Monday, March 30, 2009

In The News

The "In The News" section of our main website is often overlooked.

We live in an information driven age and 73% of North American adults presently use the Internet to find ... research and compare ... before supporting a business or organization.

There can not be a much better way to "discover" what we do than through press releases and stories picked up in the news.

Click here to learn more!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Staff Applications: UPDATE

Due to the positive response to the application process for serving on the 2009 Mish Adventure Camp Staff Team, we are no longer accepting applications.  

Thank you for your interest in serving on this years team.  Please check back in November for the 2010 Camp Staff Application forms.

Friday, March 13, 2009

EL SALVADOR - APRIL 2009

It is just six months since we returned from a successful project in Nicaragua!

Even before we completed that amazing mission, plans were being laid for our journey to El Salvador. Although you may not be part of the team traveling to this Central American country of approximately seven million people, we want you to be part of the experience through this blog.

We will be reporting from El Salvador after our arrival on April 18, 2009. We hope to provide you with daily blog updates. But, let me share with you some of our plans.

Our twenty-four member Canadian team will be comprised of four doctors and two dentists, assisted by several paramedics, nurses, dental assistants and other support staff. Joining us from El Salvador will be another fifteen people, including two local doctors and three local dentists. Add to this several translators, and you have a large, dedicated team ready to bring medical and dental treatment to children and families in El Salvador.

Working out of our central location in the city of San Salvador, we will travel to five communities in great need. Our goal will be to treat over 3,000 children and adults. What do they need? They need primary medical and dental care, food and other supplies, and they need to know that somebody cares about them.

While we are in each neighbourhood we will distribute medicine, food and clothing, and a SMILE, and lots of HUGS! A special program will be provided for the children, including games, songs and crafts.

Excitement is increasing within the team as we prepare for the mission. We also know that the sites are preparing for our visit. Blog reports will be coming from the following locations:
El Cedro
San Juan Buena Vista
Anayito
Remar
Somalia
Going to El Salvador and accomplishing amazing things for the children and families in that country would not be possible with out two major things:
1. the dedication and commitment of our team;
2. the support of our friends who provide funds and supplies.

Thank you and watch for further updates.

Ken Dick,
President – FTC Canada

Thursday, March 12, 2009

A Trip To Mish

Update on First Nations Programs

March 2009 – A Trip to Mish.

Joey and Andrew Wesley are two Mish Adventure campers from the community of Mishkeegogmang. This winter their family narrowly escaped a devastating fire that destroyed their home and everything they owned. Suffering from smoke inhalation and second degree burns, many family members present in the home that day were truly lucky to be alive.













Remains of the Wesley home

The Chief of the community expressed sadness as she recounted the story. It would be hard for the family in the days ahead. A replacement home was not on the horizon and the family was separated throughout the community finding refuge where they could.

As Mish Adventure camp staff and friends of FTC Canada learned of the disaster, there was an inspiring, outpouring of love and compassion. Our Guelph warehouse received beds, mattresses, bedding, clothing, small appliances, a kitchen table, chairs and dishes. The supplies were quickly loaded with our regular shipment of food heading north.


It was a joy to be able to personally deliver these items directly to a “new” home made available to them in the area. The empty house was filled with the goods and supplies from FTC and the grateful family of twelve (including one new baby).

While we were unloading the truck, a group of Mish Adventure campers came by on a sled and stopped to help. It was a great occasion and they were excited to hear that we would be coming back in July to run the Mish Adventures Camp again.

In Pickle Lake we helped put together pallets of Kraft dinner, cereal, canned grapes, cookies, snacks, and many other items for 27 reserves in the far north. This was two days of work in a local warehouse with help from two young people from the Mish community. We stacked and labeled pallets and prepared the supplies for the trip up the famous ice roads north of Pickle Lake.

Thanks to the staff from Tikinagan Child & Family Services, Wasaya Airlines in Pickle Lake as well as all the volunteers from Mishkeegogmang.







FTC Canada values our partners. One plus one equals hope, happiness and relief for our friends in Mish and many other Northern Ontario First Nation Communities.

Karen Ward
First Nations Program Coordinator