Endorsements

"Our Board has embraced Rainbows for over 15 years. I can't emphasize enough the positive contribution the program has made for innumerable individuals and their families in our jurisdiction. We have never had to plead for funds to run the program as principals and parents alike have long been celebrating the value of Rainbows in our schools. Without Rainbows, there would be a significant gap in the services we would like to be able to offer our grieving students."
Bronek Korczynski, Coordinator of Religious and Family Life Education, Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, Napanee, ON

"Rainbows has really helped me sort out my feelings and has helped me become more realistic. I also know that other people have problems too...I realize that feelings aren't good, they aren't bad, they just are...I feel a lot better about myself."
Girl, 14

"When there is a death or divorce in a family parents are often in a state of confusion and are unable to emotionally support their children. When students have an opportunity to be in a Rainbows peer support group they tend to be calmer and deal with the emotional rollercoaster in a better manner. Their feelings are validated, anger and frustration are quieted, and they are able to move toward healthy resolutions of their loss."
Nancy Coffin, Trustee, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Peterborough, ON

"we talk about things...we share feelings...I have no more bad dreams"
Boy, 7

"As long-term facilitators of the mandatory BC Parenting After Separation program through the Court System, we have referred many people to Rainbows. It has greatly assisted many families and individuals while offering a uniquely worthy and enriching time. For many, Rainbows has been the catalyst for positive change and provided comfort and relief. I have been involved in the human relation business for over 27 years. Frankly, Rainbows is as fine a program as I have encountered."
Larry Leischner, Community Alternative Measures, Prince George, BC

"Rainbows has served the community of Prince George in a way that no other service has. The peer support has done a great deal to heal the bereavement pain of the children of our community."
Sharon C. Coflin, B.A. M.S.W. R.S.W. Prince George, BC

"Thank you for this program. It helps me express my feelings. My problem is that my parents are divorced and I feel guilty. I try to tell myself it's not my fault but I can't control myself. But your program helps me control my feelings and myself. I also thank you because every time I go to Rainbows I feel much better."
Girl, 10

"I am writing in support of the Rainbows program. The Ministry for Children and Families has referred several families who have appreciated the service of Rainbows and found it to be helpful."
Richard King, Regional Manager, Child Protection, Northern Interior Region, Prince George, BC

"The Rainbows program provides invaluable support to a significant number of children within our school system and thus, the community. The program is confidential, professional and responsive to the unique and critical situations in the lives of the children. We are very appreciative of the Rainbows program and the assistance it provides for families and children in difficult personal times."
Mrs. W. Herbert, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, District 57, Prince George, BC

"It is the privilege of Collier Street United Church to be a site for Rainbows. In an atmosphere of love and trust, with trained and committed leaders, the participants are given an opportunity to share their feelings, to talk about their struggles, to work through emotionally difficult things with others who are very much like them, and find a way through a hurting time in their lives. It is a very positive program that can lead to a transformation of spirit. For anyone wondering whether the program is worthwhile, for anyone looking for a way to reach our to the community around them, I can give a resounding "yes" to Rainbows. It can make a very beautiful difference in a person's life."
The Rev. Dennis Posno, Collier Street United Church, Barrie, ON

"My godchildren, 10, 9 and 7, always come home after school and tell me how Rainbows was that day. Their parents just recently separated. I know Rainbows has made a tremendous difference in their lives. They say it makes them feel better to talk to other children and know that they are not the only ones. They also mentioned the fact that everything is private. You have really helped them! Keep up the good work."
Lisa England, Oshawa, ON

"As a practising psychologist for over 20 years, I have found the Rainbows program to be a wonderful assistance to our community. One of the biggest needs that was identified in our area was support systems for children going through the loss of separation, providing a neutral forum wherein the children were able to meet other children going through the same difficulties, to express their feelings and build friendships without any repercussions. The program has expanded and has been well received by all parties. Parents speak highly of the program and children also seem to look forward to attending."
Dr. Carol Corlis McMaster, Ph.D., C.Psych. Barrie, ON

"I am pleased to endorse the Rainbows program as a valuable resource in our community. In my family law practice it is helpful to be able to refer clients to the service that Rainbows provides for families who are struggling to sort out the myriad of challenges and feeling related to a change in their family.
Edward P. Mayhew, HOGBEN MAYHEW HILL, Barristers, Solicitors and Mediators Barrie, ON

"I would like to highly recommend the Rainbows program. As a Mediator I meet with parents experiencing high levels of conflict and stress due to separation. As part of the mediation process, I often recommend that they send their children to Rainbows. The feedback I receive from the parents of the children touched by Rainbows is always positive.
Claudette Reimer, Mediator and Manager of the Mediation Centre of Simcoe County, Barrie, ON

"I am a supervisor of an agency that provides foster care and group home care to children who are in the care and custody of Children's Aid Societies. Rainbows has proved extremely helpful to the children in our homes in dealing with the loss of their natural families. Coming into care can be extremely traumatic and the Rainbows program helps the children to process this experience and make sense of it. In the peer support groups the children can assist each other with coping strategies. This is an excellent program and one that is worthy of support."
Colleen J. Walsh, Programme Supervisor, Storey Homes Ltd. Campbellford, ON

"I have been involved with the Rainbows program since 1989 and I have encouraged its implementation in every school in which I have worked. The program provides immeasurable benefit for the many children in our schools who have been wounded by loss. It gives them a "place" to be themselves, to share with other children who have had similar experiences, and to feel a belonging that they may not have in other parts of their lives. I highly recommend the program as a valuable asset to any school's programming plan.
Helen Lanthier, Principal, St. Wilfrid Catholic School, Pickering ON, The Durham Catholic District School Board