Phone: 204-996-1547
Mailing Address:
Suite #210, 180-235 Vermillion Road,
Wpg, MB, R2J 3M7
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Exceptional Programs for Exceptional Youth
Inspire Community Outreach Inc. is an incorporated non-profit social services agency working with youth in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the hopes that they will find their passion and create connections that will last a life-time. Programming varies from drop-in, to 6-10 week sessions. We use a strengths-based approach in teaching skill building programs like mindfulness training, creative expression (including art, poetry, and music), cooking/nutrition, physical activity, and other positive coping strategies.
Mission: To support the mental health of youth, children and their families
Vision Statement: Our Vision is a community that empowers children, youth and families to experience and to support these groups in recognizing their strengths, resources, potential and overall wellbeing.
Purpose:
To provide culturally sensitive, family focused and child focused programming designed to meet the needs of those living with mental health issues and other developmental challenges.
To provide affordable education and programming to support youth at risk
To provide families with appropriate resources and networking opportunities to support their needs
To work collaboratively with community agencies in a consultation role
Provide opportunities for children and youth to empower their lives through education and support in group work.
How Does Inspire Get Funding?
We sell handmade items at Ca. 1475 Design, found at 1354 Main Street, Winnipeg. Everything sold is donated at 100%, to whatever program the purchaser wishes!
We receive small grants, donations from local community members, and do various forms of fundraising throughout the year, which help to subsidize our costs and allow programs at no cost whenever possible.
If we have to charge, cost is $60/hour flat rate or $120/hour for corporate or yoga specialization. We always includes numerous hour of specialized volunteer work, at no cost.
How Does Inspire Use That Money?
There is no venue and no one on salary, so every dollar supports covering basic costs of running a business: clinicians, facilitators, food, and project costs.
How Does It Work?
We work with charity and non-profit organizations that serve youth, children and their families, schools, and run our own programming directed by our advocacy and committee groups. We are an ally to all people: LBGTTQ or however one identifies, all cultures, economic status, family situation and celebrate each person's uniqueness.
We welcome any community suggestions and work with teams to create specialized programs for a unique and exceptional groups of youth. This can take up to several months, as we have a limited team and require time to do research, get funding through grants and find and train appropriate staff. We don't like to re-do the wheel! If there are skilled professional and excellent programs out there, we enjoy most, learning with and from them, to better serve our community.
We are a team of a variety of professionals: therapist, teacher, clinical case manager, social worker, holistic health professional, and many others, volunteering to serve our community. All clinical staff working with youth have a negative criminal record and child abuse registry checks, must sign confidentiality and safety protocol agreements ensuring the information shared with remain safe and confidential.
Important Information
We reserve the right to unregister any youth if we feel that our programs may be deemed unhelpful or damaging to one's mental health. As well, any abuse via any communication can lead to the youth involved in our programs being unregistered. If there is an expression of harm to oneself or others, or if abuse is disclosed, we are mandated to share that information to the appropriate authorities.
About the Programs
1) Collaborative and the Team Effort
We work well with others. In fact, we love working with others! Children, teens, parents, schools, organizations and professionals alike. We want to hear from the people who know best, what they are looking for.
2) Positive Mental Health Techniques
Beyond a skill, we integrate mental health whenever possible to increase awareness, reduce stigma and normalize challenges in mental health.
3) Skill Building
We love to find amazing people to teach skills and talents. When youth find something that works for them, they can't help but notice.
Positive and increased self esteem is an important goal in programming.
4) Encouraging Positive Attachment
Our programs can include care givers whenever possible. We enjoy supporting parents on their journey, sharing ideas and encouragement, together.
5) Thinking Outside the Box
Our team includes a wide variety of individuals, from all walks of life. We are creative, passionate and always seek out new ways to support our community's youth.
6) Our Unique Perspective
We are parents, and professionals. Many of us are lucky to have our children as our best teachers, with a variety of neurological differences, complex trauma, autism, ADHD/ADD, mental health differences, etc. We use this to support our community in a different way, one that is parent-focused.
Interested? Contact us!
Executive Director and Founder
Photo by Elliana Gilbert
Angela Taylor
Angela has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. She is currently enrolled in programming for her Counselling Psychology Specialization Masters and Post Bacc at the University of Manitoba, while continuing other ongoing training opportunities. She is a certified facilitator in Handle with Care, has an active interest in mindfulness, and extensive experience with youth with various neurological differences including trauma and autism. She has worked in Social Services for the majority of her career and has gathered valuable experiences through working with families with the Manitoba Government, caring for high risk and high needs youth and children, working as a Clinical Case Manager, and volunteering with agencies in Winnipeg and British Columbia.
Inspire is a life-long dream of filling in the social services gaps with free programs specializing in adaptability and creating opportunities for youth to flourish and excel at their gifts. Her passion began as she supported her mother Sharon, and other loved ones with struggled with significant mental health issues. Sharon sought to suppot youth in Winnipeg, and was not able to fulfill that dream.
Angela raises 4 children with her husband, in Winnipeg, MB, 2 of whom have neurological differences. She says her children have been her best teacher, and support her to learn about how each of us need additional support at different times in our lives, to use our gifts and talents and progress past difficulty or challenge.
Our Board Of Directors
Christine Brouzes
Christine has a special population, advanced academic degree in Kinesiology and currently is employed as a Family Service Worker supporting families with children with various abilities. She has experience as a Child Development Counselor, Adolescent Mental Health Counselor at MATC (Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Center), daycare coordinator, and has worked one-on-one with children of all ages in many other avenues. She is about to embark on instructing a Red River class later this year.
