2021 Donations for Mom

Children- Love Arlene Iorfida

Dalton, Grandma Sandra- Love the Baxters

Dueck, Agatha- Love Helena Huitikka

Dyck, Dorothy- Love Carol Martens

Friesen, Mary- Love Rose Esau

Johnson, Grandma Emily – Love from Bree

Wiebe,  Carmel- Love from Alyssa Van Alstyne

Read Beth's Story of how SFRC helps moms all year long.

This year, we want to share the impact SFRC has had for one Mom in our community. Meet Beth. Beth is a writer, teacher, wife, Mom and world traveler. As a girl, Beths’ family moved to Belize where she worked at a teacher’s college. In her career, Beth worked with children and families, and loved volunteering in the community. In Belize, she met and married her Canadian husband, and at the age of 29, they got pregnant. Beth had fears about raising a child in Belize, where violence is an ongoing concern, and they planned their move to Canada, arriving just 10 short weeks before her due date.

Along with moving to a new country, living with relatives and helping her husband with his job-hunt, Beth was overwhelmed with immigration paperwork. When her daughter Katharine was born unexpectedly 5 weeks early, Beth’s mental health was at an all time low. She stayed in bed a lot that first year, and when her husband got a job in Steinbach, they moved into their own home away from the support of their relatives. There, Beth went to the Public Health Clinic to ask for help. It was there she was told about Steinbach Family Resource Centre.

"Being a mom is not the same as working with children. Running kids groups from 8-3 on sat/sun is different than nursing a baby at 5 o'clock in the morning"

SFRC was a light in the storm for Beth. Weekly support groups gave Beth the outside support she needed, and helped her to find friendships in a new community. Along with the child development science and education around attachment in parenting strategies, Beth values above all else the approach of support that is the foundation of the Centre’s mission. Connecting with other families through the Centre helped Beth to realize and accept that parents don’t always have to have it all figured out. Since then, Beth has attended every parenting group at Steinbach Family Resource Centre over the last five years (except the dad’s group!)

“The amount of times I have cried about all the things that Resource Centre [has done]… Just helping me cope with all the stress of everything. Being a new mom, being a new Canadian, being a new ‘Steinbach-er”…

When Beth became pregnant with her second child, Megan, she had high levels of anxiety. It brought back a lot of the fear and stress that surrounded her during all the challenges of her first child. But attending Special Delivery Club at the Resource Centre helped her through.

 “I didn’t know if I could do that again. But just knowing that someone is there, that’s what Steinbach Family Resource Centre did for me.”

In her third pregnancy, Beth was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. These high blood sugar levels during pregnancy increase the risk of pre-eclampsia, depression, and requiring a Caesarean section. Together with the Centre’s Dietitian, Beth was able to learn how to manage her diet through recipes that were family friendly and affordable, saving her time and energy. The staff at the Centre worked with Beth to learn the family’s preferences, culture and their older girls’ nutritional needs - offering family friendly recipes and suggestions.

“I went from having to make two different meals for my family, to finding the things that everyone could eat”.

As her children grow, Steinbach Family Resource Centre is there for Beth, and so are the friendships she has made through the Centre. Though she came to Canada six years ago with few connections, today she credits SFRC with being the launch point for many of her closest friendships today.

Beth is just one of many Moms supported every day at Steinbach Family Resource Centre through all stages of motherhood. Your support helps Moms be better equipped through connection, nutrition, education and resources.
Your donation this Mother’s Day continues to support Moms like Beth in our community to Overcome, to Teach, to Love, to Connect, to Provide and to Grow. Make your gift to honour the Mom in your life, and strengthen families all year long.