The Glamoramas are once again giving women a chance to rant for International Women’s Day.
The third annual Rant on Sister returns to the Columbia Theatre on Thursday, March 8. Featured ranters include: MC Erin Jeffery; Diana Campbell; Eden Conrad; Nadine Nakagawa; Marilyn Norry; New Westminster Secondary School students Theresa Cowley, Lauren Vanags and Julianna Wagar; Coun. Mary Trentadue; and Johann Weiss.
Community members are invited to rant up to three minutes for $10. The event also features a silent auction and door prizes.
Rant on Sister is a raising funds for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Funds will go to grassroots organizations that are supporting grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren due to the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
For tickets, contact the Glamoramas at [email protected] (groups of four or more will be seated together). Tickets are $30 will be availbe at the door – while supplies last.
The Columbia Theatre is at 530 Columbia St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for food and refreshments, and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
New West Hospice hard at work
Laura Cherrille is happy to be taking on the role as the New West Hospice Society’s first staff person.
The New West Hospice Society was founded in 2016 and aims to build a grassroots hospice initiative based on the Compassionate City model, which provides a framework to address social changes/sectors to normalize dying, death and loss. The society recently hired Laura Cherrille as its program director.
Cherrille’s background includes eight years’ work with the Ridge Meadows Hospice Society.
“When I left there I branched out into other areas, but hospice always had a piece of my heart,” she said. “Through my other endeavours, I really came to realize that hospice is where I really need to be.”
In her first weeks on the job, Cherrille was hard at work getting up to speed with what’s been happing with the society, writing grants and looking for opportunities for funding partners.
“I’m thrilled and thankful to be working in such a wonderful community,” she recently told the Record. “I had not worked in New West previously. That’s a new experience for me. It’s only been a week, but the amount of support and compassion that I have come across from community members is just amazing, other organizations that want to help.”
Cherrille is excited about helping the New West Hospice Society implement a Compassionate Cities program, which engages community members to support their loved ones in end-of-life care and bereavement.
“In the past, I have been a part of the traditional model of hospice, where the hospice societies would be more focused on the social-psycho piece, whereas this (Compassionate Cities) model is just so innovative,” she said. “When I saw that, I thought, wow, that makes so much sense because you are doing that psycho-social piece, but you are also engaging the community to support the individual as well.”
The New West Hospice Society received a 2017 Platinum Award for the city’s not-for-profit of the year.
“It’s an amazing time to come in. There are 10 volunteer board members; I have never seen such a committed group of volunteers who have done so much in a short period of time. They got the charitable status a little over a year ago, and they won non-profit of the year for 2017 with no staff,” Cherrille said. “I am really driven as well, and I am really passionate about hospice, so I know that feel I am such a good fit because we are of like minds.”
Workshop helps those newly diagnosed with dementia
An upcoming workshop aims to arm participants with basic information on dementia and knowledge on how it impacts individuals, their caregivers and their support networks.
To help New Westminster residents understand this pressing health issue, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is bringing its free Getting to Know Dementia workshop to New West on Wednesday, March 14. The session is intended for people who are experiencing early symptoms of dementia, as well as family members or friends who are currently supporting a person with a recent dementia diagnosis (it’s not meant for the general public or health-care providers).
The introductory session reviews the challenges of receiving a diagnosis of dementia. Participants will learn about the different types of support available throughout the dementia journey, how to begin planning for the future and strategies for living well.
The workshop takes place on Wednesday, March 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Specialized Geriatric Clinic, 232 Ross St. Pre-registration is required at 604-298-0780 or [email protected].
If you are living with dementia or have questions about the disease, go to www.alzheimerbc.org or call the First Link Dementia Helpline at 1-800-936-6033.
