Quarterly Newsletter - Fall 2018
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For the latest news and updates
Check out the Military Family Services (Europe)
Facebook
page or view one of our many information briefs on
YouTube
.
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Your 2018 Military Family Services Team
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Military Family Services Team Symposium, October 2018 (Maastricht, The Netherlands)
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Our Fall Symposium and the importance of belonging
By Sue Goddard, Senior Manager MFS(E)
MFS (Europe) is committed to ensuring that families across Europe and in the UK are supported by staff who are well-trained and motivated. To that end, MFS(E) holds an annual staff training symposium, (sometimes two). The activity is scheduled for early Fall in order to ensure that all new staff hired during, or immediately following APS, receive training as early as possible in their time with MFS(E). This training is especially important as our organisation has a significant turnover every APS, when many of our staff return to Canada. This year, the MFS(E) team from across Europe gathered in mid-October for a training symposium that incorporated personal and professional development in topics such as: leadership training, sharing of best practices and updates, and how to help families thrive by supporting them to belong.
On the subject of belonging, did you know that MFS(E) has various volunteer opportunities for family members? Whether it is being a member of the Advisory Committee, delivering a workshop, helping with administrative work or with an activity, this is a great way to connect with your community. If you have a skill to share, we might even be able to tailor something to that. In the past, we have had community members teach fly-tying, photography, cooking and advent calendar courses, conduct remote socials, etc. Your community will benefit, but so will you! Please do not hesitate to contact us with your idea.
If you are a new family and have not already, you will be contacted by our staff to ensure you are settling in. In the meantime, if you have any concerns please don’t hesitate to contact the MFS(E) staff supporting your area. Contact info can be found on our website
www.cafconnection.ca.
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We are your voice to the MFS(E)
By Alice Prince, Advisory Committee representative for Canadian Defence Attaché Office/ Military Police Security Service
As a group of volunteers, the
MFS (E)
Advisory Committee’s primary role is to provide advice to the Senior Manager MFS Program Europe about the needs of the community and to enhance the effectiveness of the program regardless of where families are posted throughout Europe. The Advisory Committee (AC) meets virtually on a bi-monthly basis and in person annually.
We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome all new arrivals to their OUTCAN postings. We hope you have settled in and are all thriving in your new communities.
During the first few months of the new year, you will be invited to participate in Community Forums. They are conducted annually and are administered by your AC representative and your local Community Service Manager. We will give you the opportunity to discuss local issues and the programs and services that are offered to you by MFS(E) and how they have benefited you or how they can be improved upon. We’d like to hear if you might have suggestions about something that has worked well for you during a previous posting.
During these dark winter months, we’d like to encourage you to participate in the many different virtual programs. Whether it be the book club, or coffee mornings, perhaps you’ve already been able to learn about the winter chalets or Christmas markets. These programs are a fun way to make connections with other Canadians from all over Europe and there is something for all interests. Do you have a talent you’d like to share or maybe you would like to facilitate a special evening for others?
Finally, the AC would like to take this opportunity to wish you all Happy Holidays and we hope you will have time to make some lasting memories with your loved ones!
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We now have a page explaining the mental health services offered by our Social Worker. Click on the image to access the PDF version.
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Ongoing Emotional Support with the Family Information Line
Are you having issues accessing mental health support services due to geographic location or language barriers i
n your communities? The Family Information Line (FIL) team is happy to share an important initiative: ongoing emotional support.
Families of military members and veterans are able to seek emotional support with the same FIL team member at a predetermined time using the point of access of their choice: phone or via Webex.
Stephanie and Lisa are experienced team members at the FIL who are currently providing this extended service. If you require emotional support, please do not hesitate to reach them by email at
FIL@CAFConnection.ca
or at
00-800-771-17722
. They are looking forward to serving the families together.
If you would like more information on the ongoing emotional support service,
click here
.
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It’s Flu Season, protect yourself and your families with the flu vaccine!
“Getting a flu vaccine is a simple action that can save lives by:
- protecting you if you are exposed to the virus
- preventing you from getting very sick
- helping protect other people because you are less likely to spread the virus to others” (Public Health Agency of Canada)
If you have questions or concerns regarding the flu shot please contact:
Captain Connie Grant
Community Health Nurse,
CF H Svcs Clinic Det Geilenkirchen
Tel: +49 (0)2451717305
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Kids Craft Program
By Jennifer Fudge, Child and Youth Programs Coordinator
MFS(E) is special and unique, as we have families throughout Europe. The Kids Craft Program is a fun program designed to reach out to the CAF children across Europe in a tangible way. Four times a year, all children ages 3-9 years old receive a kit in the mail with everything required to make a cool craft to keep or to give away to family and friends.
8 Reasons Why Craft Activities for Kids Are So Important
1.
Crafting Helps Kids Communicate Their Feelings -
A child given free reign to make, and paint, to their heart’s content will often match their creations to their feelings. Color, different art materials, different textures of materials, and some inspiration from a parent, can prompt children to express themselves with real originality.
2.
Kids Enjoy Seeing That They Can Improve -
By exposing kids to a wide range of crafting activities, they will begin to hone in on the ones that really spark their interest. As their talent for a particular craft improves, they will also enjoy looking back at earlier creations to see how much they have improved, which will boost their confidence.
3.
Schoolwork Can Improve -
A happy side effect of crafting sessions, is that children’s schoolwork can also improve. Concepts that might otherwise be tricky to grasp, can become clearer when they are explored with a little lateral thinking.
4.
Crafting Teaches Kids to Follow Instructions -
Crafts are goal oriented or “structured”. This goal oriented part teaches kids to follow instructions – by following a simple set of steps, in the correct order, they will complete their craft.
5.
Learn Teamwork & Social Skills -
Working on a craft project together with your child can help improve their teamwork, communication and social skills, as they will have to learn to co-operate and communicate to complete their projects.
6.
Allows Quality Time Between Parent & Child -
Doing crafts with your child allows you to spend some quality time together and make important memories that will often last longer than the craft itself.
7.
Crafting Improves Fine Motor Skills -
The activity of sticking, coloring, gluing, cutting and keeping within lines or patterns, can assist fine motor skill development, and improve hand eye co-ordination in kids.
8.
Teaches Kids to Try -
Craft projects are a great way to teach kids to try something new, and potentially even fail. We have all had many failed attempts at crafting, which ultimately teach kids that it’s good to try something anyhow, even if it’s not a roaring success.
We love to receive photos of our community members taking part in our programs, so please document and share with us at this
email address
!
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Children's Education Management
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Children’s Education Management (CEM) supports the educational needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) families both inside and outside of Canada. Our team works to ease the impact of frequent relocation on the education of military children and its impact on their education through Guidance Counselling Services, Educational Screenings, Education Allowances and Benefits, and the operation of the CAF Overseas Schools.
Educational Tools
. These tools offer information for education in different provinces:
a Starting Kindergarten Map, a Graduation Requirements Map, and a School Transition Portfolio.
Outside Canada
. This section offers resources for Outside Canada postings, including Educational Screening instructions and forms, and lists of compatible schools worldwide.
Inside Canada
. Members may be eligible for tutoring and other benefits related to a move between provinces.
CAF Overseas Schools
. CAF operates 2 schools outside of Canada: SHAPE in Belgium and AFNORTH in the Netherlands.
Need to talk with someone?
Our team is here to help. The CEM Guidance Counsellors are available to talk with you about your children’s elementary and secondary school transitions. Contact your CEM guidance counselor today to set up an appointment:
Families with last names from A – K should contact
Andrea Smith
General inquiries or questions about educational screenings can be directed to
CEMGEE@forces.gc.ca
.
One of our team members will respond promptly.
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Personnel Support Program (PSP)
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The Chalet Program offers accommodation options in various parts of Europe at a 40% subsidy by the European Fund. Whether you decide to stay put and relax, explore the neighborhood or venture a little further, this program will allow you to stay in a chalet, an apartment or a villa located in a very interesting region of Europe. All accommodations are fully furnished and well equipped.
The Chalet Program also offers Full-Flex vouchers. This part of the program provides European Fund members the flexibility to choose their holiday destination at a time that is convenient for them. The Full Flex vouchers can be used to offset the cost associated with accommodations such as hotel rooms, RV rentals, vacation apartments, as well as cruises.
The program is divided in two seasons: summer and winter. Chalet weeks, as well as the Full Flex vouchers, are awarded in the form of a lottery. To participate members are to send an application form to the Chalet Coordinator. The information regarding the application process for the Winter Program is sent to members in an email in September of each year while the information about the Summer Program is sent in February. Members have two weeks to send in their application form once the draw information has been released. Should you wish for your email address to be added to the distribution list, please contact the Chalet Coordinator at
+PSPEurope@forces.gc.ca
.
Visit
our website for more information about the program and the chalets available.
New!!
A blog has been added to the
Chalet Program’s webpages
.
You can now share your experiences or read about the experiences of other families for each chalet in the program.
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The program was recently revised to allow students to take a break between high school and first year of post-secondary school and still be eligible for this benefit.
The European Fund (EF) Academic Program is established to recognize the academic achievements of students graduating from high school who are dependants of members of the European Fund and to encourage the students to continue towards post-secondary education.
All students accepted and attending a recognized post-secondary establishment will receive a maximum of € 500.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Be a dependant of a member of the EF according to the definition in the EF Constitution. (The students do not need to be EF members). Parents need to be EF members at the time of the payment of the Academic grant. (October)
- Be accepted to full-time studies at any post-secondary level establishment. This grant is only given in first year of post-secondary studies.
Requirements:
- By Sept. 15th at the latest: A letter or e-mail from the EF member must be forwarded to the Senior Manager PSP, declaring that their child has graduated from high school (school’s name and date of graduation are required), and has received an acceptance letter from a recognized post-secondary establishment (name of the establishment is required) and will attend this establishment (date and name, city and country of the establishment are required). The email must state that the parent is EF member at the time of the payment of the grant. (October).
- By Oct. 31st at the latest: EF awarded funds will be transferred to the beneficiary.
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The European Fund provides its hospitalized members, with the exception of CAF members, with hospital comfort.
EF members hospitalized in excess of 48 hrs are entitled to a maximum of 10 euros (without receipts) per day of hospitalization towards amenities, up to a maximum of 300 euros per case. The following is a list of the types of items that would qualify under this benefit:
1.
Newspapers, magazines and books;
2.
DVDs;
3.
Electronic games;
4.
Snacks and beverages;
5.
Toiletries;
6.
Calling cards (where applicable); and
7.
Small toys for children (cars, dolls, etc).
In addition, to amenities suggested above and with receipts, hospitalized EF members may be reimbursed for basic TV, phone and Internet services. Parking expenses up to a maximum of 50 euros a month are claimable as well. For long-term care, loan items such as DVD players and lap-tops may be considered.
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Support to EF Families During Spouse's (CAF or civilians) Deployment and CAF member Temporary Duty or Course
This program was recently revised to provide the same benefits to the EF families while the spouse of the CAF member is deployed on a NATO/UN and Military deployment as a NPF employee with CFMWS deployment Support.
The European Fund (EF) provides families of EF members’ spouses (CAF or civilians) deploying and CAF member on temporary duty or on course, with funding in order to procure wellness services.
EF family members whose spouses are away on deployment, whether military or civilian, or CAF personnel on TD or CAF course, for at least 30 consecutive days, are entitled to an amount not exceeding €100 monthly for wellness services. This financial benefit is cumulative for each month either spouse is deployed (ie. 6 month deployment X €100 = €600). The following list provides some examples of the types of services that would qualify under this benefit:
1.
Childcare Services;
2.
Wellness (spa treatments, hair/manicures/pedicures, massage);
3.
Restaurant Meals (no alcohol); and
4.
Movie Passes
Reimbursement request are to be submitted to the Senior Manager PSP and must be accompanied by a copy of the attached deployment, TD or course (for CAF members) message and scanned receipts.
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The RCPO, CFSU(E) has launched an inventory of work vacancies, posted on the
CAF Connection website
. Dependents and spouses may browse this website if they are interested in working and submit their applications. As the inventory remains open, applications can be updated as dependents gain new qualifications or find new interests.
This inventory is open to dependents of Canadian civilian component and CAF members stationed in Europe. It will be used to staff positions within CFSU(E) locations in Europe and Turkey (Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and UK).
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For Global Affairs Canada local employment opportunities in Europe
click here.
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Christmas in Brussels!
By Brynna Hone
If this is your first Christmas in Brussels, prepare to be amazed. As you may have noticed, winter in Belgium is slightly different from Winter in Canada. It’s a liveable temperature and you don’t have to worry about shoveling your driveway! This is a refreshing change if you ask me. Despite the lack of snow and chilly temperatures to remind you its almost Christmas, there are plenty of activities happening in Brussels to make the Christmas season feel magical !
From 30 November to 6 January Brussels has a “Winter Wonders and Christmas Market”. This Winter Wonder includes an amazing Christmas market, found downtown Brussels with over 200 different chalets and stands selling everything you can imagine from across Europe. As well as rides for the little ones (Ferris wheel, merry-go-rounds), a large ice rink for skating is located at the Stock Exchange, there is a giant Christmas tree set up in the centre of Grand-Place and as a bonus there is a magical light show reflecting on the buildings which surround Grand-Place! I have been to the show and found it a perfect festive tradition. So, if this is your first or third Christmas in Brussels, I promise it will be special, creating new traditions for your time in Europe.
If you are looking for a warmer market for when those Belgian winter nights are too chilly, check out the largest indoor Christmas market in Brussels, located at Place Flagey in Ixelles. This market offers crafts from France, Germany, Belgium, and even Hungary with unique gifts and food available!
For a smaller indoor market, Place Dumon has a circuit of cabins set up with an abundance of festive activities for all to enjoy!
These are some of the many Christmas markets sprinkled in and around Brussels, however if you’re willing to take a short trip in the car for some German markets, you can always head to Aachen, Monschau, Cologne, Trier or Dusseldorf, all within a 2.5 hr drive from Brussels. Have fun!
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Celebrating 100 years of history in Belgium
By Joany Beauregard, Community Services Manager
The sun goes down slowly, the wind blows on the fields all around, the silence reigns ... And for a few minutes, you soak up this silence to honor the memory of all those brave men who died for a cause they believed was just, the Great War.
This is what the Casteau SFM(E) team experienced and felt in Ypres, in Belgian Flanders, when we went to lay a wreath at the foot of the Menin Gate monument during one of the daily ceremonies of
The
Last Post
1.
Every evening, at 8:00 pm, the streets giving access to the monument are closed to circulation, people gather around the monument to attend this moment of silence where the memories of all those fallen in battle are celebrated. A large-scale cultural and historical celebration that brings together people from all over the world.
How fortunate for us, Canadians, to be able to participate, assist and witness a daily commemoration that has been going on for so long ... I highly recommend the experience to anyone with a historical and sociological interest in these gatherings; it is well worth the trip!
In addition, I strongly believe that this is a great way to connect with the history and the past of those people from your host country. The country in which you will spend your next few years. You will feel the enrichment on several levels and will develop a closer relationship with your country of temporary adoption!
Take advantage of the armistice commemoration period to learn more about the surrounding cities, the history of your village and the involvement of Canadians during the First World War. You will get a sense of belonging even stronger than before.
The SFM (E) Casteau team remembers!
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Potluck Lunches and fellowship
By Luraine Graham, Community Services Provider
It has been a busy time in the Naples area for the whole community.
Many military members are involved in a very large exercise which has everyone coming and going. Those not involved are taking care of the daily routines. The MFS(E) Naples team has been busy welcoming families and military members that are locally engaged in the exercise to get together through potluck luncheons every week. There is nothing like food to make people connect in our community! The MFS(E) Naples team just completed the 5th potluck in a series that will take us and the community well into December.
This would not be feasible without the Canadian community’s support in coming together and contributing all kinds of delicious salads, main dishes, and desserts, that keep everyone in high spirits and enjoying their time in Naples. See you all very soon!
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The 5 best ways to learn the host language
By Emilie Tremblay
If you are part of a military family in the Canadian Armed Forces, you know that every transfer to another city and province is fraught with difficulties. But when this transfer is outside your home country, you know that this challenge will be of a different scale. As a military spouse, I am currently living this fabulous adventure with my spouse, Yohann and my two children, Luna 4 and Louis 9 months. We left Canada on June 30, 2018 to go to the Geilenkirchen military base in Germany. The first thing that strikes us when we arrive is obviously the language spoken in the country, which is, in our case, German. In order to immerse myself in my new home, I used several tips to learn this language, which may seem difficult at first glance, but which is surprisingly very easy to learn. Here are my top 5 best ways to learn a new language.
1.Rosetta Stone
Each spouse is entitled to free entry to the Rosetta Stone Apprenticeship Program. This online course has 20 activity modules on the chosen language and gives you a fabulous base on vocabulary, gender and number chords, verbs, conversations with others, writing and speaking. With 30 minutes a day of this program, my understanding of German has improved at breakneck speed. If you wish to receive your access to the site, contact our
Virtual Program Coordinator.
2. Netflix
When you arrive in Germany, your Netflix account will include a wider selection of German-language films and TV series. As I am a big fan of series, I continued to listen to my favorite shows, but in German with the subtitles in German as well. That way, I was really interested in understanding, and becoming familiar with common phrases and syntax. And don’t be afraid to try some new stuff! There a lot of good German series on it like
Dark
,
Babylon Berlin
or
Charité
.
https://www.netflix.com/browse
3.Breaking news tv and radio
If you have chosen to subscribe to the cable, I strongly advise you to listen to the regional news channel in the morning, either while having breakfast or when preparing the children for the school. When you take the car, switch on your radio to hear news, weather and traffic in German. Exposing yourself as much as possible to German culture will greatly help you associate words and phrases in the long run without any effort.
4.Translate a child's book
Another fun thing to do is to translate a story book for kids. For my part, I bought a book with pictures to better understand and give me clues. I use Google Translate for long sentences and linguee.fr for words that have multiple meanings. Thanks to that, I added a lot of new words to my vocabulary and after, I enjoy reading the story to my daughter at night. Join the useful to the pleasant as they say!
5.Dare to speak
When you are out, at the grocery store, bakery, market, mall or park, do not be afraid to talk to people. Often, when out in the community with your children or even your dogs, people are likely to want to start up conversation. Even if you are not able to pronounce every word correctly or you do so with an accent, know that locals appreciate that you are making an effort to speak their language. Never underestimate real human contact, you will learn much faster than any other method, believe me.
Now, it's your turn to play. Good luck!
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The Halls and the Netherlands
By Jenna Hall
My name is Jenna Hall and our family is stationed in the Netherlands. I feel very fortunate to be able to write this article about the incredible opportunity our family has been given to experience life in Europe. Having spent the majority of my life in the small town of Smithers, BC and the “big city” of Edmonton, Alberta, I hadn’t the least idea of what to expect, despite the fact that my hometown has a large Dutch community. In my mind, all I could picture was windmills and wooden clogs!
On our house hunting trip, my husband got a good laugh at my reaction to the huge wind turbines and massive, speedy highways. This was just the beginning of the many things I would find amusing.
Our posting got off to a rocky start, with many mishaps and our family experiencing a traumatic loss. We spent forty-five days in hotels between Canada and the Netherlands, with our daughters and our two Boxer dogs Titan and Atlas. Adjusting to our new life was challenging to say the least, and it would get more complicated still; who would have thought that after three weeks of arriving in the Netherlands we would find out we were pregnant?! I have to admit that having only ever visited a civilian doctor’s office, visiting the MIR was different. The staff was great, although I found it quite strange discussing my pregnancy with a man wearing the same uniform as my husband. Even though our posting started out rough, against all odds we have made the absolute best of our time here and it has brought us closer together and stronger as a family. It has also given us a great appreciation of our military community and our beautiful country, Canada.
What was it like having a baby in the Netherlands? It was phenomenal and kind of crazy at the same time. The Netherlands’ medical system is very similar to Canada. The hospital we stayed at had the advanced medical equipment you would expect but most importantly the doctors and nurses were more than willing to speak English. Our medical team treated me like family and they had impeccable bedside manner. We gave birth to the best Dutch souvenir a person could ever wish for, our third baby girl, Juno.
Having three girls in the Netherlands is a special thing, as the King of the Netherlands has three girls as well. Our nurse told my husband he could now join His Majesty’s secret club of fathers with three girls. It must be a top secret club as to this day I am not even sure if he is a member?! I will forever be grateful to my Aunt who made the long hop across the pond to take care of our girls, dogs and our house while we were in the hospital. Our landlords and the hospital welcomed our new baby girl by giving us “Beschuit met muisjes.” What in the what, is that? Don’t bother trying to translate it, as it’s not literally mice on rusk. It is a round toasted piece of bread/cracker (like Melba toast) topped with butter and little sugar coated anise seeds (referred to as mice). The anise seeds taste similar to licorice and come in blue and white for a boy and pink and white for a girl. This unique Dutch tradition is believed to have started in the 17th century. Anise seeds are known to help with a mother’s milk production and the Dutch believe this would give protection to the Mother and baby from spirits.
When we arrived home, we were also welcomed by a large wooden stork in the middle of our yard, carrying a baby wrapped in a pink blanket with Juno’s name printed on it. In the Netherlands, this is a common way of announcing the birth of your child to your community.
For the rest of this inspiring story, and to access the complete article,
click here.
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Volunteering to create bonds in your community
By Lisa Scale, Community Services Provider
Good things are happening in Riga, with the largest influx of families, up to 43 now, since the first eight families arrived in 2017, things are starting to evolve. With only one Community Service Provider in Riga and over 100 members and families, it takes volunteers to make it happen. In Riga, we are thrilled with the outpouring of support from spouses and CAF members to help run or host events to keep our families busy while enjoying their OUTCAN. Events like the Welcome BBQ, Teen Board Game Challenge and most recently, a Craft Morning would not be possible without helpful members from the community.
A great example of this was the October Craft Morning, which was held for the spouses while the children were all in school. Hosted by Denise, who did an amazing job of creating beautiful crafts for everyone to enjoy. A station was set up to create a choice of 3 different greeting cards, everything you needed was included in each bin as well as an example to follow. If that was not enough, Denise was there to help step by step so the end result was something to be proud of. Denise had another craft area set up to create personalized heating pads, she went above and beyond providing different material to suit everyone's tastes, the rice and a choice of scents to embellish the heating pad with. Others brought their sewing machines to the event so that many could be worked on at the same time! Those more experienced sewers helped those who were not familiar with the sewing machines, so everyone left with beautiful heating pads.
The room was filled with laughter and stories as well as plans for the next event! This was a great example of people coming together to share their expertise, resources and even share rides to ensure those who wanted to come were able to. Life in a foreign country does not have to be isolating, with volunteers jumping in to help create an atmosphere of camaraderie, life abroad can be exciting, invigorating and fun!
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A community that sticks together, is resilient and clearly has more fun!
It is now time for all of you to get into the community spirit like the Canadian families posted to Szczecin, Poland! This summer, thirteen CAF families gathered for a day of fun in the sun at Karl's Elebnis, near Berlin, Germany. They enjoyed rides, slides, and a delicious picnic lunch.
This was the perfect opportunity for the families to gel as a community. Let the good times roll! Do not hesitate to volunteer and lead your own events!
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Visit our
for recordings of virtual sessions
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Please be sure to
visit our website
often
for the latest
programs
and services being offered.
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