Restoring Hope to Grieving Youth

Prepared by Margaret Henderson RSM, CEO, PO Box 102, North Hobart ,Tas 7002

Dear Colleagues

Greetings and best wishes for another full year in which Rainbows no doubt will play a significant role.  The new logo and tag line may have caught your eye already.   This of course is the NEW INTERNATIONAL look for Rainbows and is to be placed on all material printed from henceforth.

BROCHURES

New brochures are currently being developed.  These will be made available from Spectrum Publications when printed and notification will be sent to you.  Hopefully this will happen by mid-year.

JOURNAL QUESTIONNAIRE – RAINBOWS REVISIONS

As you know we have been asked to participate in the revision of our Rainbows material.  If you have any responses from the questionnaire or any on your own behalf and would like me to send them to USA I am more than happy to do so.  However we need to be quick about this, as the folk at HQ have made some inroads into this already.

NEWS FROM QLD – EASTERN REGION

Whilst on holidays in Queensland last year, Gemma, the eastern regional co-ordinator, caught up with the RDs in both Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Brisbane now has a Rainbows Centre co-ordinated by one of their RDs, Helga Schooneveldt, PO Box 303 Ashgrove, Qld 4060, Ph: 07 33666573. Helga will work with the other RDs in Facilitator Training, supporting local sites and general enquiries.

Gemma also visited Stella Maris Catholic Primary School at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. Kathy

Cavanagh and Jenny Chesterton are the RDs, and along with two other co-ordinators, Deb Holmes and Daphne Baker, they offer Sunbeams and Rainbows to the whole school. Last year, 57 children participated in the Rainbows program and the numbers keep growing. Each Sunbeams child receives a bear, puzzle, family tree and parent guide. The children decorate a plain calico bag (available from Lincraft) and every group has the use of 2 or 3 large puppets. This is one example of how costs can be minimized without the children being disadvantaged.

JENNY MIOLIN - WA

Many of us have met and worked with Jenny Miolin from WA.  Jenny was instrumental in implementing Rainbows many years ago in WA and then organising and conducting RD Trainings.  Jenny has resigned from her professional position but remains part of our Training Team and a valued member of the RD group. 

For many years of significant involvement in Rainbows Jenny we are in your debt.

LETTERHEAD AND ENVELOPES

Both letterhead and envelopes bearing the new logo are

available from Spectrum Publications.  The envelopes are in two sizes C4 & B4.  We are particularly happy with the new letterhead, as there is less clutter and therefore more room for text.  These are for the use of Registered Directors.

NEXT REGISTERED DIRECTORS’ TRAINING

It appears that the next RD Training will occur in Queensland possibly in the latter part of 2008.

I’D LIKE TO CAPTURE A RAINBOW (author unknown)

I’d like to capture a Rainbow and put it in a big box so that anytime you wanted to, you could reach in and pull out a piece of sunshine.

I’d like to build you a mountain that you could call your very own, a place to find serenity when you need to be alone.

I’d like to be the one who’s there when you’re lonely or troubled or you just need a friend and a hand to hold.

But sometimes it isn’t easy to do all the things I would like to do, or give the things I would like to give.

So until I learn how to catch rainbows and build mountains, let me do for you that which I know best – let me simply be your friend.

FUND RAISING

 Sometimes it is difficult to find funds to support Rainbows in a centre.  Your RD may have some ideas.

THE RAINBOWS SONG

(A Primary School student 2006)

Rainbows is so fun
We talk about the things
so we're not the only one.
That's why I like Rainbows

We do not wear a frown
because we
turn them upside down
That's why I like Rainbows

We're happy all the time
For we like
to rhyme

That's why I like Rainbows

Any RAINBOWS material of interest to other sites would be most welcome for this newsletter.  Please send to Margaret Henderson RSM. CEO PO Box 102, North Hobart 7002.

 

If you would like a coloured copy of this newsletter sent by email, please contact me and let me know on

margaret.henderson@ceo.hobart.catholic.edu.au

 
 

 

 

 

 

 FROM JULIE -  WA REGIONAL  RD

 Hi everyone, Welcome back to the start of another exciting New Year.  We are very excited in Perth with the new logo and having stationary appropriate for Australia.  It shows Rainbows in Australia as a very professional organization that is serious in its purpose to assist grieving children because it does not need to hurt forever.

We had a great response to our site status reports, which we have shared in our WA newsletter to our school sites – the amazing results included

We now have 140 active sites in Perth!!   And we have 8 Facilitator Trainings already organized for 2007.  One of our local high schools spoke of their experiences at a Grief Awareness Day held in Perth last year and did a fantastic job on how Rainbows helped them so much and hence agreed to share their wonderful photo with other Rainbows sites.

WA wishes the rest of Australia a great Rainbow year!