As a survivor of life-altering circumstances amongst many others in the world, I believe that through working together by sharing the assets that life experience brings, people can expand their personal potential and overcome the greatest adversity.

As a non-denominational and non-partisan establishment in development, Active Survivors Cooperative (ASC) would like to bring people of diverse experiences and backgrounds together for the purpose of developing the individual, by expanding recovery, providing support, advocacy, peer partnerships, and by being visible and active in the community as an alternative to the institution, by hosting cultural, recreational and socially constructive activities such as creative workshops, education, mediation, providing info on resources, facilitating social integration and by working as a complimentary to other services in the mental and social health community.

It is in our perspective that there is a need for social support in areas where the institution and health care system cannot provide. That is, do we need to have a diagnosis, to receive support for difficult circumstance? In other words there isn’t a diagnosis or a uni-dimensional aspect to what an individual experiences in terms of adversity nor in terms of the means one develops to overcome it. Ideally we would like to create an environment where individuality and personal autonomy is valued as an alternative to traditional health and social support services.

As survivors working with survivors we understand the dynamics and risk factors of adversity and mental health as well as the resulting isolation, social and family stigma, learned helplessness and the need to expand support networks.

Our goal is to offer and develop helping relationships, enforce personal empowerment, support cultural diversity and promote solidarity.

As survivors working with survivors we are into developing an environment similar to a day centre or retreat, where several services can be offered. Such collaborative environment “our place” would be suited to meet the needs of just getting out of the house, and to meet others in a similar situation, the development of support groups and free informal one-on-one walk-in counselling clinic.

An objective would be to have themes and host information sessions and workshops on subjects of general knowledge or interest (tenants rights, stress management for example) or recreational activities such as a collective kitchen and creative expression through liberal arts.  We also wish to create employment initiatives by and for survivors such as the establishment of a used bookstore and café as a milestone towards re-integration and as a means of support between objectives.

Volunteers welcome !!!!!