By Stephanie Froese

Children’s Haven radio marathon

Mar 24, 2011 | 6:16 AM

The annual Children’s Haven Radio Marathon kicks off this morning.

“What we need to fundraise for is the everyday things that you need in your house – the laundry soap, the milk,” said Carol Soles, co-director at the Haven.

The organization does receive some funding from the federal and provincial governments, but that doesn’t cover the costs of running the facility, she said.

The Children’s Haven can accommodate up to 17 children, so with staff, the family at the home can be 20 people.

“If you go through one jug of milk, we go through five … we need so much more than the average family,” Soles said.

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Parents take their kids to the haven for a variety of issues from flooding in a home to a stay in the hospital to issues with family violence, she said.

The haven is also a place where lost children are brought to stay temporarily rather than the police station.

“We’re a very confidential service. We help people from all walks of life. We offer other services also for the parents. We do parenting classes,” Soles said.

Esther Fourstar has been looking after her nephew since his mother passed away.

Fourstar said she needed to use the service at the Children’s Haven for a couple of days after an exhausting Christmas season.

“His mom passed away just before Christmas. We buried her Dec. 24 and we were all exhausted, tired. This is when this center was available for me and it helped me through. I was able to recuperate and attend to him again after I recovered,” Fourstar said.

She said she has used the Children’s Haven one other time when she and her husband were both sick and didn’t have anyone who could look after her nephew.

“The second time he was there he just walked in an made himself at home because he knew where he was at and that he was safe, secure and looked after properly.”

Fourstar said she phoned her nephew twice a day when he was at the Children’s Haven to see how he was doing.

“He wasn’t crying and he was playing with the other children and very happy and enjoying himself.”

The 35-hour Power 99 Radio Marathon for the Children’s Haven in Prince Albert started at 6 this morning and goes until 5 p.m. Friday.

A pancake breakfast kicks off the event from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. today at Gateway mall.

The number to phone for pledges is 764-KIDS (5437) and pledges can also be dropped off at the mall.

sfroese@panow.com