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Home > Programs > Family Programs > Live and Learn
Live & Learn Program
Providing opportunities for support, personal growth, friendship, and lifeskills for women who are pregnant and/or parenting children (ages newborn to 6 years old), and who are living on a low income, with few supports.
The program aims to:
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provide opportunities for participants to socialize together and build healthy relationships
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improve participants' life skills
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provide constructive group experiences and socialization for children
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advocate for the women and their children
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help mothers meet their families' basic needs
Live & Learn is...
a community-based programwhere we welcome women and their young children (aged 0-6 years) who want to increase their supports in the community.
The program provides simple friendship; in addition, the women learn new skills through weekly group activities that include speakers, outings, cooking, crafts and community service projects. While the mothers meet with their group, supervised care and programming is provided for their children by staff and volunteers. At other times of the week, staff maintain contact with group members through telephone calls and home visits.
The Live & Learn Program runs from September to June. Three groups of 10 women and their children meet weekly at local churches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Transportation may be provided according to availability. Interested women may refer themselves or be referred by other people or social service agencies.
Yes, I would like to help....
Volunteers Needed
Live & Learn invites volunteers to participate in this program. Reliable volunteers are needed on a regular basis to assist with childcare and transportation for group members. If you are able to help, please call 519-570-0954.
For other House of Friendship volunteer opportunities please see our Volunteer page under Help us.
Program Funding
Live & Learn receives some funding from United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area and donations to House of Friendship. The majority of the financial support comes from churches, community groups and individual donations (both monetary and gifts-in-kind). You can donate securely on-line via the Donate Now button on our web site Home Page or mail your donation to the address below.
History
Live & Learn is one of House of Friendship's six Family Services Programs. It was started in 1974.
House of Friendship is a Christian charitable human service agency founded in 1939 that provides addiction treatment services, community services, family services and residential services to over 42,000 people annually in the Waterloo Region
In the early 1970's, House of Friendship staff and board members were keenly aware of the challenges faced by women with preschool children who were living on a limited income with few supports. In 1974, a proposal for the Live & Learn Program was brought to the House of Friendship Executive Committee. It was approved for a trial period. In 1999, we celebrated our 25th anniversary.
Although the Live & Learn program has grown and evolved over the years, its goal and much of its format have not changed. The goal of Live & Learn continues to be to provide support and personal development opportunities to women with preschool children who live on a limited income with limited supports.
Interested women may refer themselves or be referred by other people or social service agencies. Referrals to the program most often come from Family & Children's Services, Regional Social Services, Public Health and current and former group members.
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