Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton will be holding a volunteer information session Tuesday January 26 at 7:00 p.m. at its office, 69 Main Street E.

From Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton:

Children at a number of Milton schools continue to wait for an in-school mentor and a local agency is working hard to fix this.

If you would like to make the difference in the life of Milton child, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton is interested in speaking to you. The agency will be holding a volunteer information session Tuesday January 26 at 7:00 p.m. at its office, 69 Main Street East.

This is a great opportunity to hear more about who the agency serves and how its programs can have a powerful and positive effect on both children and their mentors.

Call (905) 878-8840 or visit www.bbbshalton.ca for more details.

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The 2009 Milton Volunteer Fair takes place Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at the Milton Sports Centre on Santa Maria Blvd (click image to open pdf document).

From Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton:

Are you looking for hands-on experience to link to your academic plans? Do you want to find ways to explore future careers and add valuable experience to your resume? Are you interested in the rewards of getting involved in your community?

Well now is the time.

The annual Milton Volunteer Fair is slated for Saturday October 24 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Milton Sport Centre, 605 Santa Maria Boulevard. The Fair is an excellent way of providing local residents with an opportunity to speak with community organizations and find out more about how they can gain experience in a variety of fields. Rather than searching through the internet, pounding the pavement and knocking on doors, the fair offers a stress-free way to speak to many groups under one roof at one time.

No registration is necessary.

The Milton Volunteer Fair is being organized by representatives from local non-profits, including the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton, Milton Community Policing Committee, the Milton Community Resource Centre and Volunteer Halton. The event continues to be a popular way to link potential volunteers with an agency that meets their needs.

For more information please contact Stu Johnston (stujbs@sympatico.ca, (905) 634-5844) or Anne Coburn, Director of Volunteer Halton (acobourn@cdhalton.ca, (905) 878-0955).

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The Milton Canada Day Committee is still looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can call volunteer program coordinator Kirsten Pederson at (905) 691-7470 or kirsten@miltoncanadaday.ca

Canada Day is fast approaching and plans are well underway to deliver festivities not soon to be forgotten.

On Wednesday, July 1, thousands of Milton and area residents are expected to gather at the Milton Fairgrounds to celebrate Canada’s 142nd birthday.

This year’s events will start at 10am with a veterans’ breakfast at Victoria Park in front of town hall, followed by a wreath-laying at 11:30am at the cenotaph. A pipe band parade will then lead the way to the opening ceremonies at the fairgrounds.

Throughout the day and into the night, families will be able to take advantage of a variety of activities and entertainment including: the Kidz Zone, Teen Zone, vendors and the band Hotel California.

Also on hand will be Soaring Heights Productions’ trampoline show. The four-person team is made up of world-class performers including trampoline Olympic medalists Karen Cockburn and Jason Burnett.

The show is scheduled to run hourly from 1 – 4pm.

Of course, the grand finale will be a fireworks display when the sun goes down.

The Milton Canada Day Committee is still looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can call volunteer program coordinator Kirsten Pederson at (905) 691-7470 or kirsten@miltoncanadaday.ca.

For a complete list of events, we encourage you to visit the official Milton Canada Day website.

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A day out at Kelso with the family, while you do something positive for the environment -- register to volunteer today!

If you’re looking for a fun event this Spring where you can get out with the family and do something positive for the environment at the same time, MiltonSearch.com asks you to consider volunteering to plant trees at Kelso May 2nd. It’s a great event for a worthwhile cause and keep in mind they stop accepting registrants once the quota of 400 volunteers has been reached. High school students: volunteer community service hours are available if you register and attend the event. And the event includes a complimentary barbecue lunch, so come on, what are you waiting for?

Here is the release from Conservation Halton:

Conservation Halton is looking for 400 volunteers (families, individuals, students and groups) to help plant over 3000 trees on, Saturday, May 2nd, 2009. Over the years Conservation Halton has worked with hundreds of school groups and local communities to create a legacy of healthy forests. In fact, since 1956 Conservation Halton has planted over 2.25 million trees in its watershed.

This year’s Earth Day event will take place at the Kelso Conservation Area, which is located at 2345 Tremaine Road in Milton. The event is open to anyone who pre-registers. It takes place from 8:30am to 11:30am rain or shine. The event is free of charge and includes a complimentary barbecue.

Launched in 2006, Trees for Watershed Health is a community outreach program of Conservation Halton’s that involves engaging watershed residents and community groups in tree planting. The vision of the program is to bring communities and nature together to help increase forest cover in the watershed.

This rain or shine planting event is open to anyone who pre-registers. All volunteers will receive a thank you gift while supplies last! Volunteer community service hours are available for high school students who register and attend the event. You are welcome to forward this email to others who may be interested in participating.

Please click here to REGISTER for this event or visit our website at www.conservationhalton.on.ca or contact:

Elizabeth Wren
Children’s Water Festival and Volunteer Coordinator
Conservation Halton
2596 Britannia Road West
RR2 Milton, Ontario
ewren@hrca.on.ca
Phone: (905) 336-1158 ext. 284
Fax: (905) 336-7014

About the program

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"I thought that no one cared about me except my so-called friends. I had become so rebellious that I almost got kicked out of school. It was then that I was matched with my Big Sister Diane, and it was the most important turning point in my life."

When I was 13 years old, I regularly skipped school so I could hang out with a tough crowd:  Many who were drop-outs introduced me to drugs and alcohol.

I thought that no one cared about me except my so-called friends. I had become so rebellious that I almost got kicked out of school. 

