Current CPAN Projects
What we're working on now.
Please take a moment to learn about some of CPAN's current and on-going projects geared towards helping the children of Renfrew county who live in poverty. Please know that every donation reaches and betters the life of a child in poverty! You can make a difference!
Harmony for Renfrew County
Harmony in Renfrew County is a program that is being launched in Renfrew County through Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network (CPAN). The program will create a safe environment where students may grow, express themselves, build new friendships, and develop new skills. Harmony is available for adolescents 12 to 18 years of age with no other pre-requisites required.
The mandate of CPAN is to increase poverty awareness and the extent to which it affects children living in poverty in our own community. Poverty directly relates to inclusion within a community. Inclusion is defined as: “To be included is to be accepted and to be able to participate fully within our families, our communities, and our society. Those who are excluded whether because of poverty, ill health, gender, race or lack of education, do not have the opportunity for full participation in the economic and social benefits of society” (Health Canada 2000). CPAN’s goal is to promote a vision of a Renfrew County where all children belong. Every child should know the feeling and the reality of belonging to their community.
Along with feeling a sense of belonging, there are numerous benefits to a program such as Harmony. Playing a musical instrument has been found to improve spatial ability, learning, and recall. Emotionally, Harmony will help students gain self-esteem, self-respect and a sense of purpose. Not only through their sense of accomplishment from learning to play a musical instrument but also by showcasing their talent to others through public performances and the rewarding feeling that comes from giving back to the community. These adolescents will learn the valuable lesson of “paying it forward” and how sometimes a little can go a very long way.
Please read the Harmony program summary (PDF) for more information.
School Inclusion Program
During a series of discussions with low income parents across Renfrew County, they shared their hope that school can be one place where their children are on an equal footing with other children. However, parents and their children often feel excluded.
The School Inclusion Fund is designed to remove financial barriers to full school participation by providing a fund that can be accessed through an anonymous, simple and respectful process. School principals will access the fund, which will be managed for CPAN by the Phoenix Centre for Children and Families. The Fund is guided by the values of caring, cooperation, trust, equity, fairness, and respect.
We have found that the program is running very well with many parents that have helping those families who have not. Our hope is that all schools will find sustainability in the long term, up until then we will endeavor to make up the funding shortfall using our School Inclusion Funds.
For more information on the School Inclusion Fund, click here.
The Backpack Plus Program: Children are our Business!
We are appealing to the community in the County of Renfrew to help save its Backpack Plus program so that children in need can start their school year with dignity - with a backpack, school supplies and shoes.
By sponsoring one or more children at $75.00 per child per year, you can invest in your community’s future by ensuring that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential in life, regardless of their family’s financial status.
You can make a difference in the community by encouarging others to take part. You can:
- Hold a fundraiser for The Backpack Plus program and set a goal to help a certain amount of children
- Have a collection at work
- Collect at the business (employees and customers)
- Ask businesses that you use and/or friends to support Backpack Plus
- Challenge other like minded groups or organizations (like one office to another, one insurance office to a competitor, or realtor)
Be creative! Every little bit counts. For more information, please
- Download the information package (PDF) which includes the pledge form
- Learn more about the program and the need for it
- Contact us
Operation Snowsuit
The goal of Operation Snowsuit is to provide outdoor winter wear that will enable all children to participate in outdoor activities during our severe winters. All too often children are kept in during recess if they do not have adequate clothing, especially during our winter period.
We typically supply a snowsuit, boots, hat, and gloves (conservatively estimated to cost an average of $125 per child). We have requests for all ages, this includes babies that are not yet born and due during the winter (so that parents can bring them home from hospital), up to and including 18 yr olds.
We collect gently used items throughout Renfrew County in almost all schools, in every school board. Once these are collected within the schools, Bell employees pick the items up and deliver them to Giant Tiger, who have donated 5,000 square footage of space year-round to warehouse our inventory. Volunteers then spend many hours sorting, hanging, and picking orders. Bell then picks up all completed requests and deliver these to the nearest partner agency to distribute on our behalf.
More information on the Operation Snowsuit program.
