Dear Practitioner,

One of our Eastern Currents clients, Irina Cividino, began working periodically in Tumbler Ridge about three and a half years ago. She has given 350+ treatments, helping over 50 locals over the years. Over time, her visits shifted from monthly, to six times a year, to four and now two. She's grown to love the place, landscape, and so many people here. It ripped her heart open when the shooting happened. 

Within hours she knew she had to do something. Fortunately, she was already trained by Acupuncturists Without Borders, had all the supplies ready from running her own mobile practice, and knew enough people locally to get community acupuncture pop-up clinic off the ground. 

With the help of Yvonne Poulin, an RMT with 30-years experience, they found a venue, meals for volunteers, supplies for the space, and started spreading the word in town. Yvonne has been offering free relaxation massage treatments to Tumbler Ridge residents for 1 week now. 

The goal is to keep the space open for another 5 weeks.

This grassroots initiative is focused on providing accessible, trauma-informed care to residents during a difficult time. Irina will be serving on the ground during the first 7 days and the final 4 days — and she is looking for BC registered TCMs (R.Ac., R.TCM.P., Dr.TCM) to help fill the 3.5-week gap in between.

Photos from the first few days of the pop-up clinic in Tumbler Ridge.

Efforts are also underway to secure funding to cover volunteers' gas mileage, food, and accommodations. A local Tumbler Ridge catering company has generously committed to providing lunch and dinner for practitioners. If sufficient funding is raised, we will start offering practitioners $120 per 4-hour clinic shift (please note this cannot yet be guaranteed). Currently, Irina has been in communication with 4 other practitioners who may be able to help. She would like their out of pocket expenses to be covered. She would also like to be able to offer a small gift of thanks to each volunteer. 

Tumbler Ridge is remote and under serviced, with only 2 local massage therapists there. All other practitioners have to travel to get there, and this is why donations make a big difference for those practitioners travelling here.  

This is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with Tumbler Ridge and offer meaningful care to those affected. For those who join this work, Acupuncturists Without Borders will provide a training manual and a 1-hour preparatory video to support volunteers. 

If you would like to get involved, please call Irina directly at 780-228-0879 or email at irina@sproutacupuncture.ca. If you know any BC registered RMT's who may be interested in volunteering, please forward this information to them as well.

If you are unable to offer your time, but would like to make a donation to support this initiative in Tumbler Ridge, please click the button below (Note - you will receive an Official Donation Receipt for Income Tax Purposes with your donation): 

Tragedies are devastating and, though we hope to avoid them, they do occur. In those moments, it’s inspiring to see our practitioner community step forward. We commend Irina and Yvonne for the work they’ve begun and share this to encourage you to contribute—through your time, a donation, or by connecting with Acupuncturists Without Borders to learn more. If you’re in another health profession, consider seeking out similar organizations to discover how you can help when it’s needed most.

Sincerely,

The Eastern Currents Team