YWCA and United Way Launch Wrapped in Courage Campaign

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton and United Way of Peterborough & District are joining with women’s shelters across Ontario to take part in the Wrapped in Courage campaign. You're encouraged to purchase and wear a purple "Wrapped in Courage" scarf in support of local women fleeing abuse.

“United Way is committed to lending its voice to important social issues facing our community,” says Jim Russell, CEO of United Way of Peterborough & District. “Violence in all its forms is unacceptable, and we stand in solidarity with women who have experienced violence, and say it must stop now.”
 
“This is an important advocacy project,” adds Lynn Zimmer, Executive Director of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. “These purple scarves are a symbol that the courage of a woman alone is not enough."
 
***Scarves are $15 and are available at United Way of Peterborough & District, 277 Stewart St, Peterborough and at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, 216 Simcoe St., Peterborough (between the two bus stations). All funds raised from the sale of the scarves will support services for women and children at YWCA.
 

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Help A Syrian Family Come To Peterborough

Safe Haven for Refugees is a group of Peterborough citizens who have banded together to help sponsor a Syrian family—the Alftih family—who will be resettling in our city.

The Alftih family fled their home in Syria after their family clothing business and livelihood was destroyed in the civil war. They have been living in Lebanon for the past several months.

The parents, Haran and Randa, and their four beautiful children—Sham, 3 years old and her brothers, Gaith, Omar, and Karim, 8, 12, and 16 years old—want to rebuild their life here in Peterborough, Canada, but will likely arrive with not much more than the clothes on their back. Safe Haven For Refugees is raising money to help provide the necessities of life—including housing, clothing and food costs for one year.

Give what you can here. Every dollar counts.

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Petes Unveil Commemorative Remembrance Day Jerseys at CFB Trenton

The Peterborough Petes and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton unveiled the 2015 Remembrance Day commemorative Petes jerseys at an event on the base in Trenton, Ontario, on Saturday (October 31st).

The jerseys—which feature a special camo pattern, 8 Wing marks, and unique military transport vehicles in the design—will be worn by Petes players during the team’s Remembrance Day home game on Tuesday, November 10th against the Kingston Frontenacs.

Fans can bid on the jerseys, with the online auction open and running until Sunday, November 15th. Proceeds from the sale of game-worn jerseys and socks will support the Trenton MFRC (Military Family Resource Centre)—which promotes and facilitates community based services that improve the quality of life for military families. 
 

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A Bunch Of Young Girls Put Scarves Around Peterborough For People In Need

On Saturday (October 24th), STRUTT and the Just Beyou.tiful Campaign—both of which empower young girls to do good and inspire inner beauty—teamed up for an amazing cause.

Six young girls ranging from Grade 4 to 7 tied up 16 scarves around the downtown core of Peterborough, with the following message on them: "I am not lost! If you are out in the cold, take this scarf to keep you warm."

"This was for a session teaching volunteerism," Niki Aliday from Just Beyou.tiful tells PTBOCanada. "One of the girls said to me, 'Even if one person uses a scarf, we did our job of keeping someone warm.' That makes my heart smile."

Here is Niki pictured below with the amazing young girls who made this happen...

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Cineplex Community Day Is Saturday, October 24th

Cineplex Theatres across Canada are hosting a Community Day this Saturday morning, and that includes the Peterborough location.

Free movies start at 9 am, and doors open at 8:30 a.m. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. $2 concessions are available until noon, and all proceeds go to Free the Children.

The following classics are being shown...

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Peterborough Teen Criss Tuck Has Had Enough Of People Using R-Word Around His Autistic Brother

Eighteen-year-old Criss Tuck has heard people use the "retarded" word one too many times around his older brother Jeffrey, 20, who has autism.

Criss with Jeffrey

"Not using the 'R-Word' is something that our family feels very strongly about, and our son Criss is trying to make more people aware of the negative effects on people," says Cathie Tuck, their mother—who along with husband Dave are founders of the Peterborough Huskies special needs hockey team.

Dave Tuck pictured with his boys Criss and Jeffrey (and Criss's race car)

So Criss has just started a "Spread The Word To End The Word" Facebook page to raise awareness about the use of the R-word.

"The reason I am doing this campaign is because of the special needs community. I have been there when people use the word on my autistic brother—and I have also been called this," Criss tells PTBOCanada. 

"I am also doing this for everyone who has a disability and/or challenge since we also have a right not to be called names and have people use the definition of our disability or challenge as a negative form of as what I see as bullying."

"People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not bad," says the Facebook campaign post. "Their condition is not bad. The prejudice and discrimination to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is BAD…and WRONG! Please stop using the word ‘retard’. It hurts individuals and families of those with disabilities."

Show your support for Criss's cause by "Liking" the Facebook page.

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Two Young Boys Donated Their Chore Money To Riverview Park & Zoo

This summer two young boys (Nathan and Andrew) came to the Riverview Park and Zoo and donated their allowance to the zoo—along with this nice note and picture below.

The note and picture

And there is more. Zoo Manager and Curator Jim Moloney tells PTBOCanada: "Just last week, Nathan had a birthday party and instead of getting presents, he raised money to adopt one of our animals (a Brazilian Agouti). These are some pretty special boys!" Indeed.
 

Nathan donating

Andrew

Help to support an animal friend of your choice through the zoo's Animal Adoption program. Adoption fees help contribute to animal care, nutrition, and enrichment for the animal that you adopt! Call 705.748.9301 x2331 for more information on the adoption program.

Nathan on his birthday

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PVNC Raises $27,500 To Sponsor Syrian Family

The Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board presented Sister Ruth Hennessey of Peterborough’s Casa Maria Refugee Homes with a cheque for $27,500 Tuesday (October 13th) as part of an ongoing fundraising effort to sponsor the relocation of a Syrian refugee family to Canada.

Barbara McMorrow (right), Director of Education for PVNC, presents Sister Ruth Hennessey of Peterborough’s Casa Maria Refugee Homes with cheque for $27,500

In early September, the PVNC community was moved by the Syrian refugee crisis to hold a board-wide fundraising effort. Working with Casa Maria, a non-profit organization that supports and offers safe temporary shelter to refugees, PVNC identified a family of seven who have fled war-torn Aleppo and are now in limbo in Saudi Arabia. Relatives of that family, themselves refugees who have recently relocated to Toronto, toured three PVNC schools in September to tell their story and put a face to the international refugee crisis.

“When we put the call out to our Catholic school communities and the staff at our board office to help support this family, the response was incredible,” PVNC Director of Education Barbara McMorrow says. “Sponsoring a family has offered our community a tangible way to make a difference in what is otherwise an overwhelming crisis.”

Casa Maria has now filed the paperwork for the seven family members, and the sponsorship process to bring the family to Peterborough is underway.

UPDATE: Here are pictures of the family members...

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