Community
Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division mobilizes to raise funds for vulnerable women
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CSS Morning Star program lifts women in lasting ways
News Release from Catholic Social Services
Teachers across Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division are raising funds to support the vulnerable women served by Catholic Social Services’ Morning Star program.
“It’s just something that is very important to us, that we teach our children about helping less fortunate and being a part of a community and a faith filled community.” Melissa Meyer, teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas School.
Last winter, a class at St. Thomas Aquinas school in Red Deer organized a drive to collect over 100 clothing accessories for Morning Star. This year, the entire school division is participating. Fundraising kicked off on May 9, and will continue through to the end of the school year.
Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division has held a lunch day where faculty and pupils were able to order lunch from local restaurants, Millennium Cafe and Bo’s Bar & Stage, where a portion of proceeds will be donated to Morning Star. This week (May 9-13), faculty are participating by donating $20 to dress down for theme days. Themes include Gear down for a good cause, Jeans for justice, Sweathog Day, Just Cause Jeans, and High School Throwback, where teachers and staff may dress in jeans and sportswear at school. Another planned initiative includes a 50/50 draw on May 20.
“The support means a lot and there’s something that really touches our hearts about the youth as well wanting to get involved in their community and help build up their community even from a young age. It means a lot to us.” Jill Lanz, Service Coordinator at Morning Star.
Morning Star opened in downtown Red Deer in 2019, following a viability analysis which identified significant gaps in the community for women experiencing homelessness, addiction, and other self-identified barriers. Morning Star is the only program exclusively serving women, an important feature for those who may have experienced abuse and/or human trafficking.
The program aims to lift women in lasting ways through both outreach and drop-in services. The Morning Star drop-in centre offers a safe place for women to access showers and laundry services, snacks, clothing, toiletries, and the friendship and support of staff. Morning Star served 168 women last year, and currently receives 140-260 visits monthly.
“Part of our jobs is we will carry hope for our women until they can carry it for themselves,” Lanz describes her role at Morning Star.
Morning Star is entirely funded through donations to Sign of Hope, Catholic Social Services’ charitable fundraising arm. The program costs $250,000 annually to operate. Those interested can make donations at (LINK)
Local Filmmaker Involvement
A video by a local Red Deer filmmaker Corey Gomez was produced to support the Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division fundraising efforts. Gomez has been involved with projects including Billy the Kid, ATCO, Government of Alberta, and a television show produced by Ron Howard.
About CSS:
For 60 years, Catholic Social Services has been providing help to the most vulnerable. Today, CSS works in three priority areas: serving newcomers to Canada, serving individuals with disabilities, and serving individuals, children, and families. Each year, more than 21,000 Albertans in 12 communities across central Alberta, are uplifted and empowered through CSS.
Community
New Documentary “Cooking with Hot Stones” Explores History of Fort Assiniboine, Alberta
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February 14, 2025 – Alberta, Canada – A compelling new documentary, Cooking with Hot Stones: 200th Anniversary of Fort Assiniboine, is set to air on Wild TV, RFD TV Canada, Cowboy Channel Canada, and you can click here to stream for FREE on Wild TV’s streaming service, Wild TV+. This engaging one-hour feature will take viewers on a journey through time, exploring Fort Assiniboine’s rich history from 1823 to 2023.
Fort Assiniboine is a significant landmark in Alberta, playing a crucial role in Indigenous history, the fur trade, and the western expansion of Canada. This documentary captures the spirit of the region, illustrating how it has evolved over two centuries and how it continues to shape the cultural fabric of the province today.
Wild TV will make the documentary free to stream on Wild TV+ on February 14th so that it can be easily accessed in classrooms and other educational settings throughout the region, ensuring the historical significance of Fort Assiniboine reaches a wider audience.
Produced by Western Directives Inc., Cooking with Hot Stones: 200th Anniversary of Fort Assiniboine brings historical moments to life with vivid storytelling, expert interviews, and breathtaking cinematography.
