First meeting of new volunteer alliance 100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw focuses on homelessness

A new chapter of the 100+ Women Who Care alliance initiative recently held its first gathering in Moose Jaw, launching a new way for women in the community to offer their support to important causes in the Friendly City.

100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw hosted its first-ever meeting on March 20, welcoming a number of attendees interested in learning more about the group and how it plans to support the needs of Moose Jaw.

As a chapter of a larger international alliance, 100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw is a group that aims to unite together individuals who want to donate funds to causes that will benefit many in the community.

The group’s goal is to identify charities, groups and organizations in Moose Jaw who are working to address needs in the community and then collect donations from members to support these groups.

The inaugural event was focused on the first non-profit organization that 100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw has chosen to support, Square One Community, and the importance of helping address homelessness.

Jody Oakes, a representative from Square One Community, was in attendance to share details about the newly formed organization. Square One’s goals, said Oakes, are to work toward creating low-barrier programs and services to help homeless individuals in Moose Jaw, as many struggle with things like access to healthcare, shelter, mental health supports and walk-in services.

Oakes pointed out that Moose Jaw currently only has an emergency shelter program for men, and that many programs require individuals to leave each day which puts them out on the streets and vulnerable.

Meagan Jasper also took the screen to share her personal experience with living on the streets and struggling with a crystal meth addiction, and how a program that offered both addictions programming and living shelter simultaneously is what changed her life.

To wrap up the presentation, member Nicole Lillico shared that 100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw plans to continue hosting event meetings with members two or three times a year, hopefully in person once COVID-19 restrictions allow it.

Each event will highlight a new initiative the group has chosen to support, nominated by members, who will pledge their donations at that time.

Lillico and the organizers of 100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw are excited to launch the group, and welcome anyone interested in joining or offering volunteer help to contact them.

Donations are also always welcome, she continued, and will be put toward the initiative of choice directly. United Way Regina is working as the funding partner to collect those donations, which can be sent online at unitedwayregina.ca/covid-19 or mailed as a cheque.

Lillico concluded by sharing that the best way to know what 100+ Women Who Care Moose Jaw are up to is by following their Facebook page.