Renfrew Children in Need of Play Structure
Young students attending this Renfrew, ON, public school will not have a play structure this year unless something drastic comes together last minute.
I was contacted through my work’s facebook page by a concerned citizen from the valley. Being from the valley and having gone (very briefly) to school in Renfrew, Ontario, I immediately took interest in what this person had to say.
“Hey, just wondering if you can make a post or something to help my Kids school get a play structure.. the old one was deemed unsafe and with COVID they did not allow us to fundraise so now we are scrambling as they decided to tear it out and replace it with a mound of dirt... can you Help spread the word. Here is a go fund me page for it.”
Essentially, this public school which teaches students from Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 6 is currently without any sort of play structure for ANY of it’s students. How can this be? I am all for the safety and wellbeing of our kids and if the district deems something ‘unsafe’ then demolish it. There should be a replacement plan ready to go to ensure that kids have SOMETHING to make their recess time special.
Being a radio host living in Ottawa now, I am obviously not an expert in the ‘playground structure & safety’ world but I would like to learn more. Ultimately, I would like to see the children have a new structure at Central Public School by the time school starts in September.
Growing up in a small rural town, I can tell you that these playgrounds aren’t just for school time. I used to enjoy the one at Beachburg Public on evenings and weekends with my family and friends, too. Those are long gone but at least there is something shiny and new in their place.
"I, Mother..."
AMY
This is the current physical representation of ‘me’.
At 34, I’m in awe of what this body can do and what it has done. This is the body that went through hell in it’s younger days. The body that was expected to be wheelchair bound at sixteen. The body that no one thought much of in terms of child bearing. The body that said a big “fuck you” to pretty much everyone and bore two bright, healthy babies. BIG babies at that.
I can’t believe it. I. CAN. NOT. BELIEVE. IT.
This is my fifth Mother’s Day and I want to say a very big ‘thank you’ to my body. Flawed and flawless. This body has done me well and owes me nothing. I sure hope to occupy it for a few more years to see what happens next.
CHRISTINE
Dearest Life Vehicle (aka my bod):
It’s taken a while for me to accept that you are So Much More than how you look. Stretching, changing, aging, I Know I’ve been hard on you. I’m sorry for picking you apart, comparing you to others. Yet you continue to thrive and work, I really do Love You, you’re so damn resilient ! Thank You for growing and carrying a wee human! A shoutout to my sweet and sensitive c-section scar, you are badass badge of honour. And yes you too, long nipples, you’re not exactly what you ‘used to be’ and that is AOK because I love you just the same, Thank You for feeding our babe as long as you did! And so now, dearest bod, let us join forces and ride out the rest of this incredible life experience together ️
TERESA
To this beautiful, strong and wise body of mine. You have carried my soul around for 40 years, and for that I am truly grateful. It has not always been an easy ride. We spent many years in conflict with me desperately trying to control how you looked, while desperately trying to ignore how you felt. I had no idea just how wise you were. How much you loved me. You have carried me on more adventures than I can name. You have received love and hugs and shown me passion. You have taught me pain which has reminded me of my strength. You have given me a beautiful son for which I will forever be grateful. I’m sorry. I’m sorry it took me so long to love you, but now that I do I will never stop. I accept you. I accept that you need me to fuel you and let you rest and In return you will allow me to continue growing. You will allow me to play and dance and work and do all of the things that I want to do. Thank you. I love you.
MONA
This is me
41. No makeup, hair tied away from tiny hands, functional breastfeeding top, leggings. If I had seen myself this way a year ago I would have cringed. Today I look in the mirror and I see a fiercely proud woman, unafraid of being in a state of motherhood. Thanks to this amazing body and everything she can do, I have a family, a means to care for them, and the confidence to be mother even when I don’t know what I’m doing. This body knows things I don’t. She knows her limits are farther than I think they are. She knows by instinct what to do when I logically don’t. She knows how to nurture her baby in ways I don’t. She knows how to be a woman separate from being a mom. She knows her strengths, her beauty and the ugly truth of life that is just so damn beautiful. Thank you for this gorgeous life.
