May 22nd, 2014 marked Tamarack's 4th Annual Fundraiser. As in previous years, it was held at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club. The funds raised from the sale of over 175 tickets will be used to support programming at Tamarack. We had the honor and pleasure of Minister Sharon Blady attending the event. Minister Blady spoke to our guests about the need for resources such as Tamarack to be made easily accessible to individuals and their families struggling with addiction issues.
Feedback from attendees about the event was very positive with 97% of those who completed our new fundraiser survey stating that they would recommend the event to a friend. We were also pleased to learn that at least half of all attendees were first-time event supporters-a confirmation that our increased focus on communications and our supporters' solid efforts to promote the event are bearing fruit.
Staff member, Joanne Riedle, who assisted in coordinating this year's fundraiser, remarked, "I think it was a lovely evening. It went off without a hitch and I believe that can be attributed to everyone's hard work and dedication. The Board was amazing, our Executive Director Lisa Cowan put a lot of love into this project and Bel Acres was welcoming as always. So many people put so much dedication into this event. I am proud I was able to be a part of it!"
Welcoming a Special Guest
On June 4th, Sharon Blady, Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors, her assistant Tim Smith and Tina Leclair, Executive Director, Healthy Living and Seniors, Addictions Policy and Support, visited Tamarack Recovery Centre and met with Tamarack Board Chairman, Philip Grandmont; Board Secretary, David Roberts and Executive Director, Lisa Cowan. Lisa provided a tour of the facility, drawing attention to recent updates and highlighting the way the treatment centre and the program is created to promote client safety, comfort and well-being.
Says Philip Grandmont: "We are very grateful that along with speaking at our fundraiser, Minister Blady took the time out of her busy schedule to visit the organization. It was validating to see her genuine interest in and encouragement for the good work we do here."
Tamarack welcomes visitors. If you would like to arrange a tour of the facility, contact Sherry Gable.
Out of the House, Into the Community
Staff at Tamarack have enjoyed another busy few months of reaching out to the community and presenting information about Tamarack to various organizations and individuals. Along with Tamarack's regular speaking engagement at AFM men's residential treatment program, we presented at a resource fair for inmates at the Women's Correctional Centre and we were the guest speakers at the Manitoba Mediation services AGM providing a customized information session on working with addiction issues in family mediation.
We really value these opportunities to support the work of other agencies and build connections in the client services community as we have seen first hand how a holistic approach to treatment can positively impact clients' long-term success.
If your organization is interested in connecting with Tamarack and finding out more about how are services can support you and your clients, please contact us to arrange an on-site presentation.
A Team Effort!
Anyone walking past 60 Balmoral Street on Sunday, June 22nd would have seen a flurry of activity taking place in the yard on the south side of the house. An energetic team of volunteers made up of current and past clients, staff, board members and Tamarack supporters were working hard to create a beautiful rock garden full of shrubs and flowers, along with vegetables for clients to grow.
The work was the culmination of a plan to improve the exterior of the facility and involved the pouring of a new concrete path to the side of the house and a patio at the back. The concrete was generously donated to us by Northland Concrete with the equipment and construction kindly donated by Kaplan Construction. The plants, shrubs, rocks and supplies were donated by a Friend of Tamarack.
Said one of the volunteers, "Despite not all knowing one another we were motivated by the task at hand and made a good team. It was hard work but the results were definitely worth it. This is the kind of job that would take weeks to do on your own or cost thousands if you hired a team of workers to do it."
Reflecting on the improvements, Lisa Cowan, Executive Director commented, "Tamarack is extremely grateful to the individuals who donated supplies and their time so this project could take shape so quickly. Being able to gather this many people who were all willing to come here early on a Sunday and work tirelessly until the job was done really exemplifies what Tamarack is about. There was a real sense of pulling together to achieve a common goal which is immensely gratifying and is what makes working here so rewarding."
AGM News
On Tuesday 24th June Tamarack held its annual general meeting at 60 Balmoral Street. The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the previous year's successes and highlighted the various elements of Tamarack's operations and programming that have contributed to our achievements.
We are pleased to announce that our 2013-14 Annual Report is now available online, click here to access the full report from our website.
