Events Calendar
Volunteer Kootenays hosts our 7th Annual Volunteer Awards Dinner
Volunteer Kootenays is hosting our 7th Annual Community Volunteer Awards Dinner, Thursday April 19, 2012. The evening includes buffet dinner, awards presentation, chance to win door prizes, and the fun & satisfaction of joining with other like-minded citizens to celebrate volunteerism!  Stay tuned for more details.

This awards dinner recognizes volunteers from a variety of community agencies throughout the Cranbrook area. Over 20 different agencies attended and were recognized last year. We look forward to seeing even more in 2012! 

Award categories include: 
  • Volunteer of the Year
  • Family Volunteer of the Year
  • Youth Volunteer of the Year
  • Group Volunteer of the Year
 
We are accepting nominations for the above categories.  Nomination forms and criteria information can be picked up at our office or are available by email. Deadline for nominations will be published soon.
 
This is a great opportunity for any organization or volunteer program to recognize their volunteers at a community event and local businesses can get involved by sponsoring a non-profit partner or by donating door prizes. 
 
For more information about this year’s volunteer awards dinner please contact:
 
Laurie Reed
Administrator, Volunteer & Information Services
Volunteer Kootenays
426-8019 ext 36
   
Volunteer Income Tax Program
Income tax is inevitable for everyone.  Every Year Volunteer Kootenays opens up its doors for people with incomes less than 25,000 for singles and 35,000 for couples and single parents (one child).  The Income Tax Program runs March & April each year.  People within these income brackets (or their support people) can bring their taxes in to be completed by volunteer income tax preparers and e-filed by Volunteer Kootenays. 
 
Cost for filing your taxes is $5.00 (subject to change) per person and you can expect your taxes back within three to four weeks.
For more information about this year’s Volunteer Income tax program, or to drop off your income tax forms please contact
 
Laurie Reed
Administrator, Volunteer & Information Services
Volunteer Kootenays
39 13th Ave S
Cranbrook BC
V1C 2V4
426-8019 ext 36

CRISIS LINE AWARENESS WEEK 2012;  Dates TBA.

Crisis Lines: The Critical Safety Net in Every Community

Why would someone call a crisis line?

  • Crisis Lines are recognized as the suicide ‘experts’ in BC.  They are most often the first place people call who are considering suicide and crisis line workers are trained in the most recent suicide assessment and intervention strategies.  Crisis lines also provide suicide training to their local communities, schools and other professionals
  • 8-12% of callers have suicidal thoughts
  • 35-45% of callers have a mental health or addiction issue
  • Calls range from emotional support, information and referral to suicide in progress calls where emergency intervention is required. Other calls include relationship conflicts, homelessness, family violence, grief, isolation & loneliness calls
  • Every call is life changing … whether a woman leaving an abusive relationship and calling for support and information on the local shelter; a family facing a housing crisis and imminent homelessness in need of resources, support and information; someone calling the line to help them cope with their mental health or addiction issue in between appointments with their case worker; or someone thinking that there is no way out except suicide and in desperate need of a compassionate, empowering, trained and skilled crisis line worker to support them or initiate emergency intervention if needed
  • Over 175,000 calls were answered through the 20 crisis lines in the province of BC last year alone … that’s a crisis line call answered every 3 minutes.
  • Averaging 20 minutes each call, local crisis lines provided over 3.5 million minutes of support last year alone.

 

How do people access support?

  • 1-800-SUICIDE is a 24/7 provincial network providing every person in B.C. with access to critical suicide intervention and prevention.  This service is provided by members of the Crisis Line Association of B.C. and was the first of it’s kind in Canada. 

 

If you or someone you know needs help, give them the East Kootenay Crisis Line number:


250-426-8407 (Cranbrook area)

1-800-667-8407 (outside of Cranbrook)

or contact 1-800-SUICIDE


For support around suicide, contact:

Canadian Mental Health Association for the Kootenays

39 13th Ave S

Cranbrook, BC V1C 2V4

250-426-5222

www.kootenays.cmha.bc.ca
If you know of a volunteer or volunteer organization that deserves recognition in our Volunteer Spotlight please visit our Volunteer Nominations page and let us know why you think they should be seen in the Volunteer Spotlight!
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