The Social Profit Network (SPN) of Cortes Island had a meeting last week that was organized to help local organizations navigate current pandemic regulations and to reflect on their experiences over the last 18 months.

The event's central question — “What’s essential in these difficult times?” — referred to the provincial and federal public health orders, which categorize businesses and services into "essential" versus "non-essential" categories, thus defining how they are permitted to function during the various phases of the pandemic.

Hollyhock Campus Director Andrea Fisher, who also sits on the board of the Cortes Housing Society, said that several people, like herself, are involved in multiple organizations, and approximately 12 were represented at the meeting.

She said that the gathering gave everyone present time to speak about the last 18 months, personally or professionally. The agenda originally planned time for one or two case studies from organizations who wanted peer feedback or support, but time ran short. That idea will now be carried forward into future meetings.

The SPN had its first gathering in September 2019, when the Cortes Island’s non-profits convened partly to look at various funding opportunities. At the latest meeting, most people spoke about similar challenges they are experiencing keeping up with the public health mandates, which take a lot of time to interpret and implement.

Fisher said that the SPN gatherings are “extremely helpful — just having that feeling that you're not in it on your own.”

Listen to the CKTZ News interview with Andrea Fisher below: