The New Path Foundation and the Richmond Fund Advisory Committee invites all past staff, clients, volunteers and stakeholders of the Richmond House, Richmond Centre, Richmond Resource Centre and Richmond Youth and Family Centre to a recognition event in honour of Jessie Richmond for her leadership, insight, passion and fortitude in founding the Richmond House. 

Jessie was a high school teacher in Orillia coming into the area in 1928 and teaching up until 1965.  It has been said of Jessie that she taught “a goodly proportion of Orillia” during those years and her community work saw not only the formation of the Orillia Group Home for Girls that opened in 1970 which would be renamed the Richmond House but her involvement on the Executive of the Orillia University Women’s Club, past president of St. Pau’s UCW, Elder at St. Paul’s and corresponding secretary for Simcoe Presbyterial UCW.  The Richmond House would evolve over the years to become the Richmond Youth and Family Centre spanning three decades of compassionate social service in the children’s mental health field, merging in 2000 to create New Path Youth and Family Services along with the New Path Foundation.

 The New Path Foundation along with the Richmond Fund Advisory Committee will be holding a special reception at the Common Roof facility in Orillia located at 169 Front Street South to remember and collectively thank Jessie for what her legacy has created.  Please join us on Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm with hor d’oeuvres at 5:00, a presentation at 5:30 and tours of the OCR provided after.

RSVP directly to Maureen Armstrong by calling 705-733-2654 Ext. 2228 or email marmstrong@newpath.ca

 New Path is a multi-service, fully accredited, children’s mental health agency serving children, youth and families through a wide range of mental health and youth justice programs, as well as adults through partner abuse services. We focus on making a difference in the lives of those we serve helping to create a better future for individuals and the communities they live in.

 Scotiabank Buy A Brick Campaign 2013

May 1^st through 31^st

Scotiabank staff teams at the five branches in Barrie and Alcona along with the Wealth Management Team and Commercial Banking Unit are making a difference throughout the month of may by supporting two local charities – New Path Youth and Family Services along with the Women’s and Children’s Shelter of Barrie – through their annual Buy A Brick Campaign, now in its 10th year. 

Branches involved include the following:
Alcona – 1161 Innisfil Beach Road (Alcona)
Barrie – 19 Mapleview Drive West (Mapleview Drive & Highway 400)
Barrie – 190 Minets Point Road (Yonge & Minets  Point)
Barrie – 44 Collier Street (Barrie Financial Centre)
Barrie – 544 Bayfield Street (Bayfield North)

Scotiabank staff teams will be selling bricks at their local Branch locations to raise funds for both organizations along with book sales, bake sales and other fun activities throughout the month of May.  Please help support Scotiabank and both New Path and the Women’s & Children’s Shelter buy buying a brick.  Last year over $40,000 was raised.

New Path is a multi-service, fully accredited, children’s mental health agency serving children, youth and families through a wide range of mental health and youth justice programs, as well as adults through partner abuse services. We focus on making a difference in the lives of those we serve helping to create a better future for individuals and the communities they live in.

The Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie is committed to providing quality programs and services to women in Simcoe County who are survivors of gender-based abuse and violence.  We recognize the extent of violence against women globally and in our community and advocate for systemic changes that will promote gender-equity and help protect the rights of women and children. 

For Further Information, please contact James Thomson, Director of Resource Development, New Path Foundation.
Phone:  705-792-8771     / Fax: 705-735-6826     /jthomson@newpath.ca  

Supportive Communities…Better Futures

Helpthe1in5 Helping to Celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week

1 in 5 children and youth will be affected by a mental health challenge in their lifetime.  In Simcoe County, that statistic represents 31,118 children and youth.

Each year one week in May is designated as Children’s Mental Health Week across the Province of Ontario.  This week provides local children’s mental health organizations, along with their partners, the opportunity to highlight the work they are collectively doing in their communities.  For 2013, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Canada will be May 5th to May 11th.  Coordinated at the provincial level by Children’s Mental Health Ontario (www.kidsmentalhealth.ca ), over 85 member agencies will schedule many different activities to create awareness of mental health issues among our children and youth, and make inroads in reducing the stigma associated with mental health challenges. 

New Path Youth and Family Services, an accredited children’s mental health organization serving all of Simcoe County has been involved in coordinating awareness activities each year during Children’s Mental Health Week.  This past year for example, New Path worked with school and community partners to host awareness walks in the communities of Barrie, Collingwood, Orillia, Stroud, Adjala, Beeton and Bradford with over 5000 children, youth and adults participating.  Local media coverage was supported by stories appearing in the local newspapers, a one hour interview with New Path on Rogers Community Television and a flag raising ceremony and proclamation of the week by the Mayor in Barrie.  All in all, a strong foundation was built on which New Path is continuing to develop as we begin the process of planning what has become known as the “Children’s Walk for Mental Health in Simcoe County”.

