A crowd of 100 moms, dads, and little ones filled the Altona United Church basement last Saturday for the Altona and Area Family Resource Centre (AAFRC) Celebrate the Season bash.
Coordinator Nina Edbom-Kehler says she was absolutely thrilled with the turnout.
“The snacks were fabulous. We had a singalong for the first time, and that was great. Santa was amazing. Families were happy. Smiling kids. Babies to hold.”
”All the good things in life were there,
and it was fabulous”
Kids were kept engaged with tables filled with colouring pages, puzzles, and crafts.
“Families were hopping from table to table, meeting other families, and we really liked to see that,” says Edbom-Kehler.
The event drew families and facilitators from each of the communities where AAFRC programs for pre-schoolers are held, including Altona, Gretna, and Rosenfeld.
“It was so good for all the parents to get together,” Edbom-Kehler says. “Now they have a familiar face from a group in a different community if they decide to join that group as well.
“We also had Healthy Baby join us at the party this year too. That organization supports expectant moms and babies up to one year old. This event happened to be their day to get together, so we invited them to join us. So those families got to meet us and get to know who we are, so that also gave us a bit more exposure for the future.”
Since many of their programs take place in local schools, the AAFRC will be taking a break over the holidays, with sessions resuming on Jan. 8.
“We have one more take-home kit for the families to take home this week,” Edbom-Kehler says. “We’ll start off the new year with our weekly Stay and Play program in Altona, Rosenfeld, and Gretna. We’re also starting gym nights in Altona and Gretna.”
They’re also planning for another Puzzle Palooza fundraiser next month.
“Last year was very successful, so we’re excited to see how many participants we get this time,” says Edbom-Kehler.
Looking back on 2023, it’s been a busy year, coming back from the pandemic.
“I think we’re finally getting there,” says Edbom-Kehler. “I find some families are still struggling with committing to programs, but they are still coming to check them out.
“Many of our families have graduated from the program, but we’re slowly getting more and more involvement. Going forward, we’ll be looking at adding more registered programs and some intergenerational stuff. It’s been a good year, and we anticipate 2024 to be even better.”
