1. Operated under the distinguished patronage of Her Honour, The Honorable Judith Guichon, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Messenger
The
Celebrating 142 Years of Community Service
The Messenger March 2013
Mary Cridge Manor
A Community within a Community
Being part of The Cridge Centre for the
Family team brings us many opportuni-
ties to create a sense of community
among those we serve. Yet it is truly a
blessing when we witness those we help
making their own contributions to the
Cridge community. Anwar, Nidaa and
their children are a lovely example of
how one family can help to build a sense
of community here at The Cridge Centre.
In the Fall of 2009, the staff of The
Cridge Supportive Transitional Housing
were contacted by Anwar, who was
looking for safe and affordable housing
for himself and his family. Anwar had
come from Iraq to Canada ahead of his
wife and two little girls and his young
son, and was doing all he could to bring
them to Victoria. In the Spring of 2010,
Anwar’s hard work and dedication paid
off, and we were delighted to welcome
the whole family to a two-bedroom suite
at our Mary Cridge Manor location.
At that time, Mary Cridge Manor (MCM)
had been newly established as a place
for both Cridge Brain Injury and Support-
ive Transitional Housing tenants to live
and receive support. Anwar, Nidaa and
their three little children quickly became
a special part of that community.
Whether sharing in a friendly conversa-
tion with Supportive Transitional Housing
tenants in the hallway, baking special
treats for the team and tenants to enjoy,
or welcoming others to join them as the
children played in the outside spaces,
this family was able to bring a great deal
of warmth and joy to Mary Cridge Manor.
By Janelle Breese-Biagioni and Candace Stretch
March 2013
In This Issue
Mary Cridge Manor – A Com-
munity within a Community
(continued from page 1)
Preserving our Shelter from
the Storms
Learning to Lead on the Job
Bringing the Victim into
the Room
Chef’s Corner
A Night and a Woman to
Remember
White Ribbon Campaign
Success
Thank You – Giving pages
Calendar of Events
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
The Messenger is published by The Cridge
Center for the Family in March, July and
November.
Editors: Shannon Whissell, Florence
Moorman, Shelley Morris
Production: IdeaZone
Printing: Flynn PrintingThe Cridge Brain Injury team at Mary Cridge Manor
“The littlest feet make the
biggest footprints in our
hearts” ~Author Unknown
Atticus Wilkinson Breese
McNeill, made his en-
trance into the world at
33 weeks, 5 days gesta-
tion on March 13, 2013,
weighing in at a tiny 4 lbs.
11 oz. He was born by
caesarean after his moth-
er, Myriah, developed a
life-threatening condi-
tion. Atticus is the second
child of Myriah and Kelly
and has an older brother,
Sampson.
By all accounts, the caesarean was
‘unremarkable’ and little Atticus re-
sponded as any other newborn and
did not even require oxygen. He
remained in Victoria General’s Neo-
natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for
16 days. As a newborn, Atticus re-
sponded in typical ways. He ate, he
slept, and he nursed well. It was in
the 3 – 6 month stage that issues be-
gan to surface. He was low on iron,
his eyes wanted to cross, and he
was having difficulty lifting his head.
He was diagnosed with Torticollis, a
tightening of a neck muscle result-
ing in him not being able to turn his head
to the left. This required some therapy to
stretch the muscles. He was scheduled
to have surgery on his eyes just after his
first birthday and was prescribed glasses
which opened up a whole new world for
him. However, his eyes “grew” with him
and not only did Atticus not have to under-
go surgery, but he no
longer needs to wear
glasses at all.
In many ways, At-
ticus has developed
as any other baby.
However, he has
poor muscle tone
and is developmen-
tally delayed in his
fine and gross motor
skills. Atticus turns
two years old in March 2015 and he has
only begun to sit up on his own for brief
periods, he does not crawl and has mini-
mal tolerance for being on his hands and
knees. He can pick up small pieces of food
and get them into his mouth and he has
taken a fancy to sharing whatever he is
eating.
The majority of Atticus’ improvements
have occurred since being accepted into
The Cridge Daycare last October. His fam-
ily attributes this to being around children
his own age and wanting to do what they
are doing, so he works hard to copy them.
As well, the care he receives is second to
none. “The women who look after Atticus
are just as devoted to his development as
we are. They always find time in the busy
In This Issue
March 2015
Page 1 Family Praises The Cridge
Daycare workers
Page 2 Family Praises The Cridge
Daycare workers (cont’d)
Page 3 Christmas Blessings at The Cridge
Transition House for Women
Page 4 Shimmy Mob
And the Blessings Keep
Coming In
Page 5 Coming Up
Orange Your Workplace
Page 6 Chef’s Corner and Used Helps
Page 7 Circle of Care
Page 8 National Volunteer Week
The Messenger is published by The Cridge
Centre for the Family in March, July and
November.
Editors: Joanne Specht, Florence and Colin
Moorman, Shelley Morris
Production: IdeaZone
Printing: Flynn Printing
Family Praises The Cridge Daycare
Workers In Infant’s Development
...con’t on page 2
the cridge
childcare
services
the cridge
childcare
servicesJanelle Breese Biagioni

2. The Messenger March 2015, Page 2
Family Praises The Cridge Daycare Workers
In Infant’s Development (cont’d)
day to get in a few exercises or tummy
time,” explains Myriah. Moreover, it is
Paula West-Patrick and her team, Lyn-
da, Florinda and Janine, who diligently
follow the instructions of his Physical
Therapist, Occupational Therapist and
Infant Development Worker through
Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s
Health on a daily basis. Not only has the
hands-on physical therapy done by the
daycare workers improved Atticus’ de-
velopment, but their work has brought
a huge sigh of relief to the family. It is
challenging enough for a mother to re-
turn to work and leave her babe in the
care of others, but it is extremely heart-
wrenching when you know your baby
has special needs and requires daily
stimulation to get his neurological sys-
tem working with everything else and
you can’t be home to do it.
From Lynda holding his hands and try-
ing to get him to move his feet, to Flo-
rinda cheering him on during tummy
time, to Janine ensuring he is sitting
squarely with feet planted for feeding,
and to Shelley Morris who took time
out of her busy schedule to check on
him when he started at the daycare and
kept mom and grandma informed of
his happiness, every effort (big or small)
has brought Atticus to an encouraging
place in his development.
Most recently, Atticus has been loaned
a specialized walker from QA, which is
kept at the daycare. It was an exciting
day for him (and his family) when the
workers were able to take him outside
in his walker to be with the other chil-
dren. Up until then, Atticus had to be
carried or sit in a stroller. Now he can
stand with his peers in the playground
and be a part of the group.
Atticus is scheduled for an MRI, which
will hopefully provide insight into the
cause of his delayed development.
There is little doubt that he will require
ongoing therapy for a few years; how-
ever, his family remain positive and
hopeful that “time” is all that is needed
for this strapping little boy to catch up
to his peers.
In the picture, Atticus is seen working in
his specialized walker with his daycare
workers. “What I know for sure is that
Atticus is in good hands here at The
Cridge daycare and they are just as in-
vested in his growth as we are,” states
his mom. “That has made a tremen-
dous difference for all of us.”
Finding good daycare is vital to par-
ents, but when a daycare team goes
above and beyond providing “child-
care” to do whatever it takes to ad-
dress a child’s special needs, in the
way The Cridge daycare has for Atti-
cus, it is truly a gift (and divine guid-
ance). God bless them all.
Atticus with his child care workers
Lynda, Florinda and Janine
...con’t from page 1
the cridge
childcare
services
the cridge
childcare
services
God makes the best playground of all.
Don’t forget to visit us online!
We love to interact on
Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube
Check out cridge.org for
regular blog updates.

3. The Messenger March 2015, Page 3
Making Christmas Special for Women & Children
Impacted by Violence
Candace Stretch
How can we make Christmas spe-
cial for a family in crisis? In the midst
of the chaos and pain of leaving an
abusive relationship, is it even pos-
sible to experience the joy of Christ-
mas? These are some of the tough
questions the staff and clients of The
Cridge Women’s & Family Services
face each year as Christmas ap-
proaches. And yet, through God’s pro-
vision and the support of our caring
community, we have seen women’s
and children’s lives touched by joy
each Christmas. And 2014 was no
exception!
This past Christmas the women and
children in our Supportive Transitional
Housing were blessed in amazing
ways by individuals and businesses
alike. In early December, we took a
group of our tenant women out to
Butchart Gardens to see the Christ-
mas Lights. The wonderful staff of the
Gardens gave all 25 of us free admis-
sion, and we enjoyed a lovely evening
of beauty and fun. The children were
invited to a Christmas party hosted
by the AODA (Ancient Order of Doers
Anonymous) with a delicious Christ-
mas dinner and a visit from Santa.
Headstart Hair Design and Michelle’s
Yoga Studio both hosted food drives,
collecting several boxes of non-perish-
able food for our free food cupboard.
Later in the month, every family living
in our housing received a Christmas
hamper full of gifts, grocery gift cards,
food, and other festive touches.
Twenty-nine donors came forward to
create hampers for 43 families. The
looks on the faces of each family as
they came to pick up their hamper was
evidence that joy can truly come in the
midst of crisis.
Over at The Cridge Transition House
for Women, we were showered with
gifts and treats to make Christmas
special. Our faithful “Christmas elves”
Elaine Strand & Ann Glas came
through once again, delivering toys
for each of the children who
attended our annual CTHW
Open House on December
5th. Linda Ferguson of the
Shoeboxes Project for Shelter
donated dozens of wrapped
shoeboxes full of gifts for the
women. The Zonta Club and
the Soroptomist Club both
delivered gift bags of toiletries
and treats. And Iredale Archi-
tecture donated a fully deco-
rated gingerbread house, along
with toys for the children to
open on Christmas Day.
In the lives of the women and
children that we serve, these
gifts represent more than just
toys and treats. They show
our women that they are part
of a caring community that
wants to see them thrive.
What a truly wonderful gift to
give at Christmas!
Santa arrives at The Transition
House
the cridge
transition house
for women
the cridge
transition house
for women
Candace (R) receives a food donation
from Megan at Headstart

4. The Messenger March 2015, Page 4
Shimmy Mob Benefits The Cridge
Transition House for Women
May 9 2015 will be the 3rd Annual
Shimmy Mob in Victoria to ben-
efit Cridge Transition House for
Women!
What’s a Shimmy Mob, you ask?
It’s an international “Flash Mob”
performance.
Dancers in cities all over the world
dance on the same day, to the
same music, with the same chore-
ography, wearing the same t-shirt
to raise awareness and funds for
local women’s transition houses.
In Victoria, Bunny Keo is the
Shimmy Mob coordinator. She has
talent, skill, lots of energy and en-
thusiasm, and even more patience
to get a “mob” together, teach
everyone the moves and then take
it to the streets! We have a good
“Cridge” contingent joining the
“mob” this year.
To join us in the fun for a great
cause go to:
www.shimmymob.com
Then: Create a log in account,
wait for your account to be acti-
vated and then follow the web site
directions to register.
Donations for the Shimmy Mob
can be made to The Cridge Centre
for the Family with Shimmy Mob
as the program.
See you at the rehearsals!
Marlene Goley
Shimmy Mob 2014
the cridge
transition house
for women
the cridge
transition house
for women
And the blessings keep coming in…
The month of December is always a month of generosity and great
blessings for The Cridge Centre. It is a time when we see the incred-
ible love and support of the community as it comes and blesses us
over and over again with donations and gifts in kind. And as we re-
ceive those blessings, we are so thankful for each person, group and
business that gives – because we know that the gifts keep on giving
as we continue to provide services in each of our program areas.
Thanks so much to ALL our donors!
Members of The Cridge board, residents of
MacDonald House and the Telus Ambassadors
celebrate together
One of our younger donors at
Stuff the Stocking,
Simon Chudley
L to R Heidi Gayleard (Victoria
Women’s Transition House), Sharen
Warde (Royal LePage realtor and
intiator of the Shelter Fund), Marlene
Goley (Women’s and Family Services
Manager – The Cridge), Joanne Specht
(Manager of Communication and Fund
Development -- The Cridge)
Joanne accepts
a check from
Ted Leaker,
President of
the Trafalgar/
Pro Patria
Branch of the
Royal Canadian
Legion.

5. The Messenger March 2015, Page 5
Leadership Victoria is a community-
based, voluntary organization com-
mitted to developing, recognizing and
honouring outstanding community
leaders in building a vibrant community.
Its Community Leadership Develop-
ment Program prepares individuals to
become vibrant community leaders.
This year Cridge employee Ben Rob-
ertson has had the opportunity to join
the Program. The program provides
opportunities for emerging leaders to
solve real-world community issues and
benefit from the guidance of Leader-
ship Victoria board members, coaches,
and alumni. The 2014/2015 cohort was
arranged into teams of 5 and charged
with completing a Community Action
Project (CAP). Project criteria consist
of partnering with a community orga-
nization and creating a project that will
provide a long lasting benefit to the
community. After months of brainstorm-
ing and team building, Ben and his
team (Team Orange United) identified
The Cridge Centre for the Family as an
ideal community partner. They have
been working with Candace Stretch
and Marlene Goley in the Dovetail Pro-
grams to help spread awareness of the
prevention of violence against women.
The United Nations initiative of Orange
Day encourages people to wear orange
on the 25th of each month to bring
awareness to the issue of domestic
violence against women. Whereas The
Cridge Centre, by adopting this initia-
tive, has been successful in promoting
the issue in The Cridge workplace,
Ben’s CAP team decided to focus their
project on bringing Orange Day into the
workplace in the wider community, and
are gearing up for an event taking place
March 4th. The event will consist of
guest speakers who can speak directly
to the issue and will be attended by
employers from the community. Em-
ployers will leave with ideas on how
to promote Orange Day in their work-
place and a toolkit filled with employer
resources for any employees who may
be experiencing domestic violence.
The occasion promises to be a great
opportunity to promote the issues of
domestic violence and to strategize on
solutions and action plans to prevent
it. Congratulations to Ben and his team
on getting the word out there on such
an important issue!
Orange Your Workplace
By Ben Robertson
Many of you will
remember the
Ride for Refuge
that The Cridge
Centre sponsored
in October 2014.
It was a day of
bike riding, new
partnerships and
great enthusiasm
to raise funds for
charities that care for the vulnerable, the
displaced and exploited. Over $100,000
was raised that day for 17 charities, most
of whom are local to Victoria. It was such
a great day, that we
are already thinking
about and planning for
the next Ride – and we
wanted to share our
excitement with you.
So please, mark your
calendar for Saturday,
October 3, 2015 as
the day to ride out in
support of The Cridge.
If you are not a bike rider, there will be
many opportunities to volunteer before
and at the event. Give us a call if you are
interested (Joanne 250 995 6419).
Coming Up:
Breaking News:
Orange Your Workplace was a huge success with over 80 participants from the
business, education, health care, police and human services sectors. The par-
ticipants enjoyed informative and thought provoking presentations and then had
time to discuss how they are going to orange their workplace. We can expect to
see plenty of orange in Victoria on March 25 and the 25th of every month!
For more information see
www.facebook.com/orangeyourworkplace?ref=hl
or http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/orangeday.shtml
The Society Members’
Breakfast is coming up
and is an event not to be
missed! Friday, April 17
from 7:30 – 9 am you will
find the management and
society members enjoy-
ing a wonderful breakfast
and sharing all the great
things that are going on
at The Cridge. If you are
a society member and
would like to attend,
please RSVP to Pat (250
995 6410) by March 30.

6. The Messenger March 2015, Page 6
It seems for the most part, most of us prefer to use prime
cuts for our protein needs. Maybe we don’t realize that
even though offal has over time lost some of its popularity,
it still retains its low cost and richness both in flavour and
nutrition. Source these from your local butcher. Enjoy!
Chicken Liver Pate
360 g chicken livers trimmed,
rinsed and patted dry
30 ml butter
80 ml shallots
30 ml brandy
75 ml white or red wine
60 ml heavy cream
15 ml fresh thyme
Salt, Pepper and nutmeg to taste
Chef’s Corner
Nikolas Milonas CCC Executive Chef at The Cridge Seniors’ Centre
the cridge
seniors’
services
the cridge
seniors’
services
Method:
Trim fat and sinews from the livers. Add enough milk to cover
and refrigerate overnight. The next day drain, rinse the livers
and pat dry. Cook the shallots in the butter and then add the
chicken livers and cook with some salt. Add the brandy and
wine and allow to cook for a few minutes then add the cream
and fresh thyme. Take off the heat and season. Let cool and
puree. If too thick, add some more cream. When pureeing,
use fresh lemon juice, nutmeg and a bit of port (if available)
to taste. If smoothness is desired, puree while warm then
cool. Serve on toast or crackers with cranberry sauce or
Cumberland sauce. Marmalade is also delicious with this pate!
Used Helps:
We’re excited to announce that you can now donate to
The Cridge Centre for the Family in a new way that doesn’t
dip into your pocketbook and also helps you de-clutter:
#UsedHelps! Simply find things you no longer need, take
a few pictures of your items and place a free ad on your
local UsedVictoria.com site. Select “YES donate proceeds
to charity” and find The Cridge Centre for the Family in the
dropdown list. For items over $20 you will receive a tax
receipt when the item sells. Next, please share your ad on
Facebook and/or Twitter - simply use the “share” button
on the top right side of your UsedVictoria.com ad. Buyers
will pay for the item with a secure credit card transaction
and you’ll receive notification when the funds have been
transferred to The Cridge.
You will be glad that you de-cluttered – and so will we!
Cumberland Sauce
375 g Red currant jelly
120 g Port wine
1 Orange - juice and zest
1 Lemon - juice and zest to taste
Candied ginger chopped fine
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in sauce pan.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
2. Cool, serve cold with pates.

7. The Messenger March 2015, Page 7
Circle of Care
Single gift amount: $_________________
Cheque enclosed or
Please charge my credit card
Monthly gift amount: $_________________
Please use my gift as follows: [ ] Where needed most. [ ] With the following designation: ______________________________
First Name: ___________________________________MIddle Initial: _________ Last Name:__________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________________ PC: __________________________
Phone: ________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________________________
[ ] VISA [ ] Mastercard Name on card: _______________________________________________________________________________
Card Number: _____________________________________________________________________ Expiry Date: _______________/_________
Signature: ________________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________________________
Sign also to authorise bank withdrawals
All monthly payments will be scheduled the first day of each month. Receipts for your charitable giving tax credit will be Issued annually.
Charitable Registration # 108079419RR0001
The Cridge Centre for the Family collects personal information on this form for reasonable and obvious purposes that meet with
regulatory requirements. This information will never be shared, and will never be used for purposes outside of the obvious without your permission.
YES,
I/We would like to join
The Cridge Centre Circle
Please detach and mail this form to:
The Cridge Centre for the Family -- 1307 Hillside Ave. Victoria, BC V8T 0A2
Contact: Joanne Specht, Manager of Communication & Fund Development
250.995.6419 Email: jspecht@cridge.org
Would you prefer to make your gift anonymous?
Void cheque enclosed or
Please charge my credit card
Gift End Date:__________or until further notice.
And we are getting excited about SunFun Day
Camp! Registration opens Mar 1.
saccoordinator@cridge.org or 250 995 6407

8. Spending of funds is confined to Board
approved programs and purchases. Each
gift designated toward an approved
program will be used as designated with
the understanding that when a given
need has been met, designated gifts will
be used where needed most. Gifts will be
acknowledged with an official receipt for
income tax purposes.
The Cridge Centre for the Family is a
memberoftheCanadianCouncilofChris-
tian Charities and has been accredited by
the Imagine Canada Standards program.
3423948
The Cridge Centre for the Family
1307 Hillside Avenue
Victoria, BC V8T 0A2
Phone: 250-384-8058
Fax: 250-384-5267
pbailey@cridge.org
www.cridge.org
NOTE: We have recently upgraded our software. Please double check
the accuracy of your name and address and notify Pat Bailey of any
changes via email to pbailey@cridge.org or by phone at (250) 995-6410
Spending of funds is confined to Board
approved programs and purchases. Each
gift designated toward an approved
program will be used as designated with
the understanding that when a given
need has been met, designated gifts will
be used where needed most. Gifts will be
acknowledged with an official receipt for
income tax purposes.
The Cridge Centre for the Family is a
memberoftheCanadianCouncilofChris-
tian Charities and has been accredited by
the Imagine Canada Standards program.
3423948
The Cridge Centre for the Family
1307 Hillside Avenue
Victoria, BC V8T 0A2
Phone: 250-384-8058
Fax: 250-384-5267
pbailey@cridge.org
www.cridge.org
NOTE: We have recently upgraded our software. Please double check
the accuracy of your name and address and notify Pat Bailey of any
changes via email to pbailey@cridge.org or by phone at (250) 995-6410
Spending of funds is confined to Board
approved programs and purchases. Each
gift designated toward an approved
program will be used as designated with
the understanding that when a given
need has been met, designated gifts will
be used where needed most. Gifts will be
acknowledged with an official receipt for
income tax purposes.
The Cridge Centre for the Family is a
memberoftheCanadianCouncilofChris-
tian Charities and has been accredited by
the Imagine Canada Standards program.
3423948
The Cridge Centre for the Family
1307 Hillside Avenue
Victoria, BC V8T 0A2
Phone: 250-384-8058
Fax: 250-384-5267
pbailey@cridge.org
www.cridge.org
NOTE: We have recently upgraded our software. Please double check
the accuracy of your name and address and notify Pat Bailey of any
changes via email to pbailey@cridge.org or by phone at (250) 995-6410
National Volunteer Week
Volunteer Canada and Investors Group have designated
April 12 - 18, 2015 as National Volunteer Week. The
week is set aside to recognize the tremendous contri-
bution of volunteers across the country. As we know,
volunteers are a vital, valuable source of support for all
the programs with The Cridge Centre for the Family. We
are thankful for all the volunteers who make The Cridge
Centre for the Family a vibrant and caring place to live
and work.
A volunteer with a MacDonald House resident