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Campbell River Altrusa Club a network of friends on a mission

Trauma survivors benefit from Campbell River group and supplies

The Altrusa Club of Campbell River is a network of friends with a mission to care for its community, and these dedicated women do it with heart.

Altrusa has contributed to Campbell River in many ways including serving lunch to the crew at Habitat for Humanity, providing Trauma Bears to the RCMP, supporting literacy with Book Bags and “Quillows,” and hosting movie sing-a-longs.

On April 11, Altrusa celebrated 100 years of service. Altrusa was founded by Mamie L. Bass during the first world to support women entering the workforce. By 1935, Altrusa became international, with clubs in Puerto Rico, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, India, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Ireland, Great Britain, Bermuda, Canada, and New Zealand. Dedicated to improving economic well-being, quality of life, and literacy to the communities they serve, Altrusa was invited to send its first representative to the United Nations in 1946.

The Altrusa Club of Campbell River was chartered in 1984. This year the Campbell River club won third prize in the Mamie L. Bass Awards for their Golden Girls Tea, providing an afternoon of fun, entertainment and great food for women over the age of 72. They also won a second prize for their Tots to Teens Literacy Program. This group provides financial support each year to more than twenty-five Campbell River organizations including Hospice, Search and Rescue, Salvation Army, Parks and Recreation Summer Programs, and the Trauma and Abuse Counselling Centre run by the North Island Survivors’ Healing Society (NISHS).

This year, Altrusa Club of Campbell River provided the North Island Survivors’ Healing Society with funding to purchase supplies for the groups they offer to women in need of support. This non-profit society was able to purchase tables, art supplies, resource books, a storage cupboard, yoga mats, and more with the grant from Altrusa. NISHS is very grateful for this generous donation, which has increase their capacity to provide a variety of therapeutic groups.

Barb McCloud of Altrusa Club of Campbell River, Irene Champagne and Kate Pinsonneault, clinical counsellors with the North Island Survivors’ Healing Society.

North Island Survivors’ Healing Society offers a range of groups and workshops throughout the year. The Approaches to Healing Group invites a variety of healing professionals to provide workshops ranging from Aboriginal Healing Practices to Zentangle. Participants enjoy exploring different healing approaches to discover which are a good fit for them. A Skills Group for women who come together to develop skills for wellness in a welcoming environment is offered from 12:15 to 1:00 each Thursday. Also offered are groups that focus on a specific theme such as Exploring Healthy Anger or Keys to Well Being, which incorporated current research on happiness and well being to help participants meet their personal goals. Yoga for Stress Management is a new group for women who have been impacted by trauma and/or abuse. It will begin in May with Yoga instructor, Kelly McAneeley, and clinical counsellor, Celia Laval. NISHS gratefully acknowledges the financial support from Altrusa to purchase supplies for these groups as well as contributions from the province of BC to offer these groups and workshops either by donation or at a subsidized rate.

If you would like more information on the groups provided by the North Island Survivors’ Healing Society or how you can support the work of this non-profit charity, please phone 250-287-3325 or e-mail contact@nishs.ca. For more information about the Altrusa Club of Campbell River, their community events, or becoming a member, please phone Sandy at 250-923-1922.