The holiday season is a time for feeling thankful for many people, and this year two Calgary families are especially grateful for the support they’ve been getting throughout 2018 from a preschool that specializes in children facing big challenges.
“Blaze was born addicted to meth, and so that little boy wouldn’t talk–no eye contact, very withdrawn,” Tammie Hart-Ingertilla said.
Her four-year-old grandson Blaze has been attending the EvenStart Preschool for two years and his family’s noticing it’s helping him a lot.
“Blaze (is now) quite the little go-getter, little fireball,” Hart-Ingertilla said. “He loves reading. He’s come a long way, this little guy.”
The preschool is run by the EvenStart For Children Foundation.
Since it began operating in 1995, EvenStart has helped more than 3,000 Calgary children.
“EvenStart is all about creating opportunities and giving hope,” EvenStart’s Lea Blust said. “Working with children and families who are vulnerable or at risk, perhaps parent mental health issues, domestic violence, cyclical or generational poverty and violence.”
The preschool’s special programs have certainly helped five-year-old Brody Stewart.
“Brody experienced a bunch of trauma living with his mom and there were some addiction issues,” Brody’s grandmother Kerrie Stewart said. “So he had really bad separation anxiety.”
“Brody has gained a lot of confidence (after two years at EvenStart),” Stewart said.
“He has made leaps and bounds as to where he was when he first came here.”
“This is the greatest school ever!” Brody said.
“My whole point of (Brody) being in the program is so we don’t repeat the cycle that I went through, that my daughter went through,” Stewart said. “I feel like (he’s) getting a fresh start and so I’m just really grateful to the program.”
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