Calgary Sexual Health Centre Focus Group Tonight!

A reminder that we will be gathering for the Women and Community Leadership Focus Group tonight, March 11th at the Calgary Sexual Health Centre. We will begin around four in the afternoon and then feast at seven in the evening on buffalo stew, bannock, salad (and chili for the veggies).

All women from all backgrounds are welcome to this focus group. We have eleven women signed up so far and we would love to have more voices in the circle.

This is a great opportunity to gather as women and look deeply within ourselves, and into our connections with our greater community to discover our own healing. This group is open to women of all backgrounds, so please join us this evening or pass this on to women you think may want to attend. All voices are vital to the circle.

If you would like to attend, please notify Sarah Lertzman, Program Coordinator, via email at sllertzman@gmail.com. Or by phone at 403-609-2052.

Awo Taan Healing Lodge-Parent Link Focus Group

On Monday we held the Awo Taan Focus Group for the Sisters in Circle Program. It was successful beyond all hopes and expectations.

Doreen Roy, coordinator of the Awo Taan Parent-Link Centre began the group with a prayer and a smudging circle. The women discussed for two hours how they might improve their communities by shifting thoughts around their own validity and empowerment, while keeping open and accepting of all within their community. That in approaching those in their community who are oppressive or causing pain as people who are in deep pain themselves, and so in need of deep healing, not only are the oppressed empowered as healers, but the community heals itself. It has no need to bring in administration or experts from outside.

This circle of Aboriginal women generated ideas around community healing and development strategies that I have only heard from wise elders and medicine people. And the only recommendation for improvement on the evaluation of the focus group was that they all wanted more gatherings like this and more implementation of their strategies. This was an example of the power of women coming together with care and respect and for the good of all. Thank you to all of you who made this possible.

Thank you!!!

We have enough volunteers for watching the children at Awo Taan on Monday. Thank you to all of you who volunteered to help!

We now need to increase our number of participants. We currently have eight women registered and we would like to see four to eight more. Please pass this on to any Aboriginal women you know who would be interested in attending. Childcare and lunch is offered. It would be great to have a full group as the more voices we have, the more we can learn from each other and find connections. Please direct those who are interested to register by phone at Awo Taan, 403-531-1880, ext 200. Thank you again to all of you who will help these women attend by watching their children!

We Need Volunteers!

Our Aboriginal Women and Community Focus Group is in need of volunteers to watch the children of mothers who want to attend the group. The Focus Group is the is coming Monday, March 8th from 10am-2pm at Awo Taan Healing Lodge (100- 1603 - 10 Ave. S.W., Calgary). Please email or phone Sarah Lertzman, Program Coordinator (sllertzman@gmail.com, 403-609-2052) if you are interested in assisting with this.

There will be some fun activities for someone to do with the older kids as well as toys and materials brought in. We are hoping for five volunteers as this will make the work load lighter on everyone. We have two women so far. Take advantage of this great opportunity to serve women, motherhood and community.