AJLI President Visits Brenda’s House!

Delly Beekman, President of The Association of Junior Leagues International, spends a lot of her time visiting Junior Leagues in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and England. With each League she always aims to learn about their programs and Community Impact.

During her October 17-19, 2010 visit to the Junior League of Calgary (JLC) she toured Brenda’s House to learn about the "Housing First" concept being implemented there and the unique Treasure Trunk program that the JLC has developed for Brenda’s House residents and staff.

Carrie Kerr, Team Lead - Child Support Program, Children's Cottage Society - Brenda's House, conducted the tour of the house, explaining that Brenda’s House is a family-centred facility that welcomes homeless families with children to come and live there while they work towards the goal of moving into their own sustainable housing.

President Alice Gardner-Boreta and VP Community Marilou Mitchell accompanied Delly on this tour, giving us the opportunity to share details of our collaborations with both Children’s Cottage Society, Brenda’s House and Highbanks Society and the tremendous work both the Brenda’s House and Highbanks Society Program Planning Groups and JLC members are doing.  Delly was very impressed with the programs we are developing and will take this knowledge back to AJLI and onwards to other Leagues.

At the JLC Annual General Meeting later on October 18 are (L to R): Alice Gardner-Boreta, Delly Beekman, Carrie Kerr and Marilou Mitchell