What’s happening: Moncton Community and Family Services

With the official kick-off for summer just around the corner, it’s a great time to head to the lake for a relaxing day on the water. Just don’t forget to bring along 23 of your closest friends.

For the second consecutive year, Moncton Community and Family Services participated in the Greater Moncton Dragonboat Festival. The team consisted of 24 paddlers and placed second in each of their three races.

But the results were hardly the motivating factor. The team raised over $2,000, with the money split between the event’s charity of choice, the Lion’s Sick Kids Fund, and The Salvation Army Moncton Kids to Camp program.

A mobile canteen and Salvation Army volunteers were also on hand, providing free hot chocolate, coffee, tea and water to over 1,000 participants.

These are busy days for Moncton Community and Family Services. Some recent highlights include:

— Last week, 13 children celebrated completion of the Red Cap program with a graduation ceremony. Red Cap is an anger management program designed specifically for children aged 8-12.

— The View, a six-week program promoting self-esteem for women, wrapped its most recent session with a trip to the local spa for some much deserved pampering.

— Moncton CFS also recently completed its first quilting program with a potluck fellowship that served as a showcase for the beautiful creations.

— Girls’ Night Out was held to celebrate the closing of the latest edition of the ‘Just for Girls’ program. The six-week program helps girls aged 8-12 learn life lessons about self-esteem, body image, the media and peer pressure. Girls’ Night Out featured a pool party, dinner out and a slumber party.

— Coming up, the Tiny Tots playgroup will celebrate summer with a special Carnival Day on Tuesday. The drop-in playgroup for children aged five-and-under and their parents, has picked up steam as the year went along, beginning with only four or five participants each week and now averaging 20. The program runs Tuesdays from 10-11:30 a.m.

With a wide range of programs and services, there is always something going on at Moncton Community and Family Services. Head on down to 32 King Street, or visit their website for more information.