A whole new means of connecting local women has proven to be a major hit with the Ponoka community.
It all started with a general social media post in January by resident Jula Lewis, who asked if any women in the area were finding it a bit challenging to make connections beyond their everyday routines.
“I posted on there saying, does anyone feel the same way, and would anyone be open to starting a women’s group where we could post things that were going on, or make new friends in a very non-judgemental and neutral environment,” she explained.
“Within two days, I had maybe 300 people either ‘like’ it, or ‘heart’ it, or react to it in some way. And there were about 100 comments as well,” she said.
From that point, Lewis heard from representatives with a local project called Influencing the Future, who agreed it was a solid idea for the community, and agreed to assist.
The awareness of how important it is to build community isn’t lost on Lewis, who is originally from Ontario.
She soon re-posted to announce the launch of the Women of Ponoka page on Facebook.
“Within about three days, we had 500 members. And now, we are at more than 600. It’s been great! Once I started the group, I also knew I wanted to do a welcome event. I wanted it to be free and accessible to people.”
She rented the Elks Hall, bought some snacks, and hosted a women’s event on the evening of March 8, which also happened to be International Women’s Day.
About 50 women attended.
“A ton of female-owned businesses in town — about 27 to be exact — gave us door prizes for free, too,” she said, adding that reps from Influencing the Future also provided information on various aspects of women’s health.
“We all just talked and had fun — everyone was visiting, going from table to table and meeting people. Overall, I think it’s what we needed as a first event to kick it off.
“And this is just the beginning. I like that Facebook is very active, so people are posting on there about things they are doing, and they are seeing if others want to join in.
“People are going to Costco, for example, and checking to see if anyone wants anything they can pick it up. It’s about building community within the women of Ponoka.”
Lewis said that in past eras, it seemed like there was more of an emphasis on strong community ties.
“I think with this generation, it’s a little bit different. But I’d like to get a bit of that (sense of community) back,” she said, adding that there is no substitute for literally being ‘together’.
“I think that we need to harness a bit of that mentality again; to just be there, and to be a support system,” she said.
Ultimately, Lewis is finding a lot of fulfillment in the group herself, and she’s excited about what the future holds.
“It’s been really fun,” she said
“It’s also been so rewarding. There are really great people in Ponoka who I have never met, and I want to meet them.”
For more information, find Women of Ponoka on Facebook.