It was then that I was matched with my Big Sister Diane, and it was the most important turning point in my life.   Every week she introduced me to positive experiences such as swimming, skating and trips to different cities. She showed me love when no one else knew how to. She helped me to respect myself as a person and she gave me the courage to change myself and my life for the better. She became my friend and my role model. 

Today, I am 18 years old and I will be graduating from high school this June with all advanced level credits. My application is currently being processed for admission into college this fall. If it was not for Diane’s influence in my life I would probably be a high school drop-out and a drug abuser today with no future to look forward to. 

That is where I was headed before I was introduced to the best thing that ever happened to me: Diane.

If you think you are ready to make a difference in a young girl’s life, call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton (905) 878-8840 or visit www.bbbshalton.ca.

——-

Contact:
Wendy Somerville, 
Coordinator of Volunteers 
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton
wsomerville@bbbshalton.ca 
Ph: (905) 878-8840.

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First-timers, or "new-bees" are always amazed by how much fun the whole event is. It is a wonderful night and people really get into the spirit of it.

Adult Bee brings community together

The impact of low literacy touches everyone: No one knows that better than Literacy North Halton (LNH), a local non-profit agency.

In order to reinforce its mandate to raise awareness and funds for adult literacy programs in Milton and throughout North Halton, LNH is presenting the sixth annual Grate Groan-Up Spelling Bee.

The popular local event is slated for May 7, 2009.  Organizers are sending out a call for teams to dust off their dictionaries, get creative with costumes and register now for the corporate spelling bee.  

The Bee is a fun way for the community to come together to help support literacy at all levels, throughout Milton, Georgetown and Acton.  The event sees more than 20 teams of three from local businesses, organizations and non-profit agencies competing in a hilarious battle for spelling supremacy and for the coveted Spelling Bee trophy.  Teams generally dress in costume and are supported by a lively audience of more than 250 people. The Bee has sold out every year since it’s inception in 2004. 

Spelling Bee Chair Theresa MacDonald says: “The success of The Bee has been remarkable. The community has really come together and embraced the literacy cause. We are grateful to our participants who have made it such a success because they have chosen to get involved and make a difference in people’s lives.” 

While The Bee has a reputation as a fun-filled event, the underlying issue is a serious one, notes MacDonald.

“Literacy is a hidden problem and many are surprised to learn that one in five people in Ontario struggle with low literacy skills. It is an economic and quality of life issue and it impacts our whole community. Through the Read Spell Write program, Literacy North Halton trained volunteer tutors work at a grass roots level to help adults in our community improve their literacy skills in order to achieve their goals as students, as parents, as employees and as full participants in the civic life of our community.”

Registration is now open for new spelling bee teams, but with a large percentage of returning teams, space is limited and organizers recommend registering as soon as possible. For those considering entering a team, MacDonald has some advice. 

“It’s not like the scary school bees where you were up there all by yourself. Our teams can work together to correctly spell their answer. I think first-timers or “new-bees” as we call them, are always amazed by how much fun the whole event is! It is a wonderful night and people really get into the spirit of it.” 

For more information about the event and details of team registration, visit www.grategroanup.com or contact Literacy North Halton (905) 873-2200 or visit www.literacynh.org

Contact for media: Event Chairperson, Theresa MacDonald  (905) 876-0866

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The Grate Groan-Up Spelling Bee Mascot and Milton’s Martin Street Public School students participated recently in a nation-wide attempt to set a new Guiness World Record  for Most Children Reading With an Adult, Multiple Locations. The event was held in honor of Family Literacy day, which raises awareness of literacy among all ages and was created by ABC Canada to promote the importance of reading and learning as a family.

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From the Milton Canadian Champion:

RBC has agreed to release employees — including those at the Milton Mall branch — early so they can volunteer with the program once a week during school hours.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton has a new ally for its in-school mentoring (ISM) program.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has agreed to release employees — including those at the Milton Mall branch — early so they can volunteer with the program once a week during school hours.

Activities in an ISM relationship are said to help strengthen a child’s confidence and contribute to their school performance. Volunteers and children typically play games, do crafts and generally just hang out.

“The RBC’s support of the in-school mentoring program just further demonstrates how this bank is front and centre in giving back to the community,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton executive director Elaine Collins. “By mentoring a local child, the bank is sending a positive message that corporations are investing in their employees, who will experience greater job satisfaction and are enhancing their connection with the people they serve.”

Those interested in becoming an ISM volunteer, or finding out more about the program, are asked to call (905) 878-8840 or visit www.bbbshalton.ca.

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The 2008 Milton Volunteer Fair takes place this Saturday, November 1st, 2008 at the Milton Sports Centre on Santa Maria Blvd.

Are you looking for hands-on experience to link to your academic plans?  Do you want to find ways to explore future careers and add valuable experience to your resume? Are you interested in the rewards of getting involved in your community?

Well now is the time.

The annual Milton Volunteer Fair is slated for Saturday November 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Milton Sport Centre, 605 Santa Maria Boulevard.  The Fair is an excellent way of providing local residents with an opportunity to speak with community organizations and find out more about how they can gain experience in a variety of fields.  Rather than searching through the internet, pounding the pavement and knocking on doors, the fair offers a stress-free way to speak to many groups under one roof at one time.

No registration is necessary.

The Milton Volunteer Fair is being organized by representatives from local non-profits, including the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton, Milton Community Policing Committee, the Milton Community Resource Centre, and Volunteer Halton.  The event continues to be a popular way to link potential volunteers with an agency that meets their needs.

For more information please contact Stu Johnston stujbs@sympatico.ca or Anne Coburn, Director of Volunteer Halton at (905) 878-0955.