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There are so many moving stories about the children and families and staff that participate in our program, it is hard to pick one for the main page. There is one  though that I think everyone would agree, is a tremendeous testement to the benefits of participating at the Nook.

We have a young participant who is a selective mute. When she first joined the Nook, this young girl of grade 2, had never said a word in school.  She only spoke with family and only when no one was watching. Though at home she was loud, naughty, and a practical joker, like many children suffering from selective mutism, in public she was silent, with a stiff body posture, afraid to make any movements which would attract attention or invite interaction from her peers, or program facilitators.

However, with constant attention and love from our staff, this little girl was able to come around. She would often find herself laughing and trying to hide her face while doing so. Eventually we worked with her school and one of our most dedicated staff members, Anna Sudac began to work with her, one-on-one  to help her with her homework after regular program time.

With this special attention as well as the overall acceptance by the other Nook kids who never judged her, this little girl has completely transformed. She now talks to almost everyone in the program children and staff!  It took her about 3 months to speak in secret to the first person she talked to at the Nook, (Anna Sudac holds this honour), but now she interacts and plays and jokes with new participants and staff in less than a week of having met them. At first her voice was a soft barely audible whisper, but now she yells and jokes and laughs out loud.

Not only is this a tribute to the work the Nook staff and volunteers accomplished with this young girl, but this is also about the benefits of our efforts to teach children acceptance, and advocacy for others. This little girl gained greatly from staff like Anna, but also from the friendships and understanding built with the other Nook kids. Not once was she made fun of, ignored, or taken advantage of. Instead the other Nook kids often acted as her advocate and voice. When we would have special guests who were not familiar with her and her situation and would try and talk to her, the other kids would often step in and explain to the guest that "...she doesn't talk, but she wants to still play the game with us" etc.

There is nothing more rewarding in a program like ours, than this life-changing experience for this young girl and seeing how the other kids helped her come around.

Bright Future

The Future Looks Bright!

Recently CONC has been undergoing a transformation. We have some new and amazing people on board, some spectacular program ideas in action, and even more truely heart warming moments happening on a daily basis. With all this deep and soulful growth and development going on, what better way to honour it than with an aesthetic transformation!

Thanks to the kindness and help from Matheson at Matheson's Quality Painting through the United Way, we have given our office spaces an equally vibrant jolt of inspiration.  Though the weather worn walls did attest to all the hard work, and grassroots vibe in this building that makes everything come together, we all agree that it is time for some positive change. The gorgeous orange in the Nook Children's Program Office, and the mellow green in the Drop-In Office are the perfect palettes to compliment our new phase which is equally bright and happy. 

Thank you Matheson you did a terrific job!