“We are very excited to partner with Wild TV as part of our one hour documentary production. Based in Alberta, we respect the hard work and quality programming that Wild TV brings to a national audience. With the broadcast opportunity, Wild TV gives our production the ability to entertain and educate Canadians across the country on multiple platforms,” said Tim McKort, Producer at Western Directives.
Scott Stirling, Vice President of Wild TV, also expressed enthusiasm for the project: “At Wild TV, we are passionate about telling Canadian stories that resonate with our audiences. This documentary not only highlights a crucial piece of our nation’s history but also celebrates the resilience and contributions of Indigenous peoples, traders, and settlers who shaped the land we call home today. We are proud to bring Cooking with Hot Stones: 200th Anniversary of Fort Assiniboine to our viewers across Canada.”
Airtimes for Wild TV can be found here.
For airtimes on RFD TV Canada, click here.
For airtimes on Cowboy Channel Canada, visit CCC’s schedule.
Community
100+ Women Who Care Red Deer celebrates 10th season in 2025 with new leadership
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L to R: Cindy Jefferies, Susan Knopp, Lane Tomalty, Bre Fitzpatrick
Photo credit: The SnapHappy Photographer
After a decade of leadership under Cindy Jefferies and Susan Knopp, 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer (100+ WWCRD) is proud to celebrate 10 years of supporting local charities and the announcement of Bre Fitzpatrick and Lane Tomalty as its new co-leaders. This marks an exciting new chapter for the group, which has made a significant impact on not-for-profit organizations in Central Alberta.
Cindy and Susan have led 100+ WWCRD with vision, dedication, and a commitment to empowering women to lead and inspire change. Under their stewardship, the organization has raised over $630,000 for local charities by hosting 4 annual 1-hour meetings. Since 2015, more than 36 local charities have received funding through the group.
Reflecting on their tenure, Cindy and Susan stated:
“Leading 100 Women has been an honour and a privilege. When we began this journey, we didn’t know where it would go – we simply loved the simple, elegant, and fun ‘100 Who Care’ concept and thought it was a great fit for our community. We are grateful to the many women who have stood with us. They are the magic of the organization! We are confident Bre and Lane will steward this leadership role well and we look forward to supporting it – just not from behind the microphone!”
Bre and Lane bring a dynamic energy and fresh perspective to the organization. Both have been involved with the group and have been mentored by Susan and Cindy over the past year. They are eager to continue the collaboration, connection, and local support this team of women have established in Red Deer.
In their joint statement, Bre and Lane shared:
“We are humbled to step into this role and build on the incredible foundation Cindy and Susan have laid. Many needs are at the doorstep of our community and in the hearts and minds of our members. We know a powerful, caring, and united group of individuals can play a huge role in driving change and breaking barriers.
To celebrate this milestone and leadership transition, the 100+ WWCRD hosted the final meeting of 2024 on November 25th at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club. The evening featured reflections from Cindy and Susan, the selection of the Salvation Army as the charity of choice, an opportunity for members to connect with Bre and Lane as they outline their vision for the organization’s next chapter, and a toast to 10 years.
For more information, please visit www.100womenreddeer.ca
About 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer
100+ Women Who Care Red Deer is a network of compassionate, empowered, and dedicated women who make a direct, immediate, and positive impact in Red Deer and area. We support local non-profit and charitable organizations that work every day to make our community a better place to live. 100% of funds donated go to the selected charities – there are no
administration fees, and all costs are covered by the generosity of sponsors. Collectively, we make a difference.
The group meets 4 times annually for 1 hour. Non-profit and charitable organizations are nominated by members. After hearing 3 randomly drawn pitches, the members vote to select their top choice. The group with the highest number of votes receives the members’ donations. Each member or team commits to donating $100 at each meeting. Since 2015, the average raised has been more than $15,000 per meeting.
Membership is open to all women In Red Deer and area. We invite you to join us! The first meeting of 2025 will be on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Founded in February 2015, the organization currently has about 150 members. We are committed to uniting this powerful group of 100+ women who care and lifting the amazing non-profits and charitable groups they support.
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