For 2013 New Path will once again partner with local community partners and schools across Simoce County to hold awareness events on the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues.  Working closely with local school board principals, a few schools have been identified in each community to participate in the week by holding a “Walk for Children’s Mental Health”. Events at these schools – identified below – will include a variety of activities with a focus on raising awareness and providing information to those looking for additional support.  From personal story telling, creating banners, placards and display boards, walking and enthusiastically getting the word out that 1 in 5 young people are affected by mental health challenges, children and youth will join together with adults to raise the awareness of this very important issue. 

As a way to engage our community, raise awareness and support ongoing anti stigma efforts we have encouraged all our local media partners to participate in any of these walks and provide much needed coverage for this important issue.  

New Path through its commitment to Helpthe1in5, along with its school partners and community will be holding walks throughout Simcoe County to raise the awareness of the importance of children’s mental health as follows:

• Tuesday May 7^th at Terry Fox Elementary School in Barrie @1:45pm;
• Wednesday May 8^th at Cookstown Elementary School in Cookstown @ 2:05pm  (Wendy Adams, a local stock car who lost her son due to mental health issues will be at the walk along with her car promoting suicide awareness and encouraging youth and parents that there is support);
• Wednesday May 8^th at Stayner C.I. in Stayner @ 9:30am (includes grade 7/8 students from Byng and Clearview Meadows Elementary Schools);
• Wednesday May 8^that Jean Vanier Catholic High School in Collingwood @ 9am (includes a flash mob and students from Collingwood Collegiate and local elementary schools;
• Thursday May 9^th at Twin Lakes Secondary School in Orillia @ 1:15pm (Wendy Adams, a local stock car who lost her son due to mental health issues will be at the walk along with her car promoting suicide awareness and encouraging youth and parents that there is support);
• Friday May 10^th at Alcona Glen Elementary School in Alcona @ 11:10am; &
• Friday May 10^th at W.H. Day Elementary School in Bradford @ 2pm.

 We hope that you will join us.

New Path is pleased to announce an upcoming event in support of New Path and the Salvation Army.  A group of local musicians are holding an evening concert on May 31^st from 7:30 pm to 9 pm as a way of giving back to the community and supporting two great charities; namely New Path and the Salvation Army.  The concert will be held at the Salvation Army Church – 151 Lillian Cr. in Barrie.  Tickets are $10 at the door and it promises to be a great evening and start to the weekend.  Click the link below for more details.

Barrie Sax Concert 2013

Would you like to become involved with the Helping Challenge?  Please click  Helping Challenge for more details.

Expand the Reach 

With a mission to promote mental health and wellness for children, youth and families and their communities through an innovative multi-service approach, New Path Youth and Family Services continually provides opportunities for staff members to target their community engagement.

New Path’s Youth Engagement Committee is one illustration of a method to promote mental health and wellness for children, youth and families and their communities. This committee’s members wanted to offer welcoming and friendly waiting areas for youth in their facilities as identified by New Path’s young clientele themselves.

New Path staffer and Youth Engagement committee member Jenn Hansen suggested a connection with Georgian College’s Interior Decorating program. “Tapping into community resources, such as Georgian’s program could offer us some innovative ideas from a youthful perspective while engaging ‘experts’ in the process.”

Georgian’s School of Design and Visual Art facilitators seized the opportunity to incorporate New Path’s waiting room dilemma into the 2nd year Interior Decorating Studio curriculum using the Community Service Learning model (an educational approach integrating service in the community with intentional learning activities).

Five New Path offices jumped on board and decorating teams of four students were assigned to each facility. A site visit to view, measure and photograph the space and enlist client needs about functions, users and expectations initiated the process with the designs ‘unveiled’ four weeks later.

The ’experts’ came through with spectacular designs and a way to give back to their community while moving ahead with their own education. They listened to what clients had to say about the need for friendly, diverse, safe, accessible and inviting spaces. They researched design elements to fulfill these needs, and collaborated as a team to prepare and present the decorating package.

Student Laura Szusz felt that this community assignment was beneficial as it offered practical experience and skills. “We learned to work through the process together so that in the end there are little pieces of everyone’s ideas included. Designing for a client and producing a final product for a real situation was an invaluable learning opportunity!”

Interior Decorating Program Coordinator, Marlene Mitchelmore agrees that the opportunity to work with a community agency such as New Path helps to give back. “This Community Service Learning project has been a valuable experience for our Interior Decorating students and we truly appreciate the opportunity to connect with New Path all while supporting the student learning experience.”

The assignment that keeps on giving….Hearing about this project and inspired by the work that New Path Youth and Family Services carries out, first-year Interior Design student Kristine Chalmers wanted to help New Path’s Clients faced with mental health challenges by commissioning an encouraging and heartening art piece for the waiting area. Chalmers commissioned Fine Art student Dheeko Kinfe, who came highly recommended by his program co-ordinator, to complete the piece this term.

Kinfe pictured here in one of New Path’s waiting areas that will host his art and perhaps  help those that suffer from mental health issues, wears New Path’s ‘Help the 1 in 5’ t-shirt. Visit www.Helpthe1in5.com

Click the Help the 1in5 link on your left.

You can also visit our facebook page at www.facebook.com/NewPathFoundation

or visit us on twitter at www.twitter.com/@Help4the1in5

Trail Signs November 2012

Casey Carpenter art show