A group that helps young aboriginal moms with housing in Burnaby is getting a financial boost from the federal government. Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society is receiving $666,500 through the Government of Canada’s homelessness partnering strategy.

Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society will receive $666,500 through the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy to purchase a facility, which the Society is currently renting and using for transitional housing. This will provide a safe and engaging place for young Aboriginal mothers who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness to learn the life skills necessary for their development. An average of eight to ten mothers a year will go through the program offered at Aunt Leah’s House.

Our May ILFFY theme will be Nutrition. We start the month by offering the FoodSafe course, which will give participants the requirements for food safety training. Next, we will be meeting with a Nutritionist to do a “Nutrition on a Budget” tour at Save-On-Foods. Finally, we will be giving participants an opportunity to practice their food safety and nutritional habits at our Cooking Club.

The Twisted Fork Bistro in Vancouver BC is owned by a trio of fantastic people who have supported Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society many times since opening by donating gift certificates and gourmet desserts to our silent auctions.

The Twisted Fork Bistro has supported local charitable causes and have decided to dedicate the weekend of May 8-9 to Aunt Leah’s Twisted Fork Bistro Fundraiser to raise funds for Aunt Leah’s programs.

In April our ILFFY workshops will be focusing on Personal Awareness and are intended to develop self-confidence, self-regulation, initiative, and motivation. On April 7th, Theresa Olson will be leading a Project Goal workshop that will inspire our youth to gain insight into their future endeavors. On the 14th, ILFFY Coordinator, Erika Morgan, will be presenting the Enneagram’s Nine Personality Types, which allows individuals to identify with their personality and gain insight into their behaviors, fears, and desires.