Spring has sprung (I seem to say this for every April newsletter)! It’s wonderful to fully be in a new season!
I wanted to send a huge thank-you to all our wonderful volunteers who helped during Winterfest! Thank you, Dorothy, Craig, Yan, Sara, Mary, Quinn, Denise, Paul, James, Lily, Kelianne and stepson (I’m so sorry, I forgot his name), Natalie, and Michael. Without your support, we could not have pulled this event off! It truly warms my heart that we have wonderful people in Southwood who are willing and able to help make these events a success. There are not enough words and I look forward to reconnecting with everyone at our next event.
On Thursday, April 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, the City of Calgary will be hosting an Opiate Awareness and Naloxone Training session. This session will be facilitated by David Fraser. What you can expect to learn:
• The reality of living with substance use issues and homelessness
• The history of opiates and the illicit drug market
• What to do when encountering folks who might be actively using
• The emergence of drugs like fentanyl
• The importance of harm reduction and various harm reduction supplies used and how to safely dispose of them
The presentation is from the perspective of someone who has experienced homelessness and substance abuse. For further information and to register, please contact Binu Sebastian at [email protected].
The Southwood Community Cleanup is back! This year, we will be hosting the event at the community hall (11 Sackville Dr SW). It will be taking place on Sunday, April 30 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will be posting information on the CA website (www.southwoodconnects.ca) to list the rules and other vendors that may be there. Please stay tuned as we finalize everything. If you are interested in volunteering, please connect with Becky at [email protected].
Youth Nights continue to be a great success! If you have a child aged 10 to 18, they can join us on the last Friday of the month from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at the community hall. Some highlights from the last couple include fun with games and pizza, snacks, and iced tea! Youth Night this month will be on Friday the 28!
Our AGM is Thursday, June 8 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. This is your opportunity to join the board, get a look at our financials, and hear about our successes and challenges. This year, we are looking for a treasurer. If you are interested in joining the board but find that there isn’t a position that speaks to you, please join us and we can certainly work around your interests! Do connect with Becky if you have any questions.
Our board meeting this month will take place on Thursday, April 20 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. If you have any concerns or are interested in learning about what we do, please join us. We will be meeting in the Pioneer Room at the community hall.
I wish you and your families a wonderful Easter or whatever you may celebrate on that long weekend.
All the best,
Becky Poschmann
