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Penticton  

Bringing families together

Families from all walks of life gathered at Penticton's Ooknakane Friendship Centre, Thursday night to share food, make friends and learn.

There was a speaker for the adults, arts and crafts for children and good food for everyone.

"Some of the reasons we have these dinners is for foster and biological families to come together and to provide cultural opportunities," said Courtney Olsen, foster parent and out of care coordinator for the centre.

The nights are typically held the last Thursday of the month, with different themes each time.

On Thursday the focus was on kids in care and mental health, with Teresa Haberstock, the aboriginal child and youth mental health clinician, talking to the crowd on the subject.

Haberstock addressed kids coming into care with of emotions and a high level of anxiety.

"Sometimes when we have different kids coming and going, the biggest thing is self-regulating, self-calming," she said. "With another piece to look at being structure, being able to build healthy habits."

She suggested finding a place where children can find calm and practicing self-regulating through breathing and clenching and releasing, even the stomping game.

Bear hugs for physical connection and screaming to move emotions out also help.

More anxiety is often seen in kids at the pre-teen and teen level, with kids acting out, with Haberstock again suggesting self-regulating to help them calm down.

Dinner at the event was provided by the Okanagan Nation Alliance. The evening ended with a hoop dance performed by AJ Akachuk.

His father shared information on his son's desire to be a hoop dancer from a young age and the importance of allowing children to pursue their passions.

The Ooknakane Friendship Centre at 146 Ellis Street provides a wide-range of programming to the community.



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