Rotary: Guest Speaker Ted Kuntz

Wherever Clinical Counsellor Ted Kuntz goes..good things follow. Ted has been active with a number of community groups that are dear to our Club in the past, but his current role as Board Chair of the New View Society brought him and Susanna Walden to our Club last week.  Susanna, formerly with the Tri Cities Chamber is currently assiting New View with promotions of a number of coming special events.

 

Ted spoke of  New View's recently completed Wellness Centre on Mary Hill Road in Port Coquitlam and the society's hopes for continued growth in their abilities to serve our residents with mental health concerns. New View currently supports some 250 people in supported living and hopes to expand a wide range of currently offered support services (vocational, employment, social and personal supports)  in the new building , which was completed in the fall of 2011. The new Centre has space for 10 semi-independent residential placements, a commercial kitchen and new recreational and work spaces.

 

They also hope to build community partnerships to support them in their mission.  With 39 years of service behind them, New View is one of our community's longest serving agencies but the completion of their new building is about positioning them to meet future needs and about embracing a model of care that believes in community connections as an integral part of recovery for their clients.  (Some of us may remember when former Club member Darlene Hyde spoke to us about raising funds for the centre and Ted told us the Centre has a dedicated "Rotary" room..as thanks for the support of the TriCities Clubs in the capital campaign.)

Susanna told us of three upcoming events .. all great ways to continue to support this important work.

 

  Peace Begins With Me..an evening with Ted on Tues May 1 at the Inlet Theatre

                                       Tix $25 in advance and $30 at the door

 

   Open House   Thurs, May 3  2 to 4 pm  Meet with members, staff and Board and tour the

                          Centre

 

   Celebration Gala  Sat May 5..Westwood Plateau..Dinner and Dance  $95 pp

 

Please consider attending one of these great events and help eliminate the stigma that is still too often attached to living with a mental health  concern.