Avante October News
Avante officially started our fall program with our Open House a few weeks ago, when we welcomed more than 50 women throughout the day, renewing memberships and catching up on all the news. The Fall Newsletter has been mailed to all our members, so if you haven’t received it, please call us to make sure we have the correct contact information for you.
Women’s Centres throughout Quebec have chosen the theme of invisible work, and more specifically mental load, for this year’s Quebec Women’s Centre Day awareness. Invisible work refers to the unpaid, unrecognized tasks required to run a healthy, happy home. Mental load is the stress of managing these tasks, largely done by women. But this is not considered work when calculating wealth creation within our society by our labour force. With women now representing half of the labour market, should it be recognized? Undoubtedly, women need to be aware of this and recognize that they may need more coping tools to continue their lives as “super moms”! Avante will be offering several workshops addressing these concerns, titled #thisisworktoo.
On Monday, September 30, Barb will be hosting our first workshop at the Lac Brome Community Centre. “Mental load: myth or reality?” Join us for a debate on this issue! The first part of our coffee break will be catching up on the new programs being offered in Knowlton this fall and introducing our Outreach Worker, Christine. Starts at 1:30.
On Tuesday, October 1, Gayl and Christine will be celebrating Quebec Women’s Centre Day with a light supper at our centre at 5:30, followed by some fun and interactive activities based on #thisisworktoo.
The theme continues the following week with Christine “Doing Groceries the Smart Way” on Tuesday, October 8 at 6 p.m. Groceries seem to take so much of our time (figuring what to cook, what to buy, what’s on special? We end up buying whatever we’re hungry for that day and just wasting it in the fridge! We’ll learn when to buy fruits and veggies so they’re fresh! How to save money and not waste food!
#thisisworktoo continues for our Bedford Coffee Break with Barb on Wednesday, October 9 at 10 a.m., who will explore the “5 Simple Steps to Lighten the Load”. Mental load can be defined as the stress of organizing, planning and maintaining your life and that of those dependent on you on a daily basis. Learn easy ways to handle this particular stress so that life has more “want to’s” than “have to’s”.
OPEN TIL 8
Gayl and Caroline will be looking at ways to support zero waste with a workshop on Tuesday, October 15 at 6 p.m. called “FOLDABLE POCKET BAGS”. All materials will be supplied, but a sewing machine required and there’s a $2 suggested donation. There’s a maximum of 10 participants, so register quickly!
Nancy will be hosting a very special presentation with Andréanne Larouche from JAM (Justice Alternative et Mediation) on raising awareness about senior abuse. Learn to recognize the signs and how to take action. Tuesday, October 22 at 6 p.m.
To finish up the month, Christine invites you to join her on Tuesday, October 29 at 6 p.m. for a Hallowe’en DIY workshop “Having fun with glue sticks”. Let’s just go back to our childhood and do some decorations, because we too can have some fun gluing things! $2 suggested donation and children are encouraged to come.
HEALTH MATTERS
The partnership with Townshippers’ Association for Health Matters starts up again on Friday, October 18 at the Cowansville CLSC. The topic this month will be “Better Bowel Health” – A DVD presentation of a videoconference done in May with Myra Siminovitch from the Montreal Glenn Hospital. An information session on how our digestive system works, with a focus on the intestines. Join us at 10 a.m., followed by a free light lunch. Everyone welcome.
Health Matters: Revisited is a repeat presentation of a health videoconference, but offered at the Lac Brome Community Centre. “Bone Health & Osteoporosis Updates” will be the subject for this month’s session on Monday, October 21. 1 of 3 women will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime. And the older we are, the higher the risk for loss of autonomy. Find out how to maintain an active lifestyle and ensure good bone health by understanding the causes and risks of osteoporosis. Starts at 1:30.