Newsletter - May 2021

The ASK Wellness Society is a non-profit operating in the B.C. Interior offering services in Kamloops, Merritt, and Penticton. The Society works with our community's most disadvantaged and under-served citizens to walk with them on their path to wellness while also enriching the community by reducing stigma and collaborating with other service providers, government, and the public.
This monthly newsletter is designed to share some of the stories from our clients, staff, and programs. We so often hear about the negatives in our communities when it comes to homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues, so let these stories be a chance to share and learn about the positives that come from the work we do here at the ASK Wellness Society.

ASK News

Partnership In Penticton Creates New Housing Project

It was a very exciting month in Penticton as the ASK Wellness Society along with Ooknakane Friendship Centre (OFC) were able to announce a game changer in supportive housing. Nx̌astwilxtn (N-hast-wheel-tn) will be developed for participants who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and are seeking support for treatment and recovery while acknowledging their need for healthier alternatives to substance use. Thanks to the partnership with OFC, this program will provide all participants with culturally appropriate programming.

For more on this project, click here to check out this Global News article.

20 streets in 20 days

Throughout the month of May ASK Wellness Society staff and participants from various programs in Kamloops teamed up for the first ever “20 Streets In 20 Days” campaign. We sent crews of three to eight people to pick up garbage on a different city street each business day in the month. The initiative was inspired by a news article featuring a man in Ottawa who undertakes a similar initiative each year.

For more on this, click one of the news links below.

CFJC Castanet Kamloops This Week

New Seniors Housing Announced In Merritt

Equally exciting was this months announcement of Cedar Terrace in Merritt. This 44-unit 55-plus apartment building will be operated by the ASK Wellness Society and will be located on Quilchena Ave directly next to ASK’s Juniper House building.

For more on this project, click here to check out this Merritt Herald article.

Community News

Horrific Indigenous Discovery Leads to
Time of National Reckoning

At the end of May, the bodies of 215 Indigenous children were discovered in unmarked graves at the site of the Kamloops Residential School on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc land. This tragic reminder of our Nation’s dark history has caused an insurmountable amount of pain and grief. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc has released a list on how to best support the Tk’emlúps Indian Band during this indescribably difficult time of mourning.

United Way’s
Period Promise Campaign

Period poverty is much more common than we think, with roughly 25% of people who menstruate struggling to afford menstrual products. This year, the TNC United Way’s Period Promise Campaign collected 35, 405 individual items, with more donations enroute. It will be more than double last year's total of 21,000 items! Learn more on their site.