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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, June 12, 2015 | 14 Busiwomen out to get kids busy volunteering at a young age by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff A local women's networking group is partnering with United Way Oakville (UWO) to give children the opportunity of volunteering. It's all aimed at getting youths thinking about volunteering at an early age. The initiative, known as Community Kids, was outlined by Oakville resident and Business Strategist Karen Baring, who runs the Busiwomen networking group, and Anne Smith, UWO resource development manager, following a Busiwomen meeting at Dynasi Restaurant on Dundas Street. "Community Kids was established as a way for younger kids, aged four to 10, to be able to volunteer in The Body Shaping Fitness Studio For Women SPeCIal 3 MontH SuMMer MeMberSHIP Jun 1 - SePt 1 adult Students & Seniors *All classes included. 149 $ 110 $ Ideal ProteIn ClInIC Ideal Protein... a Quick, Healthy & Fun weight loss program for Men and Women! no exercise required! largest product seletion in oakville! no Consultation or Weigh in Fees! the community. With that age group, because you need parental consent, I thought it would be great to tap into an organization like Busiwomen, which I run, because it is a great way for these women to tell their children about it and disseminate the information," said Baring. "We started with a seed planting as our first initiative, but we will be offering multiple initiatives where parents can tap into our website and get information on how their children can volunteer through one of the organizations under the United Way of Oakville umbrella." Baring said volunteering at a young age is important because it helps develop self-confidence and selfesteem. She said it also makes it more likely that participating youths will be more active in the community later in life. The Community Kids seed planting saw approximately 150 young children take home seeds to plant with their parents. The kids get to keep the plants for a time as they grow and later will donate them to different agencies supported by the local United Way. In some cases, the children will have grown flowers to beautify a senior centre's garden. In other instances, the youths will produce vegetables, which will take their place in community gardens where those in need can one day enjoy them. "We realize there are lots of kids in high school who are looking to complete their community hours, but for the younger kids, Since 1952 Karen Baring there aren't opportunities out there for volunteering," said Smith. "We are missing that link because if we can instill that volunteerism in kids at a very young age, they will grow to be more communityminded. It will change the mindset in high school from `I have to do my 40 hours' to `Wow, I remember having a fun time with Mom and Dad when I volunteered before.'" Baring said it also gives UWO much-needed exposure by introducing parents to organizations within the charity of which they may not have been aware. For information about Community Kids and upcoming initiatives, visit www.communitykids.ca. 183 Lakeshore Road W., Oakville | 905.849.1919 | www.bodyshapingstudio.com Carpet Cleaning Specialists On The Spot! Residential & commeRcial Wall to Wall FURnitURe & UPHolsteRY aRea RUGs PeRsian & oRiental Comfort Friendly Spa-like l r. M ge aris n A ' aD Caring Truck Mount In-Plant Service Water damage Restoration See the transformation of what we can do in relation to others! Community Living Oakville open house The Raise Your Voice Council along with Community Living Oakville (CLO) is holding an open house Saturday (June 13). Held at Community Living Oakville, 301 Wyecroft Rd., from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the free event will offer an opportunity to learn about the organization's services and events for those with developmental challenges. The Raise Your Voice Council was formed through a grant awarded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and works with Community Living Oakville to promote awareness of the rights of people with developmental disabilities in their community by arranging social, recreational and learning opportunities. To register for the open house, visit https://gettoknowusclo.eventbrite.ca. More information on Community Living Oakville is available at www. oakcl.org. 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