ANKORS Blog

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Everyone at ANKORS wishes you all a very wonderful holiday season.
May your lives be filled with peace and joy and fun and contentment, during the holidays and throughout the new year.

Please join us to celebrate the holiday season at our festive open house, Wednesday, December 21, 10 am – 4 pm and Thursday, December 22, 10 am til noon.

ANKORS will be closed for the holidays starting at noon on Thursday, Dec 22 and will re-open at 10 am on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012.

ANKORS: AIDS Network, Outreach & Support Society – Nelson

Hepatitis C Prevention & Support Program Coordinator

Responsibilities:

• Provide broad based and targeted primary Hepatitis C prevention and public education programming that includes comprehensive information, resources and outreach to youth, service providers, health care workers and the community at large.
• Engage with those affected by HCV, service providers, health care workers and West Kootenay communities to build capacity, knowledge and skills to provide a better and more sustainable network of support, care and access for people living with HCV as well as to strengthen our collective efforts to reduce the rate of transmission.

Qualifications:

Work Experience and/or education with respect to community development, education, health prevention and support are considered an asset. We encourage those living with and/or affected by HCV to apply.

Part-time 20hrs/wk @ $20/hr – Contract position/Maternity Leave

Closing Date for Applications: December 21, 2011

Please send resumes to:

Cheryl Dowden
ANKORS Executive Director
101 Baker St. Nelson, BC V1L 6Z8
Fax: 250-505-5507 or email: cheryl@ankors.bc.ca

For more information, please contact Cheryl at 250-505-5506

The Nelson Community Acupuncture Clinic has received funding from the Columbia Basin Trust and is now doing FREE Acupuncture Clinics twice a month: the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of every month.

The next session is Tuesday, December 13^th from 1 to 4pm … only once in December due to the holidays.

downstairs at ANKORS, 101 Baker St, Nelson … No appointment necessary!

Thank you to The Nelson Community Acupuncture Clinic and especially to Jill and Ryan. You are the best!

Come on in and try our “zero gravity” chairs … remember to wear loose fitting clothing.

Drop by or call Ankors at (250)505-5506 for more information.

World AIDS Day 2011

Every 12 seconds another person contracts HIV.  Every 16 seconds another person dies of AIDS.

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1^st each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

ANKORS and the Nelson United Church are hosting World AIDS Day on Thursday, December 1^st, 2011, 7 -9 pm at the Nelson United Church – 602 Silica St. (corner of Josephine and Silica)

Please join Reverend David Boyd and guest speakers for a candle light vigil in support and memory of those that have passed.

There will be live music featuring Marina Richards with the Metis Women’s Drumming Group and Bessie Wapp.

Food and beverages will be provided; music, thoughts and memories will be shared.

For information on HIV prevention, harm reduction, testing and support, please call 1-800-421-AIDS

Anyone who has sex without a condom or share needles when injecting drugs is at risk of HIV.

The Global AIDS Epidemic

 Since the beginning of the epidemic, approximately 60 million people have been infected with HIV and 25 million people have died of HIV-related causes.

• In 2009, 33.3 million people were living with HIV.  There were 2.6 million new infections and 1.8 million AIDS-related deaths world wide.
• In 2009, some 430,000 children were born with HIV, bringing the total number of children (<15) living with HIV to over 3 million.
• Young people account for around 40% of all new adult (15+) HIV infections worldwide.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected and is home to 2/3 of all people living with HIV worldwide and 91% of all new infections among children.
• There are 16.6 million children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

In North America (as of end of 2009) there are 1.5 million people living with HIV, there were 70,000 new infections, there have been 26,000 deaths and approximately 0.5% of the adult population carries the virus.

In Canada, an estimated 65,000 Canadians are living with HIV, and approximately 2,300 to 4,300 new HIV infections occurred in 2008.

COMMUNITY CONNECT DAY 2011:

A UNIQUE COMMUNITY APPROACH TO WELL BEING

ANKORS invites you to join us on Saturday, November 26, 10 am – 2 pm for the 4^th annual Community Connect in Nelson. Given the community support that is building, it is sure to be a great day.

Community Connect Day is a free & inclusive event that provides easy access to a wide range of services and supports, all under one roof! The array of activities on-site will include dentist appointments, haircuts, massage, art workshops, housing support, employment counselling, winter blankets, health appointments, a BBQ lunch and so much more! This year there will also be some wellness resources, including yoga, as well as a kid zone for children and families. The multiple barriers that result from poverty make access to these resources very difficult for many in our community. This unique event is barrier-free and open to anyone struggling to make ends meet.

“The powerful and exciting aspect of Connect is that it acknowledges that we can take a community approach to taking care of each other” says Katie Tabor, Community Coordinator with the Nelson Committee on Homelessness. She notes, “Connect is a really active demonstration of people coming together, from different sectors and walks of life, to support the common purpose community well being”.

Community Connect Day 2011 takes place Saturday November 26^th, 10am to 2pm at Central School Gymnasium, 811 Stanley Street between Carbonate and Mill Streets. 

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize people who have been killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held world wide and this year Nelson will hold a vigil on Sunday Nov. 20^th, 5:00 – 6:00pm at Ward and Baker Streets.

This event started with a candlelight vigil held in 1999 in San Francisco to commemorate Rita Hester, who was murdered on November 28th, 1998.  The murder also kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgender people.

We live in times more sensitive than ever to hatred based violence, especially since the events of September 11th. Yet even now, the deaths of those based on anti-transgender hatred or prejudice are largely ignored. Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes: it raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgender people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence

The second meeting of a new group for all queer, gender-queer, lesbian, gay, two-spirited, bisexual, pansexual, transgender … however you identify … proudly diverse human beings will be Monday, November 14, 6 – 8 pm at ANKORS, 101 Baker Street, Nelson.

This new group is primarily social and provides an opportunity for people to get to know one another and share their experiences.  We always have treats and fun and also plan other social events.  We’ve had one potluck and games night and will be planning more.

If you’d like more information, or have questions or suggestions,  please call Karen at 250-505-5506 between 10 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Thursday.

Everyone welcome.

The Nelson Community Acupuncture Clinic has received funding from the Columbia Basin Trust and is now doing FREE Acupuncture Clinics twice a month: the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of every month.

The next dates are November 8^th and 22^nd and December 13^th from 1 to 4pm … only once in December due to the holidays.

downstairs at ANKORS, 101 Baker St, Nelson … No appointment necessary!

Thank you to The Nelson Community Acupuncture Clinic and especially to Jill and Ryan. You are the best!

Come on in and try our “zero gravity” chairs … remember to wear loose fitting clothing.

Drop by or call Ankors at (250)505-5506 for more information.

Come on out and support this new group for queer, gender-queer, gay, lesbian, two-spirited, bisexual, pansexual, transgender … however you identify … proudly diverse human beings.
The group will start out as a once-a-month drop-in, with the first gathering to be Monday, October 17, 6 – 8 pm and will be held at ANKORS, 101 Baker Street, Nelson.
Check out the Connect with Community group on facebook …
or call the office (250-505-5506) and tell us what you think and what you’d like to see…
or drop in and talk to Karen, Monday to Thursday, 10 am-noon and 2-4 pm.