Taken from @forestandthefemme
All itchy eyes, runny nose, and four or so sneezes in rapid succession aside, I could not be more elated that spring is upon us. This, my friends, is a time of life to embrace, for it is everything from brighter evenings and perhaps an implicitly slower or non-existent pace at work (I mean, if everyone else is taking time off to vacation with their kids for the week of spring break, then…) to cherry blossom petals that have yet to fall and obscure your car into a pink car-shaped oblivion in the space you knew you left it the night before.
Yes, the world is waking from its winter slumber and the air is sweet with a hint of summer. This time of year can really only be described by way of analogy to that scene from (500) Days of Summer when Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, Tom, starts his day in love (much unlike those before) with a choreographed dance sequence to “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates.
Spring also marks a new season of empowerment and engagement, the laudable goals of my favourite local non-profit,(about which I’ve previously written in more detail ). An outdoor recreation program, Forest and the Femme is aimed at taking marginalized women outside the oft-isolating Downtown Eastside community and into the strength and spirit of nature to experience freedom, learn new land-based skills, socialize in a safe and stable environment, and eat a nutritious diet. In a city fortunate to have the great wilderness and mountainous ranges out of reach by a mere drive yet plagued by addictions, mental and physical disabilities, and racial oppression so visible on the streets of the Downtown Eastside, Forest and the Femme rises above and - impossible as it may be - tries to unite these two disparate worlds.
Taken from @forestandthefemme
Last year, Forest and the Femme received funding from the City of Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»to support a small salary for Program Coordinator, Jaime Adams who, by the way, has another job however admirably focuses her time and attention on taking vulnerable women to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park and overnight hiking into the Garibaldi backcountry for all the peaceful connections and heartfelt feels that doing so brings. On the organization’s recent successes, Jaime Adams says proudly, “We had our biggest season yet in 2015! In terms of numbers, we took 31 participants on 77 outings to more than 30 different locations. While we had some challenges with our SUV, which meant we had to stay pretty close to the City most of the time, our trips most importantly were still accessible to women who can't take part in bigger adventures for reasons of physical or mental health. We were able to take women out that we had been trying to connect with for years and this was incredibly rewarding. We spent a lot of time exploring our regional parks, those spaces that feel wild and remote even though they are so close to Vancouver.”
This past month, Jaime Adams was nominated for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Community Champion for her years and countless hours of volunteer work. Mountain Equipment Co-op recently stepped up to support Forest and the Femme’s programming for another season.
Now here’s how you can get involved: check out at none other than the killer venue, The Emerald East Van Supperclub and Lounge (555 Gore Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2Z6). All proceeds directly fund Forest and the Femme’s 2016 programming and will go on to make a significant impact on the lives of many women in the City who it’s easy to turn a blind eye to, but absolutely need our impassioned gaze now more than ever.
Taken from @forestandthefemme
The folks driving the organization will be there. Supporting local artists will be there. I will be there and though I am far from being a selling point, East Van producers/DJs Applecat, Bastet, That African & Jonathon Julian will be there. A live performance from local art collective, Subscura will be on the agenda and so too will door prizes, a stell menu, and silent auction full of yoga passes and adventure packages.
Oh, there will also be cocktails.
The next best thing to being sated by the overwhelming sense of freedom when stepping into the wild with Forest and the Femme is supporting the programs that make it possible for women from the Downtown Eastside to look to their left and see a rising cliff and to their right, a crashing river. So come. Rally for the cause. Take a Thursday to be part of something great.
