Local business owner Pat Henderson is the proud organizer of a new ‘women's only’ social group in Elliot Lake.
Women Alive meets on the first Tuesday of every month with the next meeting being this Tuesday, June 7, at the Renaissance Centre.
The vision Henderson has is to actively build an inclusive community for all women. She sees the “need to get women together for commonality.”
The inspiration for Women Alive comes from talking to and meeting new women in the community.
There are other similar programs run through religious organizations but Henderson didn’t want to limit participation to any one person's beliefs or faith. Henderson encourages all women to attend and promotes the event as a “place to meet other women in a safe environment.”
“We need to be alive, we need to have our voices heard,” says Henderson.
Every month will include different guest speakers, activities and talented musicians. Upcoming guests are local women who want to share their knowledge and experiences with other women.
“We need the knowledge.”
Henderson told ElliotLakeToday that her vision is to see women better informed and happier in their lives. She wants to give other women the opportunity to learn new skills and to build their ideas.
The ultimate goal for Henderson is to continue to grow this project within our community. She says that once the program is established and the start-up costs are recovered, the plan is to donate any monthly profits to a charity.
Henderson is also grateful for her group of core volunteers. She says without them the success of this project would not have been possible.
Her advice to anyone who is actively organizing events is to “learn to accept the help” when it is offered.
She says that working together with each other and the community is very important.
Tickets cost $10 and include dessert and coffee/tea. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event starts sharply at 7 p.m. A monthly door prize draw will also take place.
The guest speakers lined up for the June meeting include Francine Codlin (artist), Deborah Lang (entrepreneur) and Toby Greig (new Foodland owner).
The musical guest performer will be the talented Kim Arnold.
To purchase tickets, be a guest speaker/performer, volunteer or donate please contact Pat Henderson at (705)261-0656. She can also be contacted in person or by phone at The Knitting Room (705) 578-2630.