Media Release – Bible Hill Kinsmen

#SickNotWeak Kitchen Party – A Virtual Hug for Central Nova Scotia

May 20, 2020

#SickNotWeak Kitchen Party – A Virtual Hug for Central Nova Scotia

(Truro, NS) – Online mental health organization #SickNotWeak announced today they will be hosting an virtual Kitchen Party this Saturday in support of all the folks in Nova Scotia and all they have been dealing with in recent weeks.

The event will be hosted by #SickNotWeak founder and media personality Michael Landsberg and feature a variety of guests including Premier Stephen McNeil, MP Lenore Zann, former Blue Jays GM and now Braves President Alex Anthopoulos, Sportsnet’s Arash Madani, hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser, actor Jonathan Torrens, musicians Charlie A’Court and Robb Nash, comedian Sean Cullen, magician Ian Stewart (who will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for “most beer bottles opened with a chainsaw” because, why not?) and local first responders from Colchester County. More guests will be announced as they are confirmed.

“While 2020 has pretty much sucked for everyone, its been particularly hard on folks in Nova Scotia,” Landsberg said. “The goal of #SickNotWeak is always to offer a different take on mental health – one that’s more real and less clinical. So hosting something for folks who have been through so much already this year was a no-brainer for us.”

Sponsored by the Bible Hill Kinsmen, the event will be free to attend online (hosted on #SickNotWeak’s website, Facebook and Twitter sites) and open to anyone who wants to attend.

“People around here need a great big virtual hug,” said Quinn McCarthy of the Bible Hill Kinsmen. “I’m really excited to see so many great people coming together to help people here in central Nova Scotia get through what has been a really tough year so far.”

“The last thing people need right now is some preachy, clinical mental health discussion,” Landsberg added. “#SickNotWeak doesn’t do that. We’re here to help people feel connected and supported.”

Since the start of 2020, Nova Scotia – and particularly Colchester County – have endured a number of unprecedented tragedies. Like the rest of the world, they are locked down with the covid19 pandemic but they have also had to deal with the Portapique mass shooting, the crash of an RCAF CH-148 Cyclone that claimed two local lives, the crash of an RCAF Snowbird that claimed the life of Capt. Jenn Casey (a Halifax native) as well as other local events. As a tight-knit, largely rural community, not being able to gather to properly grieve these events has been particularly hard. We hope that events like this will help people come together online.

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For more information, please contact:
Jamie Carroll
Email: jec79@me.com

Kinsmen Book Fair Donation Supports Library Foundation

From left – Bible Hill Kinsmen President Drew Douglas, Treasurer Geoff Hamlin, Book Fair Committee Chair Brent Pettis, Jeremy DeVito (NovelTea Bookstore Café), Mary Brown (Chair of the Library Foundation), and Nuri Guerra (Campaign Director for Library Foundation)

For Immediate Release

The results of the 1^stAnnual Colchester Book Fair are in and they are fantastic! The book sale, spearheaded by the Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill and NovelTea Bookstore Café, raised more than $9,000 for the community.

“Due to this overwhelming support, we are able to donate $6,000 of the proceeds to the Colchester East Hants Public Library Foundation,” says Brent Pettis, chair of the Kinsmen’s Book Fair Committee. “That donation was matched by the Snook Group, meaning the foundation is receiving a cheque for $12,000!”

For 51 years, the local branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women ran the book sale. The group decided it no longer had the resources to do it, and looked to the community for someone to take it over. The Bible Hill Kinsmen and NovelTea took on the challenge.

“The book-buying community was more supportive than we could have ever hoped,” says Jeremy DeVito, Owner of NovelTea. “People who had a long tradition of making the Book Fair a must attend event on their calendar were beyond gracious in showing up to continue that tradition with us. We also saw countless people who told us this was their first book fair and ensured us they’d be back in future years.”

Mary Brown, Chair of the Colchester East Hants Public Library Foundation, says the group is thrilled to have the support of the Bible Hill Kinsmen, NovelTea and the Snook Group.

“These much needed funds will help towards outfitting the Teen Program Room at the new library,” says Brown. “The new facility is going to be a wonderful addition to downtown Truro and the community it supports.”

A sincere thank you also goes to the CFUW for their help throughout the transition, as well as library staff and volunteers for their help during the sorting and selling process.

“When we first decided to take this project on, it was for this year only, to see how it would go,” explains Pettis. “However, given the support that we received, we have no doubt we’ll be back for years to come.”

