you ever received?

5. What advice would your older self like to give your younger self?

6. What was the best advice you were ever given?

7. What is a favourite saying of yours?

8. What mattered most to you when you were younger?

9. What matters most to you now?

10. What makes you feel joy?

11. I feel peaceful in my body when ...

12. What are activities or rituals you do that help you thrive?

13. How do you get through hard moments?

14. What is your superpower – what is the thing you do that comes easily and naturaly to you?

15. Do you have a favourite recipe or instructions to a specific project or activity you would like to share? if so, please add it here.

Survey results helping to meet

community need

Despite an enormously challenging 2020, Ladysmith Family and Friends found a way to do what it does best — help the community thrive.

Even with Covid-19 forcing cancellation of in-person programming in favour of outreach visits, and then a change of venue to the former École Davis Road to accommodate vaccination clinics at Aggie Hall, LaFF continued to connect with community members in innovative ways throughout the year.

A perfect example of LaFF’s ability to adapt and thrive is the fact volunteer hours increased, even while fewer volunteers were able to participate. Total volunteer hours increased from 2,971 in 2019 to 3,201 in 2020.

“It’s interesting that our hours increased with fewer people involved,” says Sandra Hendricks, LaFF volunteer coordinator. “The people we were able to have take part really gave it their all.”

Hendricks attributed the increase largely to the organization’s 12 Days of Holiday Cheer fundraiser, which was a necessary adaptation from the usual Breakfast with Santa holiday event.

In its ongoing efforts to continually improve, LaFF also undertook a participant survey earlier this year to evaluate its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Several themes were identified in the written responses, with the most prevalent being gratitude for staff and volunteers, and the offerings – both virtually and in person through driveway, drive-through and in-office visits – throughout the pandemic. Along with gratitude for supportive staff, gratefulness for the provision of food was the most mentioned – an overwhelming 23 percent of respondents say they rely on food from LaFF.

Respondents also frequently mentioned help received in accessing resources, as well as concerns expressed for the mental health of LaFF staff and volunteers.

Other statistics gathered indicate where respondents reside, age groups, number of children, and number of times they’ve accessed LaFF programs.

“Gathering this information helps us be fluid and flexible, to see where the opportunities lie and where the strengths are and what matters most to our community,” says Jacqueline Neligan, executive director.

It Takes a Village. Please help us help others.

Donate today

Ladysmith Family and Friends Society (LaFF) is a non-profit society created in 1995 and run by a volunteer board of directors. Our programs seek to reduce isolation many parents and caregivers feel, provide opportunities for children to socialize, and to build community.