A female child in a Third World sweat shop, an abused woman, a young girl forced into prostitution, a teen girl denied schooling, a mother fighting to keep her children alive in a refugee camp, a rape victim, a woman suffering with breast cancer, a grandmother left alone 鈥�
Is it any wonder we can be so overwhelmed by despair when we consider the terrible circumstances in which so many of our female friends and sisters find themselves?
Whether we are Sikh, native, Parsi, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic, Baha鈥檌 or follow another belief system, whether we are male, female or transgendered, we can sit and walk beside each other in shared faith and intention.
The Comox Valley Women鈥檚 Resource Centre hosts a silent interfaith retreat day on Jan. 30 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You are invited to participate in your choice of silence: meditation, prayer, sacred walk, or observance, and to dedicate your retreat to a friend in crisis or to a sister far removed by geography and circumstance.
Whether you make your retreat an hour or make it the entire day, your suggested donation of $20 will help support the valuable programs and services offered by the Comox Valley Women鈥檚 Resource Centre.
The WRC, operating in the community for the past 30 years, provides women and their families with the resources they need to realize their full potential, and to be safe, healthy and empowered.
As well as supporting women in making their own choices based on their skills, strengths and needs, they offer support to women in crisis and provide referrals to other services they need in the community. The centre facilitates workshops that offer women the skills they need to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives.
Women can enjoy the computer lounge, the resource library, or just have a warm place to have a cup of coffee and connect with other women. Services are free and resources, such as the annual tax clinic for low-income families, toiletries for women who are living in deep poverty, and fresh local produce from Lush Valley, among others.
The centre is located at 1-1491 McPhee Ave., Courtenay.
If you would like more information about the retreat, call Adrian at 250-898-8201 or e-mail adriansymonds@telus.net.
For more information about the Comox Valley Women鈥檚 Resource Centre, call 250-338-1133, or e-mail niwss5@shawbiz.ca.
鈥� Comox Valley Women鈥檚 Resource Centre
