Rising Above Fort St. John
In 2021, Rising Above was approached by the former non-profit organization New Day in the Peace based out of Fort St. John. New Day had disbanded prior to COVID but was still searching for ways to help individuals within their community who were struggling with addiction and homelessness.
The Rising Above program had been successfully operating in Grande Prairie since 2007 and had always kept an ear open for new opportunities to bring the program to different communities in the North who needed similar support.
With Rising Above Fort St. John, the leadership team from Grande Prairie will assist in the start-up but will assume a hands-off approach once the organization felt it could continue on its own. This division will be completely comprised of locals in Fort St. John including board, staff, volunteers, and supporters. Rising Above has seen much support from Grande Prairie over the years and is confident Fort St. John won't have issues in gathering support for their own chapter.
“When local people invest in it, it's theirs, and so there's going to be local ownership in it,” says Mel Siggelkow, Executive Director. “People who benefit from it are going to end up financially supporting it, people financially supporting it are going to be referring people to it, because they feel like they own it, so it gives it that community feel."
Rising Above FSJ comes with no franchise fees and is simply a way to continue helping northerners who need the support Rising Above is able to offer.
In the coming months, Rising Above Grande Prairie will be working closely with the Fort St. John leadership team in preparation to open. Until then, we would greatly appreciate support in the following areas:
- Prayer for the future of the organization
- Monthly and one-time donations (contact us to get on our FSJ donor list)
- Agency partnerships (email Stephanie Hudson)
- Exposure opportunities (email Stephanie Hudson)
- Share Rising Above FSJ with your network
- Attend a Rising Above event in Fort St. John (see below for events)
Events
Mission Vision FSJ 2023 March 3-4
Rising Above is going to be at the Mission Vision conference from Friday, March 3rd to Saturday, March 4th at Peace Lutheran Church in Fort St. John. Come visit us at our booth and discover local and global mission opportunities! Executive Director, Mel Siggelkow, will be presenting on Saturday afternoon from 3-4pm on how to help those who are struggling with addiction. We welcome you to join the session and check out other guest speakers and booths at the conference!
http://www.missionvisionfsj.ca/
Understanding Addiction
Wednesday, March 15th @ 7pm
1st-floor meeting room in the Pomeroy Sport Center (9324 96 St, Fort St. John)
Cost: FREE
Join Rising Above's Executive Director, Mel Siggelkow, as he opens a conversation around addiction. In this session, Mel will help you understand;
- What addiction is
- The mechanics of addiction
- Why some people become addicted and others don’t
- If there is HOPE for the addicted
This session is completely free and is intended for anyone wanting to learn more about this topic. For more information on the session, please contact Stephanie Hudson by calling 1-780-533-3025 ext. 106 or email stephanie@risingabovegp.com.
Understanding Anger
Wednesday, May 10th @ 7pm
Location pending
If you or someone you know struggles with anger, you’re not alone.
Join Rising Above’s Executive Director, Mel Siggelkow, on Wednesday, May 10th at 7pm to better understand the complexities of anger and discover new tools to help you deal with this powerful emotion.
This free seminar will help you understand the sources of anger, how to recognize hidden anger, the power of forgiveness, and more.
If you have questions about the Understanding Anger seminar, contact Stephanie Hudson by emailing stephanie@risingabovegp.com or call 780-533-3025.
All ages welcome No registration required There is no cost to attend