October 2007 – Friends Monthly E-News
- New Staff – Introducing Tracy Dudley
- Tops and Bottoms Fundraiser – Embracing Diversity
- $20,000 donation from generous philanthropist
- Mental Illness Awareness Week – BCSS takes an active role in community outreach across the province
- Astra Zeneca Donates $15,000 to help those affected by Schizophrenia
- Volunteer Profile – Jasmine Hayer
- Michael Miller Memorial Ride – Cross Canada tour
- Research study – Pregnant women with history of mental illness
New Staff – Tracy Dudley
Tracy Dudley is a recent addition to the BC Schizophrenia Society’s ReachOut Psychosis Program. As the new Tour Coordinator, Tracy is driven and passionate about youth education. She holds a degree in both English Literature and in Education from UBC and brings a variety of skills and knowledge in workingwith youth and youth programs. She is excited to be part of a program that delivers such an important and powerful message.
Tracy will also be staffing the online answers forum attached to the ReachOut website. For more information please visit www.getanswers.bcss.org
Tops and Bottoms Fundraiser – Embracing all types of families and using humour to create awareness of Schizophrenia and psychosis.
The Tops and Bottoms Fundraiser was held in Vancouver at Jupiter Lounge on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Our amazing volunteers Jasmine, Ana Victoria and Gagan helped us raised just over $100 for BCSS, and a good time was had by all!
Tops and Bottoms is a queer (lesbian and gay) comedy troupe in Vancouver that uses humour to help raise money for non profit organizations at their weekly Wednesday Improv night.
BCSS was proud to share the couch as a guest judge for the evening, along with local NDP MLA Randall Garrison and Mark Kokocki of www.dropdeadhappy.com.
Thank you to everyone involved in making the night so great! For more information on this fun night out, please visit them online at http://www.bobloblawqct.ca/
Tartaglio family donates $20,000 to BCSS in memory of John Tartaglio
The BC Schizophrenia Society provincial office was shocked on September 1st when we opened the mail to find a donation of $20,000 from the Estate of John Tartaglio.
We would like to acknowledge the Tartaglio family for this most unexpected and generous donation, and offer our most sincere condolances during this difficult time for their family.
Granville Island Hotel Owner Generously Donates Meeting Space for Fundraising Breakfasts
The Mind Foundation of BC would like to offer their thanks and appreciation to the owner of the beautiful Granville Island Hotel, Mr. Diamond Karim, for generously donating meeting space for our monthly fundraising breakfast meetings. The board and staff alike were pleasantly surprised when Mr. Karim said “of course” to our request.
To book your next hotel stay in Vancouver, please visit http://html.granvilleislandhotel.com
AstraZeneca donates $15,000 for BRIDGES education and support program
We would like to say a huge thank you to AstraZeneca for their recent donation of $15,000 toward our BRIDGES program for people with mental illness.
BRIDGES is a peer-run support group for people recovering from mental illness that has been shown to be very effective in helping people with schizophrenia and other serious mental illness along their path to recovery.
For more information on this program, please visit www.bcss.org/bridges
Volunteer Profile – Jasmine Hayer
“My name is Jasmine and I am a full time student. I recently got engaged and I am in the process of planning my wedding, completing my BA, applying for university and looking for work in my area of interest.
I am taking Psychology and Law, Crime Prevention, Psychology of Memory, and Human Rights. However, my passion lies in Crime Prevention, Psychology and Law. I will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Arts Degree Double Minor in Criminology and Psychology from Kwantlen University College.
I hope to take courses with the Justice Institute of BC in probation starting in January, with longer term goals of becoming a probation officer. At the same time, I will be working on applying to Simon Fraser to complete my Masters in Forensic Psychology. In my spare time (what little I have) I like to volunteer for BCSS.”
Michael Miller Memorial Ride – Cross Canada Cycling Tour
Paddy Miller and Joan Skillings are riding their bikes across Canada (in stages) in memory of Paddy’s son Mike who died in August 2000 after a long and very private battle with bipolar disorder.
Mike was a sensitive, intelligent fellow with a wry sense of humour. He had many successes in his life and was well thought of by his friends and workmates. However, in the last months of his life his illness robbed him of his self esteem and mired him in a despair so deep that suicide was the tragic outcome.
Throughout the journey, Paddy and Joan have been struck by the prevalence of mental illness, by how many families are affected (1 in 100 for Schizophrenia alone) and how much more needs to be done to profide effective treatment and services for the mentally ill. Their goal is to continue to raise awareness about mental illness and to raise funds for the direct services for psychiatric patients and their families in the Greater Victoria region.
So far the ride has progressed from Victoria to Gaspe in Quebec. September saw them ride through the Maritimes.
For more information, please visit www.michaelmillermemorial.com
Mental Illness Awareness Week 2007 – BCSS Branches and Staff Get Active Across BC to Promote Wellness and Reduce Discrimination
For more information visit www.calendar.bcss.org
29 September:
30 September:
1 October:
- Kids in Control Group – South Vancouver (all day)
- Penticton – Mental Illness Awareness Week Events (Oct 1-5)
- Penticton – Mental Illness in our Communities (all day)
- Fraser Lake – Mental health & addiction community forum (5:00 pm)
2 October:
- Kids in Control Group – Vernon
- Penticton – An evening at the movies
- Vancouver/Richmond: Entitlements for Persons with Provincial Disability Benefits (7:00 pm)
3 October:
Calling all pregnant women with a history of mental illness!
A group of researchers at UBC is seeking pregnant women who have a history of mental illness to participate in a study of risk factors for postpartum depression. By conducting this research, the group hopes to develop interventions to reduce the risk of postpartum depression.
Participants will meet with a researcher once during the pregnancy, and again during the postpartum period. At these visits, participants will complete questionnaires, have a short interview and a blood draw. At each visit, participants will be provided with an honorarium.
Women who would like to find out more about the study are warmly encouraged to call the lead investigator, Dr. Jehannine Austin at (604) 875 4111 Ext. 68304 or email jcaustin@interchange.ubc.ca for further information.
