Seth Rogen's parents always said he would either end up an artist or in jail. Luckily, he became a famous actor.
This is just one of the smile-provoking, lighthearted memories that Sandy Rogen shared with V.I.A. on raising her two kids, Seth and Danya, in Vancouver.
Growing up, if they weren't playing at the WSFP, Sandy took little Seth and Danya to a number of favourite spots around the city: Douglas Park, the Vancouver Aquarium (back when there were whales), the now-gone Stanley Park Zoo, and the splash park at Granville Island.
"We're lucky to be in Vancouver because there are a lot of free or low-cost places you can go with children," she notes.
While Sandy also visited plenty of parks and beaches with her youngsters, she spent the majority of her time with them at the West Side Family Place (WSFP), now located at 2819 W 11th Ave.
'I don't know how I would have coped without it': Sandy Rogen
"It felt like home to me," she says fondly.
The non-profit community organization has been around for 50 years now, but it has always been a place of support and relief for Sandy.
"Imagine just having a baby and being at home all by yourself ... it's just you and your baby all day long," she describes, noting the plague of doubt and uncertainty that comes with being a first-time mother, from worrying over the baby's sleeping schedule to which foods are okay to feed them.
The WSFP was an opportunity for Sandy, and many other parents in Vancouver, to connect with and learn from others in the community, who are either worrying over the same concerns or have an abundance of valuable, tried-and-tested tips up their sleeves.
"It just gives you support and information and nurturing all in one place. I don't know how I would have coped without it," Sandy shares.
The organization and family centre had just as big of an impact on Seth and Danya. "They probably both remember circle time," shares Sandy. "At the end of every session, there would be songs and circle time. They have fun, happy memories of playing there."
Danya even came back with her own kids later on.
'A welcoming, safe space'
Despite supporting Vancouver families for half a century now, not much has changed at the WSFP.
The core of the program has stayed the same, explains Diane Elliot Buckley, Executive Director of the WSFP. "It's a welcoming, safe space for children and their caregivers to come together," she says.
The WSFP now offers a daily drop-in program for children ages zero to six years old, allowing parents and caregivers to connect and children to explore different play-based learning opportunities.
The centre also has a variety of parent education programs and workshops on topics relevant to parents, whether that's nutrition, discipline, transitions to school, or even climate anxiety. There are even programs specifically for dads and kids.
"We try to be as open and inclusive as possible," says Buckley.
In celebration of the WSFP's 50-year milestone, the family centre is holding a 50th Anniversary Gala on Sept. 28 at the Hollywood Theatre, with local band The Live Ones set to play tunes all night long. All proceeds from the gala will go towards the WSFP.
