Latest news with #Froese
Hamilton Spectator
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Little Brothers experience Big League Fun Thanks to Winnipeg Sea Bears
For a group of children from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Plains, last Friday night was one they won't soon forget, thanks to an exciting evening court-side at the Winnipeg Sea Bears season opener. The outing was organized by the local agency's mentoring coordinator, Laura, who reached out to the Sea Bears basketball team to request tickets. The organization, a part of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) responded generously, offering free admission for several children and accompanying staff. 'It was mainly kids from our waiting list — kids who are still waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister,' said Dawn Froese, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Plains. 'We want to give them opportunities to experience new things while they wait, and this was a perfect chance.' About six youth attended the game, most of whom had never been to a live sporting event. 'Just going to the city was exciting for some of them,' Froese said. 'Going and watching a game and everything that's happening, they were really excited and really enjoyed the game.' The Sea Bears, who were facing off against the Edmonton Stingers, clinched a narrow victory by just three points with a score of 92-89. 'We were all on the edge of our seats until the last moment,' Froese recalled. One of the youngest attendees, Little Brother Colton, gave the evening a perfect score. 'On a scale of 1 to 10, he said it was an 11,' said Froese. She notes it was the first time he'd been to a sporting event. Froese explained that being on the Big Brothers Big Sisters waiting list means children have already gone through the agency's intake process and are actively engaged with staff. While they await a match with a volunteer mentor, they're invited to take part in activities that encourage learning, personal growth, and simply having fun. Finding a suitable match, especially for boys, can sometimes take years, as the agency aims to pair children and volunteers based on shared interests and compatible personalities. Froese said the organization did take kids to a Sea Bears game previously about two years ago. For now, outings like the Sea Bears game help keep children engaged and feeling supported while they wait for that one-on-one mentorship to begin, Froese said. 'We try and find other activities that they could be involved with that would help their growth or that might just expand possibilities, something they've never seen or tried before.' To find out more, or how to become involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, check out their website: — Renée Lilley is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Portage Graphic. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Churchgoers partner with A Rocha to plant trees in St. Vital Park
Kennedy Froese, associate pastor at Sterling Mennonite Church, says joining up with A Rocha Manitoba to plant trees in St. Vital Park is a way for her congregation to show their appreciation for the green space. 'Our church is close to the park, and we use it for things like picnics,' she said. 'We benefit from it, so this is a way to give back.' Tree planting is also a way for the congregation to show its care for the environment. 'As Christians, we are called to care for the Earth,' Froese said. 'As children of God, we are partners with God in justice and reconciliation. That extends to the planet and all living creatures.' Froese's church is one of three ready to plant trees through A Rocha Manitoba's faith forest initiative at St. Vital Park on May 31. The mission of A Rocha Manitoba, which was founded in the province 15 years ago, is to nurture biodiversity, equip people to take care of nature and inspire congregations to do more to show care for the planet. Westwood Community Church, where Catherine Fewings is the worship co-ordinator, is also taking part. Fewings said being involved is a way to show care for creation. 'The Bible is clear that we are supposed to take care of the Earth,' she said. 'We are supposed to love our neighbours and the land they live on.' The activity for local congregations is a first for A Rocha Manitoba, said Graham Peters, the group's conservation science co-ordinator. 'We did a version of it during a conference last year and it went so well we decided to do it with local churches, too,' he said. The tree planting is being done in partnership with the City of Winnipeg naturalist services department. 'We're like a matchmaker between the department and volunteers,' said Zoe Matties, A Rocha Manitoba's program manager, adding the event is family-friendly — children are welcome to help. 'They want volunteers to plant trees, so what we are doing is a big help to them,' said managing director Scott Gerbrandt. Cameron Ruml, who is wildlife and habitat stewardship biologist for the naturalist services department, welcomes the help. 'A Rocha is really good at connecting with people and getting bigger groups together,' he said, adding the city does tree planting twice every year in May-June and September-October. At St. Vital Park, volunteers will plant native species such as Manitoba maple, Saskatoon and hackberry bushes and other trees and shrubs to create a dense riverside habitat. 'It's a mix of species to create a forest where none was before,' Ruml said. The faith forest initiative runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on May 31. The city will supply the trees and shrubs, along with shovels and other equipment. People who want to participate should wear good shoes, work clothes and work gloves. Congregations from all faith groups are welcome to participate. For information: faith@ John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
