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Community More services and changing needs have brought about the expansion of Family and Children‘s Services to the point where services are provided in seven different buildings, five located in Kitchener and Waterloo and two in It is a far from ideal situation, acknowledged Peter Ringrose, the executive director of Waterloo Region‘s Family and Children‘s Services. It is confusing for the clients who have to go from facility to facility and time consuming for the 100 employees who must telephone coâ€"workers and drive to appointments. He estimates the lost time due to the inefficiency costs about $45,000 a year. But all that lost time and frustration is soon to end. Inroads are being made to house Family and Children‘s Services in two buildings. One building will serveg Kitchener and Waterloo, while an $800,000 expansion to the Cambridge office will amalgamate two operations. Granted the go ahead to begin the expansion, Ringrose is now working at raising half of Family and Children‘s Services‘ $1.1 million commitment thmughafimdraisingampaign-andthemmainingswo,OOObytheuleof land. The ministry of community and social services has committed 60 per cent of the total estimated cost of $3.9 million and the Region of Waterloo will provide 16 per cent. Theappea]forfundswhi'chbegnnianhisnota“highprofilecampaign" in the sense there won‘t be promotions directed to the general public, explained Ringrose, who has been executive director since 1985. Corporations and individuals are being targetted. Office staff are also committed to raise $40,000. But that is not to say the public should not be aware of, and support the project, said Ringrose. "Our appeal is that the good care of children is important to the community in general. We see it as a community responsibility to invest in the care of kids and families." Duringthe last 10 years, Children‘s Aid Society, as it is sometimes referred to, has seen a tripling in the number of cases it investigates. In 1977 there were 1,169 referrals for service. By 1987 the referrals had increased to 3,383. The increase cannot be solely attributed to an expanding population, said Ringrose. "People have become sensitive to the problems and are taking action now, where they were not previously." II;iQ"}SvFar‘mh~ and Children‘s Services noticed an "explosion of physical abuse followed by sexual abuse; both of which have brought caseloads with them that have not gone away," said Ringrose. e At the same time, Ringrose explained family services has done a lot more work in the area of preventive programming. Where people can be identified as possibly encountering problems raising children, the problem can be dealt with before it "gets really, really bad." Another program for children with serious behavioral problems operates after school and provides the family with relief. A coâ€"operative program with the Waterloo County board of education is offering this support to children within the school. Ringrose is concerned about the affects of unemployment in what appears to be a bustling area. As Waterloo Region abounds with a strong provincial economy it is easy to forget "there are a lot of families living in some pretty awful places," said Ringrose. _ "The funny thing right now is that Waterloo Region is suppose to be in boom time but we have not seen a drop in population in terms of caseloads." People without skills in technology are getting left behind in the unemployment lines. Some families in strained relationships find they can cope while there is employment, but once that is gone the problems rear their ugly heads. | Funds needed The jogging shoe boom has leveled off. Engineers and manufacturers have their sights on walking shoes. A more health conscious society has increased the demand for shoes that are not just durable and protection from the outside elements. Walkers want shoes they can wear as they walk to work, as they walk around the office, afd as they stroll casually around the neighborhood or hit the trails for a jaunty hike. They want it all in one shoe. Wearing jogging shoes to work and then changing into dress shoes at the office almost negates wearing the comfortable shoes in the first place. Dress shoes, particularly women‘s dress shoes, are designed and styled to fit the ego, not the foot. As we have become more intelligent consumers, demanding comfort and practical health needs, the shoe industry has been caught in a rush trying to provide shoes to satisfy these needs. Finding the perfect walking shoe will be just as difficult as finding that perfect jogging or tennis shoe. Using the following criteria may make the selection process a little 1. You must be able to fit all parts of the foot into the shoe â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE., WEDNESDAY JUNE 22. 1988 Community Isobel Lawson Finding the perfect pair of shoes comfortably. The toe box should be wide enough to allow the toestowiulemdmad.'l‘befeettendtogrwlongermd wider while walking then shrink afterward due to the additional circulation of blood to the feet. Narrow toes are 2. The shoe must be flexible in the sole and top to assist in the walking motion. There‘s no need to make the feet break in a pair of stiff shoes. 3. A cushioned insole and outer sole will help prevent 4. There should be support at the heel and arch to help keep Peter Ringrose, executive director of Famlu and Children‘s Services, looks forward to the day when services for Kitchener and Waterloo residents are provided under one Isobel Lawson Chronicle Staff The United Way has grown by one, after announcâ€" ing Manday it would be adding the Help Centre for the Unemployed to its family of 34 member agencies. The Help Centre, operated by The Working Centre in downtown Kitchener, will receive $10,000 from the United Way beginning in 1989. Joe Mancini, director of The Working Centre and one of its founders in 1982, said the United Way‘s decision comes at an opportune time. Mancini expects the recognition will give the centre a higher communâ€" ity profile as well as the injection of funds. At a time when people are talking about low unemployment figures in southern Ontario, Mancini pointed out 8,000 people are unemployed in Kitchenâ€" erâ€"Waterloo and another 1,600 people are on welfare Official unemployment figures may hover around five per cent, but Mancini said, "When we try to figure the unemployment figure out that five per cent doesn‘t mean a whole heck of a lot to us." The fact the Fitness Forum Kathy Hammond Working Centre receives funding the foot positioned correctly. 5. The upper part of the shoe should be made of material which will allow the foot and shoe to breathe. (Leather and nylon mesh may be the most comfortable). It should not have any seams inside the shoes in order to reduce chafing. 6. Shoes should be lightweight. Only the most rugged terrains demand heavy, stiff, hiking boots. 7. The ideal shoe should have a curved sole to facilitate the natural rolling action of heelâ€"toe motion. Few shoes have this feature. Many orthopedic doctors say that jogging shoes are better designed for walking than for jogging which makes them the ideal walking shoe. Though jogging shoes are good on most asphalt surfaces, they may not be able to stand up to our abusive weather as well as leather shoes. Then again, if you have a good pair of jogging shoes with many of the above features, and you are only a casual walker, another pair of shoes may be unnecessary. However, if you plan on getting the most from your walks by going a moderate distance, your feet will appreciate protective and healthy shoes. Centre is still in demand years after the end of the recession of the early 1980s is indicative of the need for services which encourage and assist people looking for employment, he said. Many of the people the centre sees have been unemployed for sometime and are not receiving any type of financial assistance. The Working Centre has five different programs responding to unemployment, poverty and hunger. The Help Centre for the Unemployed is one such program which offers skill development needed for finding employment, support and resource,services. Along with the addition of the member agency, the United Way is also providing $7,500 to a program for children of separation and divorce conducted by the Catholic Family Counselling Centre and $3,500 to English in the Working Environment, a program jointly funded by the Waterloo County board of education and the federal government. Last year the United Way raised $2.14 million, exceeding its goal by $58,000. It will announce its 1988 goal in August and begin a fund raising campaign in the fall. Isobel Lawson photo