The volunteers at Connections Coffee House spent time this summer cleaning up their neighbourhood. Sue From, one of the longtime volunteers, secured a grant from the Vancouver Foundation, through the Burnaby Neighbourhood House, to support the cleanup. She then amassed about 20 people - moms, dads, kids, students and new Canadians - to pick up trash in the area around the café. This is the third year Sue has organized a community cleanup around Connections.
For those who don't know, Connections is a non-profit coffee house run entirely by volunteers and backed by a local church. The project is all about building community, which the volunteers do through the café. Connections is at 5063 Anola Dr. in the Brentwood area. The coffee is really good, and you can't beat their non-profit prices. They also host karaoke once a month, as well as a weekly mom-and-tot group. For more information, visit connectionscoffee.ca.
Help for women
There's a new leadership training program for immigrant, refugee and visible minority women who have experienced abuse, and it's completely free. The Vancouver and Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society is running the program, and it's for women who want to help other women in their communities. The topics are self-esteem, anger management, employment searching, family law in Canada and parenting.
The course runs on Mondays, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Burnaby-Metrotown area. You must register by calling Anna Foschi at 604-436-1025 ext. 129 or email [email protected].
Having volunteered in a transition house and as a rape crisis worker for several years, I've seen first hand the damage that violence can do to women and children. Violence against women (or anyone, for that matter) is never acceptable, so kudos to the society for offering this much needed course.
New director
The Burnaby Hospice Society has a new executive director leading the board. Bruce Kirk was chosen after an extensive search, and his post took effect in late July. Kirk is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the society, which provides compassionate care to those at the end of their lives. Kirk has decades of experience in the non-profit sector, working with groups in the addictions field, as well as the Salvation Army.
Pageant queen
Congrats to Ariel Cao, the Burnaby youth who rose another rung in her quest to be Miss Teenage Canada. Cao recently made it to the top 20 in the national competition. She has also raised $2,000 for Free the Children as part of her competitive run. Cao is a Burnaby North Secondary student, and her goal is to be a good role model for youth.