Sheryl Ferguson
Consultant and Member- Sheryl Ferguson received her Masters of Marriage and Family therapy from Aurora Family Therapy Centre. She has vast experience in working in treatment centres and works with high risk youth who experience complex trauma and lifestyle issues resulting in the need for crisis intervention techniques that deal with a wide range of complex issues. Sheryl is registered as a clinical member with the American and Canadian Marriage and Family Therapy Association.
Read more about her here: http://sheryl-ferguson-marriage-and-family-therapy.vpweb.ca/About-Sheryl.html
Marianne Meen
Marianne has a Bachelor’s of Education and a Masters in Education Studies from the University of Alberta. She spent her days teaching, predominantly elementary school, before choosing to stay at home to raise her two young children. She continues to be committed to community by supporting organizations like Inspire and Hilary’s Ride.
Kirk Copping, CPA, CGA, B. Comm (Hons), CD
Kirk has a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Certified General Accountant designation, a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the Univeristy of Manitoba and a Diploma in Business Administration from Red River College. He has spent the past the last 17 years in the Canadian Armed Forces in progressive positions. He is currently serving as a Royal Canadian Air Force Logistics Officer - Finance Captain; employed as the Comptroller for the Air Force Military Police Group. He has done two short deployments: to Canadian Forces Station Alert in 2011 and to the Operational Support Hub Kuwait in 2012. Kirk is also the current treasurer for the Winnipeg Chapter of Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Our Team
Monica Burfoot, BN
Monica is our Assistant Director, and a lead volunteer at Inspire. She is a BN and is gifted at working with families of all variations. She facilitates, teaches and guides various groups of parents and youth within our various programs and supports curriculum development. She is currently working towards her Masters of Education with a specialization on Adult and Post-Secondary Education.
Lisa Van Den Hoven, BA
Lisa is our policy and procedure analyst and acts a a consultant for training, programming and development. She has supported many community initiatives with other groups including Winnipeg Babywearers and local parenting groups. She has a certificate from the University of Manitoba in Applied Behavior Analysis and has extensive experience working with special populations: seniors with dementia, teens with various developmental disorders, preschool and school age kids with ASDs including PDD-NOS.
Yvonne Chan, B.ED, P.B., B.S.W
Yvonne is our Volunteer Coordinator and does consulting for various projects and initiatives. She has a Bachlor of Social work degree, Post Baccalaureate certificate (counseling) and Bachelor of Education degree. Yvonne works for the Government of Manitoba, in providing front line support services for youth, and has worked with clients who have been affected by FAS, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Global Development Delay, addictions, drug, substance abuse, and mental health issues such as Bipolar disorder, and depression. She shares her knowledge of community resources and outreach skills in collaborating with organizations for Inspire Community outreach fundraiser events. She have over 22 years in providing social services for clients from diversified backgrounds.
Ester Jofre Raftis
Social Media Manager- Ester is a Social Media and Marketing Specialist with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree. She works in Marketing at Direct Focus Marketing Communications and also manages the social media for Bothwell Cheese. Mental Health is a topic very important to Ester, and she hopes to help connect Inspire Community Outreach with parents and children in need of assistance, while promoting programs and fundraising initiatives via social media.
Cheyenne Slonowski
Lead Youth Volunteer- Cheyenne is currently taking her sociology degree at the University of Manitoba and has long been committed to community.She has a great deal experience with youth from all over Winnipeg and has worked with University of Manitoba camps, helps facilitate Inspire's groups, organize social media accounts and helps fund raise to support our endeavors.
Mindfulness Team:
Tereza Gomez MA Psychology, MS Counselling
Tereza is currently employed as a family therapist with New Directions, and has a private practice which she supports families and youth with mindfulness, and the body and mind connection. She supports various programs as well as curriculum development.
Katie Thom
Katie has her BA honours in psychology, focusing on developmental psychology, and is currently attaining her Masters degree in Psychology. Katie is also certified in teaching mindfulness to youth. She is currently involved as a worship commission chairperson, youth group volunteer, and music leader. In addition, she has almost 10 years of experience as a pediatric occupational therapy assistant, spent time as a tutor and early educational assistant and has done several years of experience as a respite worker with teens and their families. She is currently running various mindfulness groups through the University of Manitoba at St Amant Centre.
Our Advisory Committees:
Creative Expression Committee: Lee Graham, Angela Taylor, Kirsten Ireland and Kisa Macisaac support our team in using art as a mode of self expression. These artists also donate items to sell at 100% profit to fund our free programs.
Parent Advisory Committee: Parents of children with various skills and gifts; Parents of children with autism, developmental, and neurological differences offer guidance in program development, understanding the journey of a family which includes a child with differences, and how best we can support them.
Identity Advisory Committee: Individuals of all ways of being; transgender, non-binary, various sexual orientations. We also receive support from Rainbow Resource Centre. This group advises our programming staff to ensure best practices are included in all things we offer.
Research Committee: Students, PHD and other amazing community members offer their expertise and guidance in helping our team collect and process the leading research available, to ensure our work is evidence-based.
Immigrant Advisory Committee: Community members who identify as being an immigrant or new Canadian, offer their experience to guide our team include this valuable outlook.
Aboriginal Culture and Elder Committee: We are in the process of forming a group of individuals of many Aboriginal cultures to support the education of our team. If you are interested in sitting on this committee, please contact us. We would love to have your support.