2021: A Year in Review
We at Rebound Child & Youth Services have made the very most of a challenging year. We pivoted, then pivoted, then pivoted again in order to safely serve children, youth, and families in Northumberland County. We’ve adapted and expanded in the face of adversity, and we’re so pleased to be able to continue serving Northumberland no matter what the world throws at us. Read on to learn about some of our highlights from the most unconventional year in our service history.
An end of year reflection of gratitude
I read the draft of this newsletter and it provided me with an opportunity to reflect with immense gratitude on the many wonderful things that happened throughout 2021. Yes it was a tough year in so many ways, but also a year of success, resiliency, support, inspiration and innovation as we worked tirelessly to support the mental health of children and youth throughout Northumberland County. I am truly grateful to the many people in our community that support Rebound in a myriad of ways. Some people share their knowledge of Rebound with friends and family, others share a gift of their time by volunteering and championing Rebound, some make incredibly important financial donations, still others provide gifts in kind, but most of all, I am grateful for the positive support and kindness reflected by so many in our community. I am grateful the many community partners that that we work each day to provide essential services to our mutual clients. We simply could not do the work we do without you.
I am grateful that we have such a compassionate and knowledgeable team of therapists, case-workers and skilled facilitators who dedicate their time and professionalism to supporting the mental and emotional wellness of the children and youth of our community. We know this has been a challenging year for children and youth with increases in depression, anxiety, and emotional regulation disorders, but Rebound continues to provide timely support, effective programs, and we are creating safe spaces for children youth and their families to navigate many of the challenges they face. We are grateful that we have the opportunity to help our community by supporting the mental and emotional wellness of children and youth.
Reflecting on the past year gives me great optimism for the year ahead. There will be challenges, but I know there will be many more opportunities to create new supports to better respond to the evolving needs of the children and youth of Northumberland County – we love the work we do, and we love the young people and their families we have the privilege of working with. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Carol Beauchamp,
Executive Director
Programming Highlights
This was a year like no other. While some of our programming was scaled back in order to maintain community safety, our agency continued to evolve and adapt to meet community needs in new and exciting ways.
Expanding our Service Reach
In 2021, Rebound partnered with the Ontario Health Team Northumberland (OHT–N) to open the Rural Outreach Clinic in Colborne, which now provides mental health supportive services on-site for children and youth in Cramahe. Along with our Mental Health Walk-in in partnership with Northumberland Hills Hospital, Rebound provides accessiblesame daymental health support in two locations in addition to our Rebound office in Cobourg. Learn more about these optionshere.
Group Programs
Rebound staff continued to deliver high quality group programming to Northumberland children and youth, both in person and virtually. We safely returned to providing programming in schools in the fall, facilitating the CHOICES life skills program in half a dozen schools across the County. Virtual programming continues to be a popular option, with emotional and social regulation groups running for a variety of age groups throughout the year.
This year saw Rebound’s first-ever Expressive Arts group program, which was a wildly successful addition to our existing program roster. Stay tuned for another virtual expressive arts program for teens starting in January.
While in-person group programs were a challenge this year, Rebound successfully (and safely!) offered a variety of recreational activity days during the summer months, including Art from the Heart, Digital Photography, I Shine!, and Be You! self-esteem groups.
Halloween Short Story Fun
Rebound asked for scary stories this year, and students throughout Northumberland answered the call. A whopping 134 terrifying stories were submitted this year in our second annual Halloween Short Story Contest, with stories submitted from 15 classes in six schools from all corners of Northumberland. Thank you to Little Caesar’s Cobourg for awarding the two winners’ classes with a delicious pizza party – it pays to be scary!
Watch the winner’s announcement right here.
2021 saw the expansion of our website to include a comprehensive page detailing all of Rebound’s programs and services. Click www.rcys.ca/programs to learn more about everything Rebound has to offer!
2021 – A Year of Unparalleled Generosity
Globally, 2021 was a year in which the world came to truly appreciate the value of strong mental health, and we at Rebound felt that awareness right here in Northumberland through a variety of successful fundraising campaigns that allow us to continue the important work we do. A huge thank you to everyone who supported us, financially or otherwise, in a time when it has never been more important to be there for each other. A special thank you to the dozens of volunteers who continued to support and soldier on with us throughout this very unconventional year.
Among the highlights:
Kilometers for Kids: Rebound’s biggest community fundraiser of the year went virtual for the second straight year, but that didn’t stop this incredible community from making it the most successful fundraising campaign in Rebound’s history. Over 90 people across Northumberland participated, supported by pledges from coast to coast in Canada - raising more than $16,000 for Rebound. Read more about this important event here.
The first-ever Ride for Rebound: Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf didn’t let a pandemic slow down his enthusiasm for this spring fundraising, which saw the Chief other riders cycle a whopping 115 kilometers throughout Northumberland County and raise more than $8,000 for Rebound in the process! Thank you to Chief VandeGraaf for your continued support of the work that we do. Read more about the Ride and its impact right here.
The Northumberland Charity Golf Tournament returned in 2021 after a pandemic pause in 2020, raising over $10,000 for Rebound Child and Youth Services and Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus - Port Hope and Ash Brook Golf Club and for organizing and hosting this very special event, which saw many gleeful golfers out in the fresh air after a very long year of lockdowns. Read more about it right here.
Valentine’s Day was a sweet one for Rebound in more ways than one. We partnered with Roda’s Kitchen to sell boxed Valentine’s cookies in this delicious winter fundraiser, which, with the support of the PACE network, raised $4,200 for Rebound. Thank you to PACE Network, who matched every dollar raised! Read more about this tasty fundraiser here.
Stay tuned for another Valentine’s cookie fundraiser in 2022! To learn more about this event, click here.
A huge thank you goes out to the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) for their continued support of Rebound Child & Youth Services. In addition to supporting many of Rebound’s programs, OTF also awarded Rebound with a $25,000 grant this year from their Resilient Communities Fund. This grant was used specifically to support Rebound’s strategic planning for 2021-2025, which will focus on growth and expansion. Read more here to learn about the impact of this grant here and visit our website here.
A sincere thank you to all of you who supported us. Other important mentions include:
Firing Time Pottery, our Kilometers for Kids Gold Sponsor
Rotary Club of Port Hope, our Kilometers for Kids Silver Sponsor
Arthur's Pub, for sponsoring a fundraising dinner in support of Rebound
The Lion's Club of Cobourg, for sponsoring a drive thru dinner fundraiser in support of Rebound
Local Bloom, for hosting a virtual flower arranging workshop in support of Rebound
Cameco, for sponsoring the Ride for Rebound and Kilometers for Kids
Cobourg Honda, for sponsoring the Ride for Rebound
Sharon Anderson
Rose Goodall and Part Time CFO Services
Rebound Recognition
In acknowledgement of our hard work, determination, and tenacity this past year, Rebound was awarded with a Business Achievement Award from The Northumberland Chamber of Commerce.
Rebound was also a finalist this year for a Charity Village award for Best Youth Engagement for an organization of under 20 staff.
2022: A Sneak Peek
At Rebound, we believe the future will be bright. We can’t wait to tackle new challenges and see what 2022 has in store, and we are so excited about the day when we can all come back together. Until then, read about some of the things that Rebound has in store for the coming year!
Rebound’s New Library– A huge thank you goes out to Michael Parker of the Port Hope Rotary, who graciously donated time and materials to completely revitalize our READbound library. Michael hand built and installed our new bookshelves, and complemented this with a fresh paint job in our program space. Rebound hopes to refresh this library with a new supply of the books and resources in the new year for community use.
Family Check Up program– Rebound is looking to adopt the Family Check Up Program in collaboration with the Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University and McMaster Children’s Hospital. This program a family-centred community intervention service that will complement Rebound’s Triple P parenting programming.
Accreditation– Rebound is actively pursuing accreditation, which will support our team as we continue grow to meet the increasing needs of the children, youth, and families throughout Northumberland County. With the joint effort of our senior management and Board of Directors, Rebound’s accreditation journey will assess the quality of our programs and services, as well as evaluate its impact across our community. This is the natural next step in ensuring that children, youth, and families in Northumberland have accessible and relevant support that gives them the opportunity to reach their full potential.