[Viva] Last support group at Women's hospital

[Margarite Sanchez]

What made the Oak Tree support group interesting is that women from outside
of the lower mainland could try to align their appointments to be in
Vancouver for the group. Which meant that we would only see some gals once
or twice a year since we only met once a month.
When I helped start the groups many years ago the funding was from Mac
Cosmetics. I don't know if Oak Tree ever tried to get funding from other
sources.
It's not expensive to run a peer support group (I'm fond of saying it only
takes two or more people and a tea bag) but at the Oak Tree funded groups
we always tried to have a warm healthy meal, a picnic in the summer and in
December there was often a little budget for gift bags.
All that said, I don't think that's necessary. it doesn't need to be
expensive. I think a pot luck or community kitchen would be great ways to
build community, try new foods and make new friends.
all the best,
Margarite

On Sun, Jan 19, 2020 at 3:32 PM Danielle Lucia <northern.islander at gmail.com>
wrote:

> As is everything mainland, the support groups are too far away for me to
> make use of but I am nonetheless sorry to hear that such a useful resource
> is shutting down while there is still a need.  Were women meeting
> regularly?  How much funding is required to keep a venue open?  What is
> needed in order to facilitate a group somewhere?  What organization, or
> who, previously covered the costs?
>
> On Sun, 19 Jan 2020 at 15:02, Margarite Sanchez <
> margaritesanchez at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Oh! This news makes me sad. I'm SO disappointed that the Oak Tree group
>> is folding!  (First the Surrey group and then the Women's Health Collective
>> group, now Oaktree)
>> That group has been so healing and so much fun over the years and it's
>> touched the lives of hundreds of poz women.
>> Are the attendees disappointed? Is there interest in getting new funding
>> to keep it afloat?
>> What do you think Melanie, Valerie and whoever else is still facilitating?
>>
>> I'm glad at least that SWIN hasn't lost it's funding.
>> hugs to all,
>> Margarite
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 8:05 PM M L <givemegiggles at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Ladies, our support group scheduled for January 17 has been postponed
>>> until January 31 due to weather conditions.
>>> We no longer have funding so this will be the last support group and it
>>> will be held between 11-1. For further information please contact Jane at
>>> Oaktree Clinic.
>>>
>>> The SWIN (Strong Women in Numbers) Indigenous support group is still
>>> ongoing and the next meeting will be February 14th at 10am at Positive
>>> Living. They will be having a pancake breakfast meeting and then going
>>> to the Murdered and Missing Women's March. For further information, contact
>>> Valerie at 778 847 9752.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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