The Love Well Women’s Drop-in Centre in Altona is preparing to host their second annual Good Double Blessing fundraising event, and this year organizers have raised the bar on how much they hope to raise.
Gaetane Reimer, Robyn Sierks and Nadine Klassen co-direct the centre where the outreach has expanded by leaps and bounds since they opened three years ago.
“It’s amazing to see how things are growing here,” Sierks says. “The number of women showing up for our weekly events is increasing. We’re averaging 17 to 20 women a night now, and our weekday coffee days are also growing like crazy.”
About 150 women from Altona and across the region visit the non-profit drop-in centre on 2nd Ave. NE every month.
“Some people just come in for a chat. Some come to play games. Some just need a listening ear,” Reimer says. “We have women of all ages and walks of life here. Every woman is welcome and loved.”
Along with their weekly Craft Café, and the coffee, tea, and snacks, they also provide a variety of free programs and study groups to support women in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment.
“It’s been growing steadily. We just finished a grief and bereavement support group, and now we want to run a mental health first aid course, to give women the tools to help themselves and others,” Sierks says.
“We are here to support women. A place for women to connect and build relationships. And if they do need help, we want to send them in the right direction for the right resources,” Reimer adds. “We’re not here to fix women, we’re here to love and support them. We want to build long, lasting friendships. We want people to feel comfortable and safe here. It’s about building trust.”
Last year, the Good Double Blessing event raised about $10,000. This year, their goal is $45,000.
Half of the funding will support Hijos de Dios, a women’s centre located in Guazacapan, Santa Rosa, Guatemala.
Like the Love Well Centre, Hijos de Dios offers a wide variety of programs, but they also provide classes for families. There are learning centres for children with learning and intellectual challenges, an early learning program, English classes, self-esteem workshops for boys and girls, Mom’s afternoon out, and Bible club. They also have a dance school, a sewing co-operative, a baking co-operative, and much more.
“They’re building a bakery over there, and their outreach has increased as well. So, we decided to aim a little higher this year,” Reimer says.
Klassen has been going down to Guatemala for almost 20 years now, spending about eight months at a time working with the Early Learning program and teaching English. She also translates books for their children’s library and bakes desserts for special occasions.
“I was working with a different ministry when I started called Fe Viva World Missions. So many of the different missionaries I have worked with and do work with have branched out from Fe Viva to start different ministries in the community. It is wonderful to see each ministry collaborate with each other when there is a need. I have been working with Hijos de Dios for the last two years.”
Last year, some of the funds from the Good Double Blessing event were used to help a young mom leaving an abusive relationship with legal fees, finding a new place to live, teaching her how to read, write and do basic math, so she could start her own home-based business.
Klassen says places like Hijos de Dios and Love Well are so important because they are focused on building strong families and strong communities.
“Love Well works with women in the community to build their confidence so they can bring that back to their families. Hijos de Dios has an assortment of programs that build confidence in all areas of the family to provide for stronger families and stronger communities. We are both committed to seeing our communities thrive.”
Reimer agrees.
“When you touch a woman’s life, it spreads to every aspect of her life, from her marriage and other relationships to her family and beyond, so it’s a huge ripple effect. Love Well covers a lot of ground. If you love somebody without expectations, it takes the pressure off and allows both of you to grow. You both heal. We all need that. Every single one of us.”
The Good Double Blessing fundraising event takes place Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m.
Participants can walk or bike along the path around the Altona Centennial Park. At 11:30 a.m., participants and members of the community can enjoy Fiesta Time at the Love Well Women’s Drop-in Centre.
Registration is $25. Pre-register at www.lovewelldropin.com.
“The street will be partially closed. There will be vendors, live music, pizza, drinks, and ice cream sandwiches for the participants. There will also be some great raffle prizes, generously donated by local businesses,” Reimer says. “We encourage everyone to come to the big block party. And if they don’t want to walk, for just $10, they can have lunch and enjoy the entertainment.”
