The Wellness Truth and Families Foundation (WTFF) is looking for volunteers to help furnish and program the new space.
Founder and Executive Director Lisa Jewell is soliciting donations as the foundation “slowly moves” into office space it recently acquired at 10136 100th Street in Fort St. John.
“We’re asking for a lot of help,” said Jewell, a social worker who has worked with the Salvation Army and the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Association. “We are slowly gathering and moving things while the painters finish the second coat.”
Jewell founded a foundation for women and families fleeing domestic violence and other crises.
She said there are organizations in Fort St. John that help women in such situations, but aftercare is a challenge for some.
“Nobody has time to watch families go into limbo,” Jewell said. “But unless you’re in some sort of transitional housing program, very few people are able to participate.”
Six core programs are offered through WTFF, including education and life skills retraining, group classes, one-on-one and group counseling, family and teen nights, and medical advocacy.
Jewell said the amount of supplies and volunteers varies by program.
The nonprofit organization is seeking donations of whiteboards, chairs, computer accessories, cubicles, fitness equipment, food, recipe cards, and even stoves and cooking equipment.
Jewell said the foundation plans to offer a mix of online and in-person counselor sessions based on cost and the counselor’s specialty.
She estimates she will need about 15 volunteers for medical advocacy. This includes training volunteers to help clients better manage their health, track their illnesses, and arrange doctor appointments.
Jewell hopes the teen nights, which include cooking lessons, will help at-risk children who need life skills.
Without life skills, children’s futures “face a challenge”, she said, adding that volunteers with food safety qualifications would be needed to cook at night.
Jewell added that WTFF also accepts cash donations and gift cards.
Jewell said customers are also asked to participate in community service activities as part of their involvement with WTFF.
“Yes, we are looking for help, but as a group we will also be active in the community,” Jewell said.
“We want to be different from other organizations. This is our way of giving back to our city.”
For more information about donations or volunteer opportunities, please contact the Wellness Truth and Families Foundation Facebook page or wellnesstruthfamilies@gmail.com.
Edward Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca
