(L-R) Southern Medical Program student Jill Gilroy, HOPE Executive Director, Susan Steen, and Scotiabank representative, Wayne McNiven
Students from the Southern Medical Program (SMP) Women’s Health Initiative held a movie screening in February to coincide with the national march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Featuring the documentary Highway of Tears, the screening helped raise awareness and support for the national campaign.
Over 50 people attended the event at UBC Okanagan. Organizers raised $1,000 from tickets sales and concession fees in addition to a raffle supported by Scotiabank. All of the funds went to support H.O.P.E. Outreach, a local non-profit organization that works with vulnerable populations of women, including women who are homeless, living with mental health and addiction disorders and those involved in survival sex work.
The Women’s Health Initiative, created by SMP students Jill Gilroy, Kyla Freeman, and Krista Loewen, engages students in various aspects of women’s health and provides additional learning opportunities. The group has also hosted a speaker series and a skills workshop.