13-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Alberta strategy aims to fill gaps in midwifery care amid provincewide shortage
Social Sharing Last year, as soon as she learned she was expecting her first child, Emily Froese applied for midwifery care. She was three weeks pregnant at the time. She didn't hear back from a midwife until she was seven months pregnant. "I wanted a really natural birth that was really small and intimate and I knew with an obstetrician I probably wouldn't get that," said Froese, who lives in Sturgeon County. "Before I heard back [from a midwife], I was getting really really nervous and kind of disheartened and scared for giving birth." Froese's story is similar to those told by many other expectant and new parents across the province. An ongoing midwife shortage in Alberta means expectant parents are not guaranteed to be matched with a midwife prior to giving birth. According to the Alberta Association of Midwives, the growing waitlist is due to the province not having enough providers to keep up with patient demand. "It is really quite heart-wrenching," Marita Obst, president of the Alberta Association of Midwives, said in an interview with CBC. "Sometimes there's 40 or 50 people a month who we can't accommodate who are reaching out. "They send us their stories and it would be really nice to be able to take everyone in but unfortunately we just don't have the numbers." WATCH | It can be hard to find a midwife in this province: Why is it so difficult to get a midwife in Alberta? 2 days ago Duration 2:44 Thousands of expectant mothers are joining a growing waitlist for midwifery care in Alberta. Midwives say there are not enough of them in the province to keep up with the demand for their services and they are worried that changes in other provinces means they could lose more of their workforce in the future. Midwifery is a publicly funded service in Alberta. The provincial government is spending $10 million between 2024 and 2027 to advance its midwifery strategy, with the goal of attracting more practitioners and improving access to midwifery care. The strategy has short, medium and long-term goals, the province said in a news release this week. In the short term, it will focus on enhancing care for Indigenous populations through community engagement. It will then work to address attrition in the field and identify supports needed to sustain the workforce. Lastly, the province will look to formalize guidelines, processes and integrate midwifery practice into team-based primary care. The Alberta Association of Midwives has reported that rural and Indigenous communities are struggling with access to midwives and obstetric care. The province said it will use some of the funding to pilot projects within Indigenous communities to help attract and retain internationally educated midwives. Ideally, a midwife in every community Alberta currently has about 180 registered midwives, up more than 25 per cent from 2020, according to the province. Obst said the number would have to be growing 20 per cent annually in order to meet demand. The association said 4,500 Albertans are currently under the care of midwives and another 3,400 are on a waitlist. Obst noted the waitlist number includes women who want midwifery care but live in communities where it is not available. "In an ideal world, there's a midwife in every community, every rural, remote, and Indigenous community," she said. "We have a huge unmet need for obstetrics care in Alberta and midwives are perfectly suited to meet that demand." The association said the shortage is partly due to Alberta's delay in publicly funding midwifery, and that midwives in this province are under-compensated compared to their counterparts in Ontario and British Columbia. Updated legislation and funding are factors that would help grow and retain the workforce in Alberta, Obst said. 'She really worked to get to know me' With the help of a midwife, Emily Froese gave birth to her healthy, happy daughter Maeve about five months ago. Froese said she's thankful she was matched with a midwife, even if it was in her third trimester. "My obstetrician was lovely, but my appointments were about 10 minutes and I was in and out pretty quickly," she said of her care up until 30 weeks. Her advice to other expectant moms is to apply early and be prepared to switch providers. "When I switched to the midwife my appointment was almost 40 minutes, and she really worked to get to know me." "I was so excited. I told all my mom friends, 'You should get a midwife.' "I think everyone should have a midwife."
