KettleKonnection

Guess that Baby

This Kettle staff has been with Community Services

for roughly 1.5 years. When she is not busy help-ing out with advocacy and outreach she can be heard laughing and singing along

with our Kettle choir. Can you guess who she is?

I S S U E

Fal l 2017 Pr ice less

10

Inside this Issue

Fundraising and Thanks.....2

Trout Lake Picnic….....……3

The Fire of the Ages...….4-5

Of Interest………...………..6

From Your Pen….....……...7

Kettle Camping…..…….….8

Answer on page 8

The Kettle Society

in partnership with

T he Kettle Society has formed a unique partnership with Vancouver Opera, which has been providing fantastic creative opportunities for our members and staff. We

have been busy with weekly singing and writing workshops and have had the opportunity to perform at various Kettle and Vancouver Opera events. Next year we will be participating in a new production, a chamber opera Requiem for a Lost Girl by Marcel Bergman with story by Onalea Gilbertson. The opera addresses stigma around poverty, homelessness and mental illness and will be premiered at the Vancouver Opera Festival in May 2018 in partnership with SFU Woodwards. The performance will involve Kettle members and staff who have been attending the workshops. For more information on this project and the workshops contact Kait Blake via e-mail at operaproject@thekettle.ca or see Michelle Jerome in person at 1725 Venables or call (604) 251 -1126.

Want to get updates on events

and new Kettle info?

@kettlesociety

The Kettle Society Facebook and twitter pages are updated regularly with info on upcoming events and information

regarding our programs and services. Check it out! Another beautiful and fun filled Kettle Camping trip ! Thank you for this great opportunity!

Kicking off Fall with

more amazing

Choir and Writing

workshops

Fundraising and Thanks... From Your Pen...

Anything or Something

The slow creep Of promises unfulfilled Heretofore and hence

Has left scars

And so much more. The damage done.

While

Past folly Might be construed

To lack

Wherewithal.

It does seem Choices are Diminished.

And admonished. Or something.

Things remind me

And come up. Such a silly fool

To think in black and white

That promises unfulfilled

Reveal anything Or something.

- Kenneth Peaker

All in a Days Ponder

Shut your eyes, And go to sleep. Soon you’ll be in Slumber’s deep.

When you will arise, You will get one big surprise.

Coffee’s on, It is dawn or should

I say sunrise. Your body is making its

Cries. Breakfast is inviting,

You better do your writing. On with the sneakers No need for a jacket

Sun is beaming down No I won’t frown

Don’t give up Just shut up

In case of need Do a good deed

Evening is upon me I guess I’ll leave everything be Shut your eyes and go to sleep

Soon you’ll be in slumbers Deep.

- Diane Loyie

Why a Life

(in the Non-Existent Lane)

An unravelling.

A sort quite common.

Self-destruction too

Too often.

Derived from where

These insecurities fraught.

Nature, nurture

Or not.

It’s a breath of wind

Caught in certain light

A morning breeze

A chance

With colors that delight.

But if somehow

Not ever a fit

Then trouble looms

Maybe chance is doomed.

There seems little doubt

Of a wide-eyed birth.

But an inclination

And an accumulation

Is a path

Somewhere.

This momentum

I’m thinking

Might not be

Overcome.

- Kenneth Peaker

This year’s Kettle Car Washes in June & August were busy and a great success! We raised $2650 for Kettle Camping including a generous donation of $1000 from RBC! Thank you so much to our dedicated members and volunteers for your hard work.

Have an idea for an article about The Kettle or positive

Mental Health? We would love to hear it! Article submission is

open to staff, members, residents and volunteers. You can submit directly to

Michelle at 1725 Venables or by email to

mjerome@thekettle.ca We look forward to hearing

from you.

HUGE Kettle thank you to Kwantlen Polytechnic Universi-

ty PR class of 2017 for your dedication & hard work raising over

$14,000 for The Kettle. You all have a bright future ahead of you,

good luck!

Echoes’ of the past by Esther Wallace Remember your ancestors of the past Who fought for justice that could not last Let not our suffering and our pain Be worthless and lost in vain Be strong and carry the heavy loads Traveling ahead to higher roads Let us love and care for one another Let us look out for our brothers Watch observe and learn from the old and wise Take good advice and listen to no empty lies Strive to do your best and live independently Be proud of your heritage and live with dignity Look to the future of the young and old Give them a future they can justify and uphold Let us walk new roads in unity let us exist And not be dismissed To live in peace and harmony

Food Oh Feet Food glorious food! Puts me on my feet. Mangoes so neat. Apples a treat. Sirloin not trendy. Mushrooms nerve endy. So inhale that sweet milk chocolate N’ become a ‘Willie Wonka’ rocket! - John Alan Douglas

Thank you to Lori, Laurel and Alisa and all their sup-porters for raising $2,003 for The Kettle at their art show, Illumination. The show was amazing, with fantastic art and poetry.

W e are thrilled to say that this year’s Making a Difference Fundraiser was a great success! We raised over $60,000 to support The Kettle Society’s direct service programs. Our keynote speaker, Michael Landsberg, kept the audience spellbound speaking about his personal strug-gle with depression and talking about his #SickNotWeak campaign. Tamara Taggart did a dynamic job hosting the evening and the Kettle Choir’s performance received a standing ovation. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success, and to all the volunteers, spon-sors, donors and attendees for your time and contributions. Thank you for your continued support!

My Story by Navid Ghayour

My dream was always to work in a hospital & I was studying Psychiatric Nursing. I had to drop

out at the start of year 3 of the program because I was not able to write my charting on the paper

in February 2015. My inability to write had caused me lot of stress and I did not know what

do at the time. Once I withdrew from school I applied to work as a mental health care worker, plumber, labourer, and shipper & receiver at so many different places and the only place that gave me an interview and the opportunity to

work at the time was Kettle Society.

At the same time I started to take ESL class at Vancouver Community College to upgrade my writing skill but I saw very little to no improve-ment. I almost gave up on going back to school since there was no way for me to improve my

writing until I saw the learning disability office at VCC. I did not know what learning disability

meant, so I decided to google “learning disabil-ity” & found out that individuals could have a

learning disability in writing. I decided to go for assessment as the only way I was able to go back to school was if I was able to use the computer to

do my charting. I was diagnosed with learning disability in January 2016 and that was the

happiest moment of my life.

At the same time as I was going through all this, I am thankful of the Kettle Society to hire, keep

and not firing me as I was a difficult worker. Simple things that never used to effect me at

work upset me, I was a difficult staff & co-worker. Always arguing & complaining, and now that I

think about it, I was more upset in my inability to write and knowing I could never go back to

school to finish the program. That is the reason I am thankful of the Kettle Society as they were

there through my most difficult part of life. Thank you.

Photography by Sheyla Ventura

A BIG Kettle thank you to the amazing Telus employees who came by to help Kettle on Burrard celebrate its 3rd Anniversary with a BBQ & planting a tomato garden for

the residents. You guys rock!

Thank you so much to Erin and Santi Who raised an incredible $1765 at their Trivia + Karaoke event and are extremely happy and proud to announce that they have surpassed their goal and have raised $5805 for The Kettle Society as part of their 150 Faces of Canada project.

Annual Trout Lake Picnic

This year’s Annual Picnic was a great time! We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. On August 17th, Kettle

members & staff gathered at Trout Lake for a day of good times & delicious food. Thank you to everyone for attending, and a big thank you to Jamie for organizing all the details, to

all the staff that helped out, and of course our grill master, George, who made this day a success.

Hello! My name is Jarryd and I’ve called Vancouver home for the past 18 months. I started working in The Kettle Drop In January this year and later got a job in the homeless outreach office alongside George where I have been for the past 5 months. If you’re sleeping outside and looking for roof over your head (or some gear to make sleeping on the streets a little bit easier) come and see us and we’ll see what we can do. I work Tuesdays through to Fridays from 9 – 3 upstairs, if you need something, feel free to drop by and try out your best impression of my ac-cent =)

My name is Carol Guerra and I’ve recently become an advocate for The Kettle. I have learned so much in the last 4 months. I am part of a great team which strives to assist our clients in every way possible. Working at the main site has allowed me to meet new clients and run into ones that I have worked with at other sites. I am thankful to my colleges who have made me feel welcomed and continue to show this newbie the ropes.

Hi, I’m Kait! I am the Project Assistant for the

Kettle-Vancouver Opera partnership project. As

part of this project, we run weekly singing &

writing workshops, available to members & staff;

my role is to assist with these & to promote the

workshops within the Kettle community. I am

thrilled to be a part of such an amazing project

and to be surrounded by so much creativity &

talent! If you see me around the Drop-In or Kettle

on Burrard, please don’t hesitate to say hello, or

ask me questions about our workshops.

Of

Inte

rest

We would like to wish Karen Johnson and Ron Skolney-

Elverson a happy retirement! Thank you for your dedicated work and many contributions to The Kettle community over the years. Best of luck in the next chapter of your lives.

IMPORTANT CHANGES: Income, Hardship and Disability Rate Increase

As publicly announced, effective October 1, 2017 the support rate is increasing by $100.00.

The support rate for Income and Hardship Assistance will in-crease by $100 per case.

The support rate for Disability Assistance will increase by $100 per PWD client. Therefore, two PWD clients in a family unit will receive a $200 support increase.

The new monthly rates will increase to $1,133 for an individual receiving disability assistance and $710 for an individual receiving income assistance

The increase will be included starting on the September 20th payment for October The system and the Policy and Procedures Manual will be updated to reflect these changes for Octo-

ber 1 implementation Earning Exemption (Including AEE)

Effective October 1, 2017 the earnings exemptions and AEE will increase.

Under the Employment and Assistance Regulation (Schedule 3(1)) earnings exemption will increase as follows:

o Single or couple: $400

Under the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation (Schedule 3(1)), earning exemptions are calculated yearly based on a monthly amount. The earnings exemptions will increase as follows:

o Single PWD: $1000 ($12,000 annually)

o Couples where only one of whom is designated PWD the earnings exemption, will increase

to $1200 ($14,400 annually); and o Couples where both have PWD designation the earnings exemption will increase to $2000

($24,000 annually)

Bus Pass Program The Government has announced that “Starting January 1, 2018, government will provide people with disabilities access to the transportation supports they need, including an annual bus pass for those who want one.” An implementation plan, including systems planning, is currently being developed. More details to come.

Kettle Drop In members enjoyed a fun filled day at the PNE fair on

Aug 31st. We had a blast checking out the petting zoo, pig

races, super dogs and the displays and activities offered.

Contact Anna our nurse at Venables for questions regarding Naloxone Training. You can also visit www.towardtheheart.com for information, training and educa-tional videos. Remember to never use alone and help spread the word so we can keep everyone safe.

ATTENTION KETTLE ARTISTS

Art Submissions for the ART AGAINST STIGMA

display Nov 16-19

Must be submitted by Friday NOV 3rd.

Phone Jackie @ 604-251-0999

Of In

tere

st

Stay

ing

heal

thy...

The Fire of the Ages I hope you don’t need me to tell you that the Kettle is a special and quite unique place. The place is drip-ping in inclusivity for people caught between worlds. It is a place where questions are rarely raised and instead there is an understanding, quite unspoken, and a palpable comradery experienced by its many members. The Kettle is inhabited by people in the trenches—fighting what just might be the most diffi-cult fight that could be conceived. The fight for the SPIRIT. Personally, I find it hard to talk about people diagnosed with a “mental illness” without talking about normalcy. I am certainly not the first to ques-tion exactly what is normal. I am driven to say that normalcy is definitely in the eye of the beholder. What can you trust? Who can you trust? Trust is a difficult issue. You find yourself asking for mentors and role models. Who do you look up to? Certainly the media sets up people that you are supposed to look up to and even emulate. There are certainly “powerful” people in the world but fame and money and whatever else goes along with that doesn’t mean that you should give up yourself to these people. We are individuals and I am tempted to say that we can best serve by being ourselves.

Of course that raises another question: What is yourself? How do you know that you are all that you can be and that is promised to you ever since you entered the world—alone. How can you exist in a world full of people and persuasion and still retain yourself as a unique entity. Difficult but isn’t it worth the fight? I see people engaged in the fight quite of-ten and again, the Kettle is filled with them. Is there a danger in the battle? Perhaps, but I believe that it is oh, so, worth it. Another question presents itself. How do you know when you can put down the shield and sword and truly believe what presents itself to your eyes. The reward is there—I am almost certain. Even for a brief glance into what is going on and how society is populated, it is a profound gift. I believe that there is a path, maybe fraught by danger, but there is solace along the way no matter how brutal the fight is. Again, coming back to the Kettle, it is definitely a place of solace where tired warriors can take shelter without the threat of stigmatization. I believe that stigmatization works in different ways. Of course it is felt when trying to bridge the different worlds of society. It serves to try and keep people

in place and safe from infecting the masses of society. I am not the first to say that it is rooted in fear. It is a shame—not just for the target of stig-matization but also for the one(s) doing the judg-ing for it serves to keep them just as tightly in place as it serves to try and keep the victim in place. Personally, I don’t like labels. I think they are a cop out. I think they serve to break apart what is something common in a certain group of people. When somebody says you have an illness it is automatically perceived as a sickness and as a sickness, something bad and perhaps without purpose. I have been labelled as many others, my brothers and sisters, have been but in my heart I have never accepted the label. Then there is religion. I think I have prayed just about as much as any other person who was/is searching the truth. To be honest, I don’t know what to believe. I guess that I think if you have kindness in your heart and you let that show then you will be OK. I am inclined to say that judging doesn’t do much good no matter what guise that you belong to. That said, I also believe that there has been people through the ages that are capa-

ble and holy enough to earn the title of “judge”. A difficult subject that I certainly am not the first to not delve too deeply into. If I could only say one word for the rest of my life it would be “freedom”. It is a heavy word. We are largely perceived to be in a free society but the constraints are numerous. Again, where are you going to put your faith, your days, your years, your soul, your ect.? How do you know that you are a complete person who stands on their own two feet. It’s a strange invitation to be sure but the gain might be much more than can even be imagined. So, anyway, I hope you allow me this essay. Who is this guy?-- you might ask. You wouldn’t be alone on this because I often ask myself that very thing. I can only try to be as honest a person as I can be and in the end finish by how I started and simply put forward that, to me, the Kettle serves a people who are extraordinarily strong and brave and should be exalted for all their courage through the fire of the ages. - Kelley Montgomery

These photographs taken and submitted by staff, tenants, and members showcase The Kettle’s vast and rich sense of community.

Of In

tere

st

Stay

ing

heal

thy...

The Fire of the Ages I hope you don’t need me to tell you that the Kettle is a special and quite unique place. The place is drip-ping in inclusivity for people caught between worlds. It is a place where questions are rarely raised and instead there is an understanding, quite unspoken, and a palpable comradery experienced by its many members. The Kettle is inhabited by people in the trenches—fighting what just might be the most diffi-cult fight that could be conceived. The fight for the SPIRIT. Personally, I find it hard to talk about people diagnosed with a “mental illness” without talking about normalcy. I am certainly not the first to ques-tion exactly what is normal. I am driven to say that normalcy is definitely in the eye of the beholder. What can you trust? Who can you trust? Trust is a difficult issue. You find yourself asking for mentors and role models. Who do you look up to? Certainly the media sets up people that you are supposed to look up to and even emulate. There are certainly “powerful” people in the world but fame and money and whatever else goes along with that doesn’t mean that you should give up yourself to these people. We are individuals and I am tempted to say that we can best serve by being ourselves.

Of course that raises another question: What is yourself? How do you know that you are all that you can be and that is promised to you ever since you entered the world—alone. How can you exist in a world full of people and persuasion and still retain yourself as a unique entity. Difficult but isn’t it worth the fight? I see people engaged in the fight quite of-ten and again, the Kettle is filled with them. Is there a danger in the battle? Perhaps, but I believe that it is oh, so, worth it. Another question presents itself. How do you know when you can put down the shield and sword and truly believe what presents itself to your eyes. The reward is there—I am almost certain. Even for a brief glance into what is going on and how society is populated, it is a profound gift. I believe that there is a path, maybe fraught by danger, but there is solace along the way no matter how brutal the fight is. Again, coming back to the Kettle, it is definitely a place of solace where tired warriors can take shelter without the threat of stigmatization. I believe that stigmatization works in different ways. Of course it is felt when trying to bridge the different worlds of society. It serves to try and keep people

in place and safe from infecting the masses of society. I am not the first to say that it is rooted in fear. It is a shame—not just for the target of stig-matization but also for the one(s) doing the judg-ing for it serves to keep them just as tightly in place as it serves to try and keep the victim in place. Personally, I don’t like labels. I think they are a cop out. I think they serve to break apart what is something common in a certain group of people. When somebody says you have an illness it is automatically perceived as a sickness and as a sickness, something bad and perhaps without purpose. I have been labelled as many others, my brothers and sisters, have been but in my heart I have never accepted the label. Then there is religion. I think I have prayed just about as much as any other person who was/is searching the truth. To be honest, I don’t know what to believe. I guess that I think if you have kindness in your heart and you let that show then you will be OK. I am inclined to say that judging doesn’t do much good no matter what guise that you belong to. That said, I also believe that there has been people through the ages that are capa-

ble and holy enough to earn the title of “judge”. A difficult subject that I certainly am not the first to not delve too deeply into. If I could only say one word for the rest of my life it would be “freedom”. It is a heavy word. We are largely perceived to be in a free society but the constraints are numerous. Again, where are you going to put your faith, your days, your years, your soul, your ect.? How do you know that you are a complete person who stands on their own two feet. It’s a strange invitation to be sure but the gain might be much more than can even be imagined. So, anyway, I hope you allow me this essay. Who is this guy?-- you might ask. You wouldn’t be alone on this because I often ask myself that very thing. I can only try to be as honest a person as I can be and in the end finish by how I started and simply put forward that, to me, the Kettle serves a people who are extraordinarily strong and brave and should be exalted for all their courage through the fire of the ages. - Kelley Montgomery

These photographs taken and submitted by staff, tenants, and members showcase The Kettle’s vast and rich sense of community.

Annual Trout Lake Picnic

This year’s Annual Picnic was a great time! We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. On August 17th, Kettle

members & staff gathered at Trout Lake for a day of good times & delicious food. Thank you to everyone for attending, and a big thank you to Jamie for organizing all the details, to

all the staff that helped out, and of course our grill master, George, who made this day a success.

Hello! My name is Jarryd and I’ve called Vancouver home for the past 18 months. I started working in The Kettle Drop In January this year and later got a job in the homeless outreach office alongside George where I have been for the past 5 months. If you’re sleeping outside and looking for roof over your head (or some gear to make sleeping on the streets a little bit easier) come and see us and we’ll see what we can do. I work Tuesdays through to Fridays from 9 – 3 upstairs, if you need something, feel free to drop by and try out your best impression of my ac-cent =)

My name is Carol Guerra and I’ve recently become an advocate for The Kettle. I have learned so much in the last 4 months. I am part of a great team which strives to assist our clients in every way possible. Working at the main site has allowed me to meet new clients and run into ones that I have worked with at other sites. I am thankful to my colleges who have made me feel welcomed and continue to show this newbie the ropes.

Hi, I’m Kait! I am the Project Assistant for the

Kettle-Vancouver Opera partnership project. As

part of this project, we run weekly singing &

writing workshops, available to members & staff;

my role is to assist with these & to promote the

workshops within the Kettle community. I am

thrilled to be a part of such an amazing project

and to be surrounded by so much creativity &

talent! If you see me around the Drop-In or Kettle

on Burrard, please don’t hesitate to say hello, or

ask me questions about our workshops.

Of

Inte

rest

We would like to wish Karen Johnson and Ron Skolney-

Elverson a happy retirement! Thank you for your dedicated work and many contributions to The Kettle community over the years. Best of luck in the next chapter of your lives.

IMPORTANT CHANGES: Income, Hardship and Disability Rate Increase

As publicly announced, effective October 1, 2017 the support rate is increasing by $100.00.

The support rate for Income and Hardship Assistance will in-crease by $100 per case.

The support rate for Disability Assistance will increase by $100 per PWD client. Therefore, two PWD clients in a family unit will receive a $200 support increase.

The new monthly rates will increase to $1,133 for an individual receiving disability assistance and $710 for an individual receiving income assistance

The increase will be included starting on the September 20th payment for October The system and the Policy and Procedures Manual will be updated to reflect these changes for Octo-

ber 1 implementation Earning Exemption (Including AEE)

Effective October 1, 2017 the earnings exemptions and AEE will increase.

Under the Employment and Assistance Regulation (Schedule 3(1)) earnings exemption will increase as follows:

o Single or couple: $400

Under the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation (Schedule 3(1)), earning exemptions are calculated yearly based on a monthly amount. The earnings exemptions will increase as follows:

o Single PWD: $1000 ($12,000 annually)

o Couples where only one of whom is designated PWD the earnings exemption, will increase

to $1200 ($14,400 annually); and o Couples where both have PWD designation the earnings exemption will increase to $2000

($24,000 annually)

Bus Pass Program The Government has announced that “Starting January 1, 2018, government will provide people with disabilities access to the transportation supports they need, including an annual bus pass for those who want one.” An implementation plan, including systems planning, is currently being developed. More details to come.

Kettle Drop In members enjoyed a fun filled day at the PNE fair on

Aug 31st. We had a blast checking out the petting zoo, pig

races, super dogs and the displays and activities offered.

Contact Anna our nurse at Venables for questions regarding Naloxone Training. You can also visit www.towardtheheart.com for information, training and educa-tional videos. Remember to never use alone and help spread the word so we can keep everyone safe.

ATTENTION KETTLE ARTISTS

Art Submissions for the ART AGAINST STIGMA

display Nov 16-19

Must be submitted by Friday NOV 3rd.

Phone Jackie @ 604-251-0999

Fundraising and Thanks... From Your Pen...

Anything or Something

The slow creep Of promises unfulfilled Heretofore and hence

Has left scars

And so much more. The damage done.

While

Past folly Might be construed

To lack

Wherewithal.

It does seem Choices are Diminished.

And admonished. Or something.

Things remind me

And come up. Such a silly fool

To think in black and white

That promises unfulfilled

Reveal anything Or something.

- Kenneth Peaker

All in a Days Ponder

Shut your eyes, And go to sleep. Soon you’ll be in Slumber’s deep.

When you will arise, You will get one big surprise.

Coffee’s on, It is dawn or should

I say sunrise. Your body is making its

Cries. Breakfast is inviting,

You better do your writing. On with the sneakers No need for a jacket

Sun is beaming down No I won’t frown

Don’t give up Just shut up

In case of need Do a good deed

Evening is upon me I guess I’ll leave everything be Shut your eyes and go to sleep

Soon you’ll be in slumbers Deep.

- Diane Loyie

Why a Life

(in the Non-Existent Lane)

An unravelling.

A sort quite common.

Self-destruction too

Too often.

Derived from where

These insecurities fraught.

Nature, nurture

Or not.

It’s a breath of wind

Caught in certain light

A morning breeze

A chance

With colors that delight.

But if somehow

Not ever a fit

Then trouble looms

Maybe chance is doomed.

There seems little doubt

Of a wide-eyed birth.

But an inclination

And an accumulation

Is a path

Somewhere.

This momentum

I’m thinking

Might not be

Overcome.

- Kenneth Peaker

This year’s Kettle Car Washes in June & August were busy and a great success! We raised $2650 for Kettle Camping including a generous donation of $1000 from RBC! Thank you so much to our dedicated members and volunteers for your hard work.

Have an idea for an article about The Kettle or positive

Mental Health? We would love to hear it! Article submission is

open to staff, members, residents and volunteers. You can submit directly to

Michelle at 1725 Venables or by email to

mjerome@thekettle.ca We look forward to hearing

from you.

HUGE Kettle thank you to Kwantlen Polytechnic Universi-

ty PR class of 2017 for your dedication & hard work raising over

$14,000 for The Kettle. You all have a bright future ahead of you,

good luck!

Echoes’ of the past by Esther Wallace Remember your ancestors of the past Who fought for justice that could not last Let not our suffering and our pain Be worthless and lost in vain Be strong and carry the heavy loads Traveling ahead to higher roads Let us love and care for one another Let us look out for our brothers Watch observe and learn from the old and wise Take good advice and listen to no empty lies Strive to do your best and live independently Be proud of your heritage and live with dignity Look to the future of the young and old Give them a future they can justify and uphold Let us walk new roads in unity let us exist And not be dismissed To live in peace and harmony

Food Oh Feet Food glorious food! Puts me on my feet. Mangoes so neat. Apples a treat. Sirloin not trendy. Mushrooms nerve endy. So inhale that sweet milk chocolate N’ become a ‘Willie Wonka’ rocket! - John Alan Douglas

Thank you to Lori, Laurel and Alisa and all their sup-porters for raising $2,003 for The Kettle at their art show, Illumination. The show was amazing, with fantastic art and poetry.

W e are thrilled to say that this year’s Making a Difference Fundraiser was a great success! We raised over $60,000 to support The Kettle Society’s direct service programs. Our keynote speaker, Michael Landsberg, kept the audience spellbound speaking about his personal strug-gle with depression and talking about his #SickNotWeak campaign. Tamara Taggart did a dynamic job hosting the evening and the Kettle Choir’s performance received a standing ovation. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success, and to all the volunteers, spon-sors, donors and attendees for your time and contributions. Thank you for your continued support!

My Story by Navid Ghayour

My dream was always to work in a hospital & I was studying Psychiatric Nursing. I had to drop

out at the start of year 3 of the program because I was not able to write my charting on the paper

in February 2015. My inability to write had caused me lot of stress and I did not know what

do at the time. Once I withdrew from school I applied to work as a mental health care worker, plumber, labourer, and shipper & receiver at so many different places and the only place that gave me an interview and the opportunity to

work at the time was Kettle Society.

At the same time I started to take ESL class at Vancouver Community College to upgrade my writing skill but I saw very little to no improve-ment. I almost gave up on going back to school since there was no way for me to improve my

writing until I saw the learning disability office at VCC. I did not know what learning disability

meant, so I decided to google “learning disabil-ity” & found out that individuals could have a

learning disability in writing. I decided to go for assessment as the only way I was able to go back to school was if I was able to use the computer to

do my charting. I was diagnosed with learning disability in January 2016 and that was the

happiest moment of my life.

At the same time as I was going through all this, I am thankful of the Kettle Society to hire, keep

and not firing me as I was a difficult worker. Simple things that never used to effect me at

work upset me, I was a difficult staff & co-worker. Always arguing & complaining, and now that I

think about it, I was more upset in my inability to write and knowing I could never go back to

school to finish the program. That is the reason I am thankful of the Kettle Society as they were

there through my most difficult part of life. Thank you.

Photography by Sheyla Ventura

A BIG Kettle thank you to the amazing Telus employees who came by to help Kettle on Burrard celebrate its 3rd Anniversary with a BBQ & planting a tomato garden for

the residents. You guys rock!

Thank you so much to Erin and Santi Who raised an incredible $1765 at their Trivia + Karaoke event and are extremely happy and proud to announce that they have surpassed their goal and have raised $5805 for The Kettle Society as part of their 150 Faces of Canada project.

KettleKonnection

Guess that Baby

This Kettle staff has been with Community Services

for roughly 1.5 years. When she is not busy help-ing out with advocacy and outreach she can be heard laughing and singing along

with our Kettle choir. Can you guess who she is?

I S S U E

Fal l 2017 Pr ice less

10

Inside this Issue

Fundraising and Thanks.....2

Trout Lake Picnic….....……3

The Fire of the Ages...….4-5

Of Interest………...………..6

From Your Pen….....……...7

Kettle Camping…..…….….8

Answer on page 8

The Kettle Society

in partnership with

T he Kettle Society has formed a unique partnership with Vancouver Opera, which has been providing fantastic creative opportunities for our members and staff. We

have been busy with weekly singing and writing workshops and have had the opportunity to perform at various Kettle and Vancouver Opera events. Next year we will be participating in a new production, a chamber opera Requiem for a Lost Girl by Marcel Bergman with story by Onalea Gilbertson. The opera addresses stigma around poverty, homelessness and mental illness and will be premiered at the Vancouver Opera Festival in May 2018 in partnership with SFU Woodwards. The performance will involve Kettle members and staff who have been attending the workshops. For more information on this project and the workshops contact Kait Blake via e-mail at operaproject@thekettle.ca or see Michelle Jerome in person at 1725 Venables or call (604) 251 -1126.

Want to get updates on events

and new Kettle info?

@kettlesociety

The Kettle Society Facebook and twitter pages are updated regularly with info on upcoming events and information

regarding our programs and services. Check it out! Another beautiful and fun filled Kettle Camping trip ! Thank you for this great opportunity!

Kicking off Fall with

more amazing

Choir and Writing

workshops