For women in and around Cochrane wondering if their home maintenance issues could be addressed without hiring an expensive professional or waiting on someone in the family to step up, there is indeed a better way – heavens to Betsy, do it yourself.
And with the help of Heavens to Betsy and their upcoming Women’s Home Maintenance workshop, some of the mystery behind common household maintenance projects will be removed.
The workshops are on Saturday May 13 at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre in the Upper Lounge.
Heavens to Betsy is a Cochrane-based charity that provides educational workshops aimed at empowering under-served communities through education.
Topics included in the home maintenance workshops will be drywall repair, screen building, hot water tank maintenance, furnace filters, water faucet replacement, toilet repair, caulking, kitchen cabinet and door hinges, door knob change-outs, and picture-hanging – all activities that can be performed on Mother’s Day, if motivation strikes.
Experts will also explain other seasonal home maintenance topics. There will be hands-on opportunities to try out some new skills as well as some video presentations.
“The whole day is about women inspiring women so the workshops are taught by women,” said organizer Jolene Airth. “We're going to have coffee breaks and lunch and door prizes are included, and there's little gifts for everybody.”
The sessions run from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, and all the proceeds will go towards funding future workshops. Any leftover funds will be donated to local charities.
“We're focusing our efforts with groups such as veterans, children, aging out of foster care, and Indigenous communities,” Airth said. “Newcomers to Canada, refugees – anyone who's under-served, under-funded, or under-represented.”
Heavens to Betsy was incorporated in the spring of 2022 and received its charitable status last fall. They chose the Mother’s Day weekend for their workshops purposely.
“It's just a fun day to honour women while we fundraise to provide workshops for people in need,” Airth said.
“This event is for women to inspire women. You know, there's people who are widowed or maybe divorced or someone who does not have a man in in the picture or is just single for whatever reason.”
While the topics admittedly pertain to labour-related tasks, Heavens to Betsy president Tracey Sanden said the day is not designed to be all about work.
“My thoughts are everybody has a right to education in one form or another,” she said. “This is just going be a super fun day where we talk about our own experiences in our own homes. The idea also is to remind people that just because we own a home, we still have to maintain it as though it's a car, to keep its value up and keep it healthy.”
As stated on its website, Heavens to Betsy’s mission is to “empower under-served communities and special interest groups by building relationships, bridging gaps, and being a vessel to share knowledge and build skills.”
They offer several workshops on a variety of topics to communities across Alberta, including, but not limited to First Nations, foster care graduates, refugees, immigrants, and veterans.
Airth said the $50 ticket price is subsidized by the group. The actual cost of putting on the event is about $240 per attendee.
For tickets, more information on Heavens to Betsy’s work, or sponsorship opportunities, go to h2betsy.ca. This workshop is open to women only.