The remaining money from the sale after the donation is made to the Library Foundation will help the Bible Hill Kinsmen support other community initiatives throughout the year.

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For media inquiries:

Quinn McCarthy
Bible Hill Kinsmen
(902) 890-6330
bookfair@biblehillkinsmen.ca

Kindness Meters Collecting for the Community

For Immediate Release

May 11, 2016 – Colchester’s kindness just keeps rolling in. In the short time that old parking metres were placed in Downtown Truro to collect donations for local charities and non-profits, cheques have been written to four organizations totalling close to $850. The four groups on the receiving end so far are The Colchester Food Bank, The Truro Homeless Outreach Society, Third Place Transition House and the Christmas Index Program.

“This partnership between the Bible Hill Kinsmen, the Town of Truro and the Downtown Truro Partnership has made excellent use of people’s spare change,” said Quinn McCarthy, project chair with the Bible Hill Kinsmen. “This is money that these four groups would not have otherwise had and every bit counts when trying to serve the community’s greatest need.”

“These are very worthy organizations and we are very proud to continue to support this project,” said Debbie Elliot, Executive Director of the Downtown Truro Partnership. “Keep that spare change coming in!”

“This is a very unique partnership between a municipality, local service organization and business community that has gained regional and national attention,” added Truro Mayor Bill Mills. “It’s a great example of what can happen when groups work together towards a common goal.”

From the months of May to September, three new groups will be receiving proceeds from the Kindness Metres. These are the Boys and Girls Club of Truro and Colchester, Children’s Wish Foundation – Nova Scotia Chapter and the CEC Safe Grad Program.

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For media inquiries:
Quinn McCarthy
Bible Hill Kinsmen
(902) 890-6330
kindnessmeters@biblehillkinsmen.ca

Bible Hill Kinsmen, NovelTea Bookstore Cafe partner for the 1st Annual Colchester Book Fair

For Immediate Release

April 22, 2016 – Book Lovers Rejoice! The Bible Hill Kinsmen, in partnership with NovelTea Bookstore Café, are proud to continue a decade’s long community tradition and will be hosting a book fair this Spring. On June 3^rd and 4^th, the 1st Annual Colchester Book Fair will assume the annual book sale that was previously run by the Canadian Federation of University Women. Proceeds from the event will support the Colchester East Hants Library Foundation and other Kinsmen community projects.

“Members of our club were very excited to hear that a worthy organization like the Kinsmen has stepped forward to carry on the fundraising legacy of CFUW Truro,” said Corinne Cameron, local CFUW member. “It is fitting that we pass the sale to a group that values literacy and supports charities and organizations that enrich our community.”

With the recent news of the sale discontinuing after 51 years in the community, NovelTea Bookstore Café owner, Jeremy DeVito knew this was something that needed to live on in the community.

“I felt strongly that NovelTea should step up to the challenge of continuing the tradition from which we have benefited and received such enjoyment in the past,” said DeVito. “We’re proud to partner with a community-minded organization like the Bible Hill Kinsmen on this event.”

The sale will continue to be a two-day event. It will take place on Friday, June 3^rd, from 6 to 9 pm, and again on Saturday, June 4^th, from 9 am to 4 pm. It has relocated to the Eagles Landing Building at 510 Prince Street (former MacQuarries Pharmasave location).

“As with so many of our other events, we wouldn’t be successful without the support of the local community,” said Drew Douglas, President of the Bible Hill Kinsmen. “In the weeks leading up to the event, we’re asking the public to donate their books, comic books, games, puzzles, DVDs and CD’s and records at one of our six dropoff locations around town.”

A complete list of drop off locations and other details on the resurrected book fair can be found by visiting biblehillkinsmen.ca or facebook.com/bhkinsmen.

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For media inquiries:

Quinn McCarthy
Bible Hill Kinsmen
(902) 890-6330
bookfair@biblehillkinsmen.ca

Drop off locations for donations:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car
310 Prince St.
Truro

NovelTea Bookstore Cafe
3 Pleasant St.
Truro

Century Hyundai
138 Main St
Bible Hill
Ask for Quinn

Shur Gain Feeds n Needs
464 Willow Street
Truro

Fundy Appliance
178 Pictou Rd
Bible Hill

Sobeys
68 Robie Street
Fundy Trail Mall

Contact Number for Large Lot Pickups: 902-956-3319
Contact Number for Information: 902-897-6575
Contact Email for Information: bookfair@biblehillkinsmen.ca