About

The Intrepid Pens DTES Reading & Writing Society (“Intrepid Pens”) provides literacy-based programming for residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).

Through a variety of programs (including, at present, a book club, a creative writing workshop, and an arts and culture appreciation component) Intrepid Pens provides opportunities for guided writing and reading in the DTES, because we believe in the power of storytelling (and the sharing, healing, and growing that result) as a real vehicle for change.

Intrepid Pens has been offering programming in the DTES since the summer of 2008. The group was incorporated under the Society Act on February 3, 2011 pursuant to the Society Act of British Columbia under Certificate No.S-57825, and registered with Canada Revenue Agency, Charities Directorate as a charitable organization effective February 25, 2011. The Society/Charity’s Business Number is 82113 5209 RR0001.

About the facilitator
About the program
About the community
About the members
About the team

About the facilitator

Amanda is a Vancouver-based writer/editor who has spent years practicing and perfecting her craft. A 2006 graduate of the Print Futures: Professional Writing Program, Amanda is professionally trained in all aspects of research, writing, editing, and design (including substantive editing, copy editing, and proofreading), as well as corporate writing, technical writing, creative writing, and writing for the web).

She has worked as either writer, editor, or designer in the production of websites, web copy, training manuals, research reports, brochures, media kits, press releases, business plans, Integrated Marketing and Communications Plans, works of historical non-fiction, creative writing anthologies, course material, magazine articles, advertisements, and direct marketing pieces.

And she loves what she does. But her passion to effect positive change in the community trumps her passion for the written word. So when she’s not working to improve creative communications in corporate Canada, Amanda uses her skills to facilitate Intrepid Pens — a program she created in 2008.

About the program

In late 2008, Amanda extended an offer of volunteer writing/editing services to several organizations in the DTES. The result was a Business Writing Tutorial for patrons of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre that explored the importance of an industry-standard résumé and the value of “life experience” in a job search.

Quickly, based on fast-increasing interest from centre patrons and women in the community, the “program” grew. That first session had just two attendees. In 2010, Amanda worked with 15 – 18 regular members, and by 2011, as many as 25 women attended meetings each week.

Today the offering is a comprehensive Reading & Writing Program (“Intrepid Pens”) that includes weekly Book Club meetings, a Creative Writing Workshop, outings, and arts and culture appreciation. Between 2009 and 2011, Intrepid Pens met weekly at the women’s centre. Starting in August 2011, the group will meet at the brand-new W2 Media Cafe.

At present, based on the nature of the space provided by the women’s centre, Intrepid Pens provides programming for women only. However, moving forward, with the help of a variety of DTES organizations and local sponsors, Intrepid Pens will grow to include programs for men and youth.

About the community

The Downtown Eastside is notorious in Vancouver. Widely considered Canada’s poorest postal code, it is a community characterized by high levels of poverty, homelessness, addiction, and violence. That said, it is also one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods — one with a rich and diverse history — and a district with one of the highest concentrations of artists and art galleries per capita in the country.

About the members

As the facilitator of Intrepid Pens (since its inception in 2009), Amanda had the privilege of working (reading, writing, sharing, laughing, healing, and growing) with hundreds of women in Vancouver’s DTES.

So far all members have been women, but it’s an incredibly diverse group: members range in age from 20 to 85; some or all of the members have struggled (still struggle) with some or all of the issues so prevalent in the DTES (poverty, homelessness, abuse, addiction, physical and psychiatric disability, and the ramifications of work in the sex trade), and most are literate, but several are reading and writing for the very first time.

That said, one thing has been true of every single member:  each woman arrived at an Intrepid Pens Book Club or Creative Writing meeting with an incredible story of strength and survival to share, hope for the future, a passion for the community, a powerful voice, a love of words and an understanding of the power they have, a talent for writing and storytelling, a willingness to learn, a sense of humour, and a seemingly endless supply of support for one another.

Within the safe confines of Intrepid Pens, the group has found safety, solace, and camaraderie. And members report improved literacy and improved self-esteem, increased confidence, a renewed interest in learning, healing, friendship, and fun.

About the team

Board of Directors:

Amanda Grondahl
Aaron Cruikshank
Jill Kenney

Volunteers:

Sarah Stephen

Meet them . . .

Aaron Cruikshank

Aaron Cruikshank is a communications professional and a public policy analyst by trade who specializes in technology, post-secondary education, non-profits and utilities. He is currently running the Marketing Department at Clevest Solutions Inc and recently co-founded Sunsplot Media Group. Sunsplot is focussed on providing online content, books, training and services to a number of markets.

Previous employers include the Government of Canada, the Government of BC, Dow Chemicals and BC Hydro. Between 2003 and 2010, Aaron ran a management consulting firm based in the Downtown East Side (DTES) whose major clients included the Government of Canada, the Government of BC, Terasen Gas, UBC, Bosch, a number of high tech start-ups and non-profits.

Born and raised in East and North Vancouver, Aaron has had several jobs in and around the DTES since 1996 and has always felt a sense of camaraderie with the community. Several childