The Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre (PKFC) is launching a new healthy-lifestyles initiatives program this month in Rankin Inlet.

PKFC executive director Pela Sharp said discussions started taking place this past November with the addictions department to begin doing more in the community.

Initially, the PKFC was going to do the healthy January initiative but, with Christmas holidays ending and staff coming back to work, they figured that healthy February would be a better fit, Sharp said.

The timing gave the friendship centre plenty of time to start coordinating and planning for a full month of February events for the entire community to enjoy.

SA国际影视传媒淪o, it started off at a staff meeting in January about doing a healthy February event, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 where all the brainstorming starting happening for all the different types of events that we should be holding,SA国际影视传媒� said Sharp.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was a team-building exercise the entire tire. We have about 40 staff members and the conversations that were taking place were phenomenal.

SA国际影视传媒淛ust watching the staff having all these discussions and planning events was absolutely amazing.

SA国际影视传媒淪o, my role was to let them continue the conversations, move forward and get this off the ground.SA国际影视传媒�

Sharp said the hamlet was generous in donating the community hall and the drop-in centre free of charge to host the PKFCSA国际影视传媒檚 February lineup.

Among the confirmed events are a craft night and a board games at the drop-in centre from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings for any age group.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur Wednesday events are a little bit different and weSA国际影视传媒檒l kick off the first one with a kidsSA国际影视传媒� pizza party, which will be hosted from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.,SA国际影视传媒� said Sharp.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e encouraging all the kids at the school to come to the drop-in centre and have pizza with us. We have about 60 pizzas, I believe, ready to go for our first pizza night because we donSA国际影视传媒檛 know how many kids are going to show up.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an event for kids to come and talk. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 to show them that there are organizations out there that support kids and teenagers who might be affected by alcohol within their families, or by peer pressure, anything like that.SA国际影视传媒�

Sharp said Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be geared towards the younger generation, while Thursdays and Fridays will focus more on adult activities.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檒l also be holding scavenger hunts and collaborating with Nunavut Arctic College to hold a college student night where we invite them to our building to serve them traditional food.SA国际影视传媒�

Sharp said the college student night will be important because college students come from all over the territory, not just Rankin Inlet. Staff members will be explaining to them what they do at the PKFC because it has so many programs to offer, such as the spousal abuse program, the addictions department, the mental health department, various counselling services, menSA国际影视传媒檚 programming, prenatal programming and others.

SA国际影视传媒淪o, we just want to introduce all the different programming that we have to the college students,SA国际影视传媒� Sharp said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have a good feeling towards this programming. The initial response that weSA国际影视传媒檝e already received on our Facebook page has been phenomenal. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e received a lot of likes and a lot of sharesSA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲e want to see all the community members of Rankin Inlet enjoy themselves and to respect the wishes of those who want to live a healthier lifestyle without drugs or alcohol.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒擝y Darrell Greer