Jessie's Hope Society is a non-profit organization for disordered eating in British Columbia, Canada
Jessie’s Hope Society: Celebrating the inner strength and beauty of everyBody
What began as an organization called Canadian Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders over 21 years ago, has become the present-day Jessie’s Hope Society.
The organization is now the only provincial non-profit, grassroots, volunteer driven group in British Columbia. They provide evidence-based education, prevention, advocacy and networking around eating disorders and weight disturbance issues.
By promoting inner strength and beauty, the non-profit is determined to build resiliency in youth, both boys and girls.
The society was named after Jessie Alexander, a young woman who committed suicide after struggling with an eating disorder. Her experience began, like so many others, when she was a teenager.
The toll it took on her mind and body were too severe and, 6 years later, she couldn’t take the depression and pain.
Jessie’s Hope Society’s Programs and Services:
Sandra Friedman has developed a program based on her work with pre-adolescent girls, which focuses on “fat talk” and the Bell Curve. Training sessions for volunteers across the province have been finished and they will then go on to introduce their own presentations in their communities. A Train-the-Trainer module is also included and will help educators spread the message about positive self-esteem and strong selves.
Children’s Provincial Prevention Program
This program is designed for elementary school teachers who teach grades 4-6. The modules are matched to the school’s curriculum for these grades and are planned to reach 25,600 children each year in the province. This will give the students an opportunity to improve their self-esteem and reduce or eliminate eating disorders.
Other Programs
Educational training will be offered to parents, youth, child and youth community workers, mental health workers, medical professionals, parks and recreation workers, fitness instructors, counselors and community volunteers. Specialized and multicultural groups will be offered training, such as the Punjabi, Chinese and Korean communities; gay and lesbian communities; mothers and daughters; fathers and sons; peer counselors; women; men; boys; seniors; families, etc.
The Future
In the future, Jessie’s Hope Society hopes to offer an intervention support telephone hotline, an online web-based intervention program and support groups training programs. A Support Group Train the Trainer Program is also pending for this year, which will establish Families and Friends Support Groups around the province.
For more information on the society, please visit: www.jessieshopesociety.org
