Sharing Our Stories and Learning From Others
by Family Councils Ontario
The most recent issue of Family Council Dispatch contains stories from two Family Councils. One is a story about celebrating and saying goodbye to a resident. The other is about how a Family Council banded together to work with their Home and City Council to successfully complete a project. While these stories are quite different from one another, they both demonstrate how we can share our experiences and learn from one another.
Storytelling is an ancient art form. It has been used for centuries to educate, inspire and connect with one another. Stories can tell us of great triumph and loss. They can inspire us towards greatness. They can teach us important skills and inform our values. Celebration of Departure from Foyer des Pionniers Hearst Nursing Home may inspire your Home to start a ceremony to mark the loss of a resident. If your Council is looking for a way to support families in a time of loss and grief, creating such a ceremony could be a way of showing how much you care about all of the residents and families in your Home. There is much to be learned and taken away from this story. We thank Pierrette McDonald for sharing this touching and inspiring story with us.
A Successful Project at Tansley Woods might encourage your Council to consider taking on a project to beautify the Home's grounds. The Tansley Woods Council demonstrated the power and value of working together in partnership to accomplish a goal. Without strong leadership and positive, productive contributions by Council members and strong support from the Home and local City Council, the project may not have been such a success. From this story we may be inspired to tackle a project that benefits all of the residents and families. We may be re-inspired by the messages of partnership and collaboration. We thank Carol Adamson and Liesel Dohrendorf for sharing this positive story with us.
We can all learn from each other's stories. Family Councils from across the province, who may not otherwise be in touch, can learn from and be inspired by each other's journeys and accomplishments through sharing and reading each others' stories. "Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." —Robert McKee
If you have a story to share, please send it to FCO so we can share it with your fellow Council members across Ontario. Let's take our ideas and put them out into the world. Let's share our stories and change the world!
- Samantha, FCO Director of Communications & Education
PS- Our 'Engaging Families, Changing Lives' conference is a great opportunity to connect with other Council members and learn from one another! For more details, visit fcochanginglivesconference.eventbrite.ca. Registration closes Friday June 12th so don't delay!