Imagine a time of need where not only is a safe home required but support for mental health and addictions issues as well.
The Prince George & District Elizabeth Fry Society (E Fry) is hosting Promise of Hope, a fundraiser with proceeds going to programs so the non-profit can better address clients' mental health and addictions issues in house.
Promise of Hope takes place at the Ramada Hotel on Friday, with doors open at 6 p.m., featuring dinner, inspirational words from Farrah Khan, a nationally-recognized counsellor, a live auction, door prizes and a raffle.
"We're really excited about this event," Shannon Smith, family programs manager for E Fry, said. "We are raising funds for our support programs but we're also looking for monies to see how we can address and be responsive to mental health and addictions pieces. We're looking in the short-term as well as multi-year. We know that when we're working with clients and refer out, those connections are not as strong, so we're definitely looking at that gap within our agency. So this is kind of the first step towards addressing those two things."
The fundraising event sees guest enjoy dinner and a live auction including the now-iconic photo of the old train bridge, that's one of Smith's favourite images that to her depicts Prince George. There's jewelry and door prizes, as well as a 50/50 draw. Up for grabs as well is two tickets to anywhere WestJet flies.
"Our amazing guest speaker is Farrah Khan, who is quite well known in Canada for her research and ability to engage people in dialogue around sexual violence," Smith said.
Currently, Khan is often the expert in the media that offers perspective on the hot-button issue of sexual violence.
"She's very dynamic and engaging and actually has a sense of humour that draws the crowd in and is an amazing guest speaker," Smith said. "Sexual violence is very much something I think we should be talking about, and, I think, as E Fry, we're great to promote those kinds of conversations. As an agency that provides services to women, children and families, we feel that it is a very good match for us and it's going to be a really exciting evening."
Tickets are $70 each at Canadian Tire, Books & Co., and the Elizabeth Fry Society's local office at 1575 Fifth Ave.
