Close to 100 women, including those representing two dozen service providers, filled the Pembina Room at the Westlock Inn last Thursday for the Your Choice Counts! conference.
The one-day event was organized through a partnership between the Primary Care Network and the Hope Resource Centre as a way to bring information and networking opportunities to women in the area.
Alice Arthur, a nurse with the Primary Care Network, said she was happy to be a part of the event as it filled a need she saw in the community.
“We have had situations with families and clients where the resources aren’t there; they’re in a crisis and they don’t know what those resources are,” she said. “We want to provide them with a venue to find out about those resources before they’re in a crisis so the crisis doesn’t happen.”
A wide range of service providers were on site sharing information about what types of services they offer — organizations such as the Food Bank, the Westlock Library, Victim’s Services, the Hope Resource Centre, Little Warriors, Family & Community Support Services and many others.
“We probably could have had more but we were limited due to our space,” Arthur said.
There were also two keynote addresses — the first was about the basics of investing and the second dealt with the importance of healthy sleep patterns.
Sylvia Yoder, executive director of the Hope Resource Centre, said she felt the event successfully met the need she and others had identified, adding she heard nothing but positive feedback.
Part of what made it so successful, she said, is the pace. Rather than having a strictly scheduled, breakneck-paced day, organizers sought to encourage the women involved to gather information at their own pace.
“We go to so many conferences where you’re bombarded all day with speakers, and this was so nice to have information, to have education given to us, but also to have the opportunity to just do our own networking,” she said.
Most of those who participated have asked if this will be an annual event — something organizers have said they’re interested in.
“The women in this community said, ‘We don’t want it this year, we want it every year,’” Yoder said. “I think the women of Westlock showed us what they want, and we’re ready to respond to that.”
Maureen Gibson, director of Westlock Victim Services, said she was happy to be able to provide information about the agency — many women weren’t aware of the scope of services it provides — and said she hopes to take part again next year.
“I hope this year is just the start and people keep learning not just about Victim Services, but all the agencies and presenters today,” she said.
