Workshop and Community Outreach Listings

Self-Help Groups meet face-to-face to give and receive peer support and information. Hopewell’s fall self-help group will be led by Marisa Murray and Danielle Lithwick, both of whom are volunteers with Hopewell. The group also operates with input from group members. It is an informal network of individuals who share common struggles with food, weight and body image. This type of group is meant to complement, rather than replace services such as counseling and in-patient care.

Who the self-help group is for?
Hopewell’s self-help group is for individuals over the age of 17, who are struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating or disordered eating. The participant’s primary issue is that he or she restricts, binges and/or purges, compulsively eats, or chronically diets, but not to the point where medical intervention is clearly needed.

Join us on Thursday evenings in the Heartwood House Art Gallery (153 Chapel St) for an hour of yoga! This Ashtanga-based style of yoga involves a dynamic flow of poses that links the breath with movement, with an emphasis on proper alignment and breathing technique. Benefits of this practice include an increase in strength, flexibility, and concentration, and a decrease in stress. No experience necessary.

Fee: $20

 A closed support group is one where the participants remain constant and registration closes after the first session. Space is limited to 12 individuals, allowing for greater group cohesion and trust development among participants.

Who the closed support group is for?
Hopewell’s closed support group is for individuals over the age of 17, who are struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating or disordered eating. This group is facilitated by Adrienne Benson, MEd., CCC.

When:  Monday Evenings; September 20th - November 15th*; 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (8 weeks) 
Where: Heartwood House, located at 153 Chapel St. (corner of Chapel & Rideau)

Cost: $40 (manual included)

The Family and Friends Support Group is for parents, partners and siblings who are caring for an individual struggling with an eating disorder. The group's objective is to provide an opportunity for families to feel less isolated, to have a better understanding of what it's like to live with an eating disorder, to improve their coping strategies, and to feel supported by sharing their feelings and experiences in a non-judgemental environment. The group is facilitated by Diana Norton, C.C.C

Where: Heartwood House, 153 Chapel St. (corner of Chapel and Rideau)

Cost: $50/person

Dates and times for fall 2010 session TBD. To register, or for more information, please e-mail info@hopewell.ca or call 613-241-3428. .

The Family Support Network provides support to family members who have a loved one living with an eating disorder. The mentors involved in this program are parents, partners, or siblings who have themselves supported a loved one with an eating disorder. Their loved one has now fully recovered. The program involves interaction on a bi-weekly basis between mentor and mentee over a six-month period.

We are currently looking for volunteer mentors who:

- are parents, partners or siblings of a loved one who has struggled with an eating disorder, and who has been recovered for at least 1-2 years

- can commit to communicating biweekly with their mentee, for a period of 6 months

- are resourceful, positive and motivating

- are interested in assisting caregivers in learning about the mental health system and disordered eating*

(* please note: a mandatory training workshop will be organized for volunteer mentors)

Bridging the Gap is a mentoring project that is being run in Ottawa to help support youth and young adults who are transitioning from eating disorder therapy/treatment back into their daily lives. The program involves the mentor and mentee getting together on a biweekly basis over a six-month period.

Mission Statement

To offer those who are struggling with an eating disorder the opportunity to be heard and supported by someone who is a role model and friend. The program's goal is to support recovery by bridging the gap between being in therapy and/or treatment and the reality of daily living.

Objectives:

1) Pairing individuals with mentors who know what it's like to live with an eating disorder

2) Providing individuals with a safe place (e.g., fun outings and activities) to explore who they are outside of their eating disorder

3) Eliminating some of the stress associated with relationships and school/work by shifting individual's focus to the things in their life that are going well.

We are currently looking for mentees who:

• are between the ages of 13 and 30 (exceptions made depending on mentors available)
• have recently received treatment OR are currently seeing a counsellor/therapist
• are tired of struggling with disordered eating
• want to do some fun things that will get you excited about life
• would like to meet a young adult who has recovered from an eating disorder

Contact jamie.hurst@hopewell.ca for more information or call Jamie at 613-241-3428

We are currently looking for mentors who:

• are between the ages of 20 and 35
• have recovered from an eating disorder for a minimum of 2 years
• want to be a role model for someone that is struggling with an eating disorder

Please fill out our Volunteer form

Bridging the Gap is inspired by the Now What? youth program run by Awareness and Networking Around Disordered Eating (A.N.A.D.) of Vancouver, B.C.

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