SPOMENKA
Thank you body. You are a strong and capable masterpiece a work of art. Whatever had been thrown at us we have taken and adapted and grown into this work of art today and onwards. Thank you for 31 years and counting. I want to say thank you for working on the fight with me and always working hard. Sorry I judge us harshly and compare myself to others. You and me have done a lot.
SAARA
I’m about 6 months pregnant in this photo. This body would carry us through a smooth pregnancy and birth—it truly was the most remarkable and singular experience of my life.
This body did everything it needed to keep us healthy through to full-term (and then some), it got us through a long labour, and my postpartum recovery, it sustains us and continues to provide us both with comfort.
No journey to and through motherhood is simple or easy but I’ll forever regard my body with awe and reverence, and I really couldn’t ask for more.
JENNY
Thank you for being my everything. Thank you for comforting me when I’m sad, sometimes I’m not good to you and let you get the worst of me. Thank you for being resilient, you underwent two very intense c-sections and still here you are in one piece. Thank you for being my home, you let me decorate you however I please and you never tell me how much you may not like it. As we grow together on our journey it is time I take a turn in our path and accept that I need to be kinder to you and continue loving you. You have always been there for me and now I need to be there for you.
If you put the needs of others above your own, you are a mother.
Being a mother is something YOU do. It’s not, in my opinion, something your body does. Of course there are times when I get feeling down over stuff I physically cannot do, so this day serves as an important reminder to appreciate what has been done.
I put the call out over social media asking for more Moms to join in on this post and the response was fantastic! Interest was high, then came the premise: “it’s a Thank You note to our bodies. So I want people to share a picture of their bodies and a note saying thanks. However you are comfortable. The picture is JUST you. No kids.”
That’s when the interest dried up. Some saying that the concept was “scary. I don’t know if I can do it”, and “I’m incredibly bigger than normal now”, “I hate my body and don’t even like when my husband can see it.”
Wherever you stand in terms of your body, please make sure you say ‘thanks’ to it once in a while. If you are deeply unhappy with your body, I strongly encourage you to talk about that with someone. Explore that. Work on it. Our bodies are miracle machine. A mother’s especially. They owe us no favours and yet, look what they’ve done! Mother’s Day is a real, raw date of self-reflection to me. I don’t always like what I see but I can appreciate the magic. It is there. It’s in my son and daughter. It’s in yours, too.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Christmas Mission: 2019
Help bring cheer to children who attend the Ottawa Mission’s Christmas Dinner service on Sunday, December 22nd, by bringing a new (in it’s original packaging) gift to the Rogers Radio Building at 2001 Thurston Drive, Monday to Friday from 9AM to 5PM.
Sometimes Santa isn’t able to bring children in our community presents because they don’t have a fixed address. Let’s help Santa out, like many of you did last year, by delivering gifts to kids who slipped through the cracks.
Families come together at the Ottawa Mission each holiday season for a warm meal and togetherness. It’s an eye opener to experience the magic that happens during Christmas Dinner Service and, for me, I’m particularly moved to see babies giggling, children smiling and teens spending that quality time with their loved ones…
To commemorate the occasion, wouldn’t it be cool for the little ones to have something physical to hang on to? A gift. JUST for them. Shiny. New. On their Wish List that Santa maybe didn’t see?
Here are some pictures and posts from last year’s Christmas toy drive for our friends at the Mission.
If you’d like to arrange for a KiSS Studio tour when you make your donation, please get in touch with me (Amy Volume) directly to set up an exact date & time.
Bring in a NEW toy, book or treat to 2001 Thurston Dr., weekdays from 9AM to 5PM on or before Friday, December 20th.
If you are unable to physically drop something off and you would like to donate - please ship to:
Amy Volume’s Christmas Mission
c/o KiSS 105.3, Rogers Radio
2001 Thurston Drive, Ottawa
K1G 6C9