Gwen Vonarx is the Program and Event Coordinator for the Mid-Island Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. On Thursday, April 10th, she will join People First Radio live in studio to introduce the Mid-Island Branch: what they are, what programs they offer, and how to connect with them. In addition to their regular offerings, they are launching a session of LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL and are welcoming Clara’s Big Ride for Bell Let’s Talk. The social event to welcome Clara Hughes is on May 16, 2014 5:30 pm-8:30 pm at Beban Park Social Centre. The evening begins with a Mix & Mingle with cash bar, resource tables and entertainment, followed by a light dinner.
Author Archives: pfmarchive
Programs and events at the Mid Island CMHA branch
April 9th, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Programs and events at the Mid Island CMHA branch)Dying With Dignity: Expanding end-of-life choices
April 2nd, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Dying With Dignity: Expanding end-of-life choices)
A 2012 Angus Reid poll showed that 80% of Canadians support the right of terminally ill patients to have medical assistance to die. Similarly, an Environics Institute poll released December 2013 found Quebec residents are more likely than other Canadians to support medically assisted death. The poll found that nearly four in five Quebec residents said they approved of allowing a terminally ill or severely disabled person to end their life.
Dying with Dignity Canada (DWD) is a Canadian organization devoted to improving quality of dying and expanding end-of-life choices for all Canadians.
NFLA’s new Beyond Blame workshop
April 2nd, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on NFLA’s new Beyond Blame workshop)
In the tradition of pioneers such as Jackson Katz (Violence against women: it’s a men’s issue) and Tony Porter (co-founder of A call to men: The national association of men and women committed to ending violence against women), Nanaimo Family Life Association offers a workshop for men called “Beyond Blame”. “The purpose of this workshop is to address the root causes of family violence and abuse in our community. We do this by supporting men to take personal responsibility for, and end their abusive behaviours.” A new workshop session will be starting in May.
Dissolve: A play about drug-facilitated sexual assault
February 13th, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Dissolve: A play about drug-facilitated sexual assault)
This is actually happening in our community! And it is happening much more frequently than we would like to think. Survivors rarely step forward with a report to the police- the reasons for this are many and are understandable- she wonders if she will be believed, her memory has been impacted, she may blame herself, she may feel shame and fear…
Hearing Voices That Are Distressing workshop in Courtenay & Campbell River in April 2014
February 6th, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Hearing Voices That Are Distressing workshop in Courtenay & Campbell River in April 2014)An exceptional simulation and training experience in Courtenay April 15, 2014 & Campbell River April 16, 2014
The goals of this experience are to:
• Learn about the subjective experience of hearing voices that are distressing
• Become more empathetic towards those who hear distressing voices
• Change clinical practices to better address the needs of people who hear distressing voices
Society offers successful temporary housing
February 5th, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Society offers successful temporary housing)
On our February 6, 2014 People First Radio broadcast, we will be talking about the Victoria Human Exchange Society and their two houses in Nanaimo. Mary Gordon House was just opened in December of 2013. The name of the society is taken from a quote by Thomas Merton: “Every meeting of persons is an exchange of life’s gifts”.
Both houses in Nanaimo offer a temporary home for men recovering from addiction or other difficult periods in their lives. Residents must have 3 months clean and sober before moving into the house and attend sobriety meetings while in residence. Originally started in Victoria, the Society now has houses for men or for women in Victoria, Nanaimo, Saltspring Island and other locations on Vancouver Island.
We spoke with Debbie Scott, a Victoria Human Exchange Society volunteer during this weeks People First Radio broadcast.
Image: Richard Carlton, left, chops up vegetables for dinner while fellow Mary Gordon House resident Mitch checks messages on his smart phone. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)
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