Wood's Homes Blog
A story of resilience: How a mother’s determination brought her family together
Laura and her son Dylan have learned to not only identify and acknowledge their feelings but also how to manage them. That goes for Laura’s five-year-old daughter, Olivia, as well.
Foster and Kinship Caregiver Month – We could not do it without you!
October is Foster Parent Appreciation Month, the time of year when we get to celebrate the hard work and dedication that foster parents display every day. The Foster Care Network of families at Wood’s Homes is made up of diverse cultures, each with its own unique style. Yet, they all share the same collective goal: to provide a safe and secure home to children in need of someone to listen, support, and care for them during a vulnerable time in their lives.
The Importance of ReconciliACTION
As we settle into the first couple weeks of September, we are gently reminded of the transition of the seasons, particularly through the cooler mornings, earlier sunsets, and changing colors of the leaves. It is also a time of preparation and reflections on the blessings that were bestowed upon us in the spring and summer, as we get increasingly ready for the colder months that lie ahead.
The Gift of Time: How pausing can give you the boost you need
If I have learned anything about myself and my work it is that writing, even when academic, is a creative process that requires time and space to allow ideas to generate and come together to form something transformative.
First Lethbridge Board Member for Wood’s Homes Shares His “Why”
It was over a decade ago that Travis Zentner received an important phone call. It was a friend, asking him to join the Wood’s Homes Gala Committee. The role itself wouldn’t
be anything too demanding, but Travis still felt a personal connection to the opportunity.
Navigating the landscape of post-covid education: still feeling the aftershocks of a pandemic that shook our world
Despite a recent increase in cases of COVID again this year, as a society, we seem to still be using the language of post-pandemic. Conversations manage to contain some reference to a sense of before and after pandemic experience, with the reality being that nothing has fully gone back to the way it was ‘before’.
My journey when my child came out as transgender
When my child came out as transgender, my world turned upside down in an instant. As a parent, you spend years imagining what your child’s life will be like, dreaming of their future, and nurturing the person you believe them to be.
Summer Solstice – Relationship with the Sun
Looking around the many communities today there is lots to be happy about. The way the light is being shone on many indigenous peoples and communities. I am proud to be an indigenous person and see many others standing with pride!
From External Pressure to Internal Discovery: Reflections on Men’s Mental Health
By shedding light on the internal struggles that men may face, we can begin to understand the rise of toxic masculinity while empowering the modern man to challenge intrusive expectations and embrace self-empathy.
Mental health reflections: what we learned – and didn’t learn – from the pandemic
After reading blog posts written by my colleagues in acknowledgement of the 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month, I was struck not just by the well-articulated content but also by the date May 2024. It was just over four years ago, in March 2020, when a global pandemic started to change, mold, and dare I say “pivot” mental health supports.
Children’s Mental Health and Technology
According to recent estimates, the average person checks their phone anywhere from 80 to 200 times a day (something like every 10 minutes). That seems pretty over the top in some ways, but you can see how quickly it can add up, especially with notifications and other ways in which our phones can demand our attention.
National Child and Youth Mental Health Day
When I think about how the mental health system could run a bit better, which I often do when I support families with finding resources, the first thing that comes to mind is that the biggest gap in our system is that we do not always have the chance to build connections and increase a young person’s support system.