Ladysmith Smiles is a proud supporter of Ladysmith Friends and Family, an organization dedicated to connecting families in our community.
At Ladysmith Smiles, we are thrilled to support Ladysmith Friends and Family Centre (LaFF) because our missions align so beautifully. LaFF supports families and caregivers in our community, giving so many people a great reason to smile. We are inspired by LaFF’s fantastic programming, which creates a welcoming space where every smile is celebrated. Both Ladysmith Smiles and LaFF share a passion for enhancing and strengthening the community, and by supporting LaFF, we help amplify the incredible impact of their programs. These programs provide essential support and joy to families and children, and we’re proud to be part of this effort.
How Ladysmith Friends and Family Helps Our Community
Ladysmith Friends and Family (LaFF) is a family centre serving families and caregivers in Ladysmith and surrounding areas with children up to age six. It offers inclusive, interactive programs that support the development of children, families, and the community. LaFF’s team of professionally trained staff and passionate volunteers provides valuable programming to help families connect with the community, access supportive resources, and healthy support the development of their children. LaFF has been recognized with the Distinguished Service Award for Commitment to Quality for Family Resource Programs of BC in 2009 and 2012. Established in 1995, LaFF now supports over 500 families and facilitates more than 19,000 connections annually.
LaFF’s early intervention and prevention programs aim to reduce isolation, enhance parenting skills, promote healthy child development, connect families with public health resources, and ensure food security. These efforts are focused on improving the overall health and well-being of children and their families.
LaFF’s Programs Provide Families with Social Opportunities and Valuable Resources
LaFF offers a range of valuable resources designed to support families and individuals in the community. LaFF Outside and LaFF Mornings are a drop-in program held at Aggie Hall’s Play Space at 1110-1st Ave. This program invites children aged 0-6 years and their caregivers—whether parents, grandparents, or other relatives—to gather for playtime, community-building, and interactive activities. LaFF’ternoon takes place at the same location, specifically catering to parents and caregivers of children up to one year of age or those who are pre-walking. This program focuses on creating a supportive environment for new parents and their babies. LaFF programs offer access to the organization’s clothing exchange and food pantry. Additionally, LaFF offers an adult sewing program where individuals 18 years and older can work on projects, mending, or crafts. LaFF also hosts special community events that aim to enhance skills such as nutrition and healthy eating.
LaFF provides other educational resources for families, too, including nutrition seminars and music classes. Ladysmith Smiles feels so lucky to get to lead the charge when it comes to dental health care education, like at one of our recent events where we provided lots of fun activities for kids to learn about ways to keep their smiles healthy!
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Join LaFF’s Programs or Become a Member
LaFF suggests a minimum donation of $4.00 per family for all family programs and $4.00 per person for adult programs. For added convenience, it also offers tokens for a minimum donation of $20, which covers 6 visits—these can be obtained from a LaFF staff member during programming. Donations can be made with cash at the programs or via direct e-transfer.
Additionally, LaFF offers an opportunity to join them as an official member. This means that you are able to take more of an active role in supporting LaFF’s mission by contributing to its documentation keeping methods, be eligible to join its Board of Directors, receive voting privileges to have your say on important community matters, and more. To become a member of LaFF, a membership fee of $4 applies. This fee grants membership for a five-year term, which can be renewed at any time. Membership is open to anyone aged 14 and older, and it does not restrict non-members from accessing LaFF’s programming resources.
As a member, you will:
- Support LaFF’s values, policies, and community goals.
- Help the organization maintain formal membership records, which are important for grant writing and sustainability.
- Gain the opportunity to volunteer with LaFF.
- Have the chance to join the Board of Directors.
- Enjoy voting privileges at LaFF’s Annual General Meeting.
Ladysmith Smiles is thrilled to contribute regular monetary donations to LaFF so we can provide more families in our area with the dental supplies they need to keep their smiles shining bright!
How Ladysmith Smiles and LaFF Work Together
Ladysmith Smiles is a proud supporter of LaFF—just like us, they believe in the power of All Smiles Welcome™! We’re thrilled to offer financial support that helps LaFF gain valuable oral healthcare resources to keep more families smiling, and we also speak at various LaFF events to help educate more families in our community about the importance of dental care. As LaFF’s official dental care partner, we help ensure that every family in Ladysmith has access not only to the dental supplies they need to maintain healthy smiles, but also the education and support to care for their smiles for life. We love getting to share our passion for healthy, happy smiles with the families of Ladysmith, and we’re so proud to bring lots of fun activities, games, storybooks, and colouring pages that all contribute to enriching our community’s dental health for generations to come.
We think you’ll recognize Dr. Nadia Stymiest’s favourite alligator with a toothy grin in these photos from one of our events with LaFF!
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Ladysmith Smiles and Ladysmith Family and Friends
At Ladysmith Smiles, we’re excited to support LaFF. LaFF’s programs offer vital support and create a welcoming environment that brings joy to families and caregivers. By supporting LaFF, we help enhance their impactful work, contributing to the well-being of our community. We’re proud to be part of this effort to strengthen and uplift the lives of families and children.