Program and Services Description

Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre is motivated by people and their need for more improvement and a better life style. People become empowered by becoming part of the process. Our Information Referral Service was designed almost twenty years ago, developed because of a need to cut through red tape and the need for easier accessibility to certain contacts.

We approached this need by using a system of taking people through the process rather than "for them". Our Neighborhood Centre has eight major areas of programs and services, as outlined in our organizational chart and is also discussed in our program overview. 

Children's Services

Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre offers a variety of children’s programs for those students who attend area schools (primarily St Joseph’s-Alexander McKay School).  A Breakfast Program is offered free of charge to any child who lives in the community. Hours of operation are 7:30am to 8:45am, Monday to Friday. This is a supervised Breakfast Program serving a variety of meals each day. The children come and go to this program on their own.

Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre's Fall Lunch and After School Program for the up-and-coming school year 2012 – 13, is currently accepting children.  This program offers the children a hot lunch every day and after school activities such as swimming, crafts and basketball to name a few.  For the younger children, grade primary to two, they're picked up and escorted back to school daily. Our hours of operation for our regular program are 12:00 to 1:00pm (lunch) and 2:45 to 5:00pm (after school).

During in-services days, report card day and most storm days we are open full-day for the children who are in the full program. On these days our hours change to 8:30 to 5:00pm, children must arrive no later than 9:30 on these days.

If you have any questions regarding this or any other programs Ward 5 offers, please feel free to contact Joy Corkum or Susan Nordin at 454-0018 or 454-0019 or e-mail us at joyc@ward5.org 

Daycamp Fun

Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre is offering an exciting and fun time for children this summer with their annual Summer Day Camp.  Summer time should be an exciting and fun time for children, so with this in mind Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre Summer Program was founded. 

Children in the program will be experiencing days filled with fun and adventure such as Oaklawn Farm Zoo, the Ovens in Lunenburg and even Upper Clements.  And if this isn’t enough to keep them happy, we also go swimming, hiking and bowling to name a few of our activities in the sun. So for information on how to get in on all this year's fun you can contact Susan Nordin at Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre 454-0018 .

 

 

YOUTH/CHILD SERVICES: Our main concentration is throughout the school year, and includes the Breakfast Club and two Hot Lunch programs. After school activities include Smart Cookies Cooking class, Busy Hands Crafts club, gym, Outdoor Club, table games and much more.  In future we hope to offer Evening programs such as, gym/sporting activities and youth nights at the Centre. Summer activities include our Outdoor Adventure Day Camp and Know Nova Scotia Travel/Camp Program.

ADULT SERVICES: Adult services include a tax services, as well as various other programs. Most of our adult services are requested and operate for a set time period.

SENIOR SERVICES: An excellent daily hot meal program, as well as Wheels to Meals (transportation), Manor Meals to Wheels, Quilting/Craft classes and Card Club are some of the programs offered.

WEDNESDAY MORNING BABY CLINIC 9:30 – 11:30  Mom’s and Dad’s come to meet other new parents, variety of programs offered, a chance to exchange ideas or concerns with other new parents “Public Health Nurse”  on site to answer your questions.

COMMUNITY EVENTS: Many special events are held such as our annual dinners (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) for seniors and friends of the Centre, Summer Block Party (attended by hundreds), and Last Monday of June is our AGM, everyone welcomed.

REHAB AND TRAINING: As a prominent force in the community, Ward 5 Neighborhood Centre has, from day one, facilitated various training projects and support programs for those needing such systems. Programs include some initiated by ourselves, as well as those that have been requested to administer. Our resources are used by all correctional services such as, community service orders, Fine options and Y.A.S, to provide alternatives to incarceration.

INFORMATION CENTRE: Designed after the Citizen Advice Bureaus in Britain, we have always, and continue to go through the process with clients, rather than doing it for them, unless more advocacies are needed. Areas include housing, taxes, employment issues, and of course, our Food Bank (see below).

FOOD BANK SERVICES: St. Mark's Food Bank started about 20 years ago through a discretionary fund set up by St. Mark's Rector, to assist the needy with emergency assistance. Unfortunately, this grew extensively and we took over the running of the Food Bank about 16 years ago, operating it as part of our Information and Resource Services. Metro Food Bank supplies 40% of food stuffs, while Churches, Organizations and Individuals provide 30% in food and 30% in funds to buy food (98% of financial contributions are used to purchase food).

RESOURCE CENTRE SERVICES: We are consistently approached by individuals and groups to facilitate various needs from space to organizational assistance, etc. We feel strongly that networking and sharing make us and others stronger, and do all at our disposal to meet as many needs and requests as we can.