Last month, Ted Osler, one of the partners at Six Degrees, an audio, music recording studio here in the city, offered to record the one page story I’ve written on Joanne, a young 17 year old girl who was murdered several years ago. Joanne was in the process of leaving street life behind when she made a decision that cost her life. We are telling Joanne’s, and other stories of women murdered on the streets in the project, and My Name is… which the planning committee is currently in the throes of defining, creating, organizing.
When I went to the studio for the recording session of the story, Andrea Wettstein, the composer and voice coach we were working with, became interested in the project enough that she asked to be involved. Yesterday, she came to the meeting with me and will continue to volunteer her energy and talents towards moving it forward. Six Degrees has offered to stay involved as well as we continue to prepare for the official launch of the project this fall.
It is the selfless giving of organizations like Six Degrees, city employees like Beth and Dawn, Jody, Rebecca, Quyen in the Arts & Culture Department who go beyond the call of duty to ensure Calgary’s cultural essence continues to thrive and individuals like Andrea and Helen and Sue and Bev and Jane and all the police working with us to create the substance behind each voice in and My Name is…, that great acts of service are committed in the world, everyday.
If you volunteer, whether it be your time, talents, treasures or the resources of your organization, I invite you to take a moment today and say, ‘You’re welcome world’. Acknowledging what you do as a volunteer, honouring your contributions is as important as honouring the contributions of others. Your willingness to contribute acts of service to the world, makes a difference.
Give yourself a pat on the back today — you deserve it and the universe deserves your gifts.
Namaste.
Dare Boldly 
Great news for the project!
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I was a friend of Joanne’s. I even lived with her, her friend Tina, and my best friend Karen with some old guy for a couple weeks, and a few weeks before she was killed, she was teaching me to use a knife to defend myself. I don’t know if there is a way of contacting you privately, but I would love to hear Lisa read her sister’s piece. I’m drawn to you, it seems. Sorry if that’s weird. I was also friends with Chrissy Mowat, Rebecca Boutillier, and a girl named Melaney that were all killed around that time. My best friend went out to work that night, (January 9th) it was her 18th birthday. I stayed in because I had money. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I’ve been up all night rehashing all the details in old newspapers I kept, and anything I could find online, although I’ve read most of it before. I seen the CBC?
documentary as well, but years ago. Your blog post was one of the few new pieces I’ve received on Joanne in the last couple years, and knowing Lisa read stuff as Joanne touches me immensely. Thank you for caring. Lucinda
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Hello Lucinda, reading your comment this morning brought tears to my eyes and also, some ease in my heart. I became involved in the project because I believe it’s important we tell these stories, that we give voice to those who have lost their voices. Along with the one page story I wrote that Lisa recorded, an artist in Edmonton did a painting of Joanne — I will look in my files to see if I have a copy. You can see the painting at the EXIT Community Outreach building which I believe is in Inglewood. (I believe that’s where the painting has ended up — when they opened their new building recently it was meant to be part of it). I am including for you a recording I have on file of the story being read by Lisa. I listened to it this morning for the first time in a long time — it still moves me to tears. You can easily find me on FB if you want to send me a DM. https://soundcloud.com/louiseg88/and-my-name-is-joanne-feb-21 Much light and love to you Lucinda. I am so grateful to know you made it out.
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PS watched your TED talk too, you are awesome!
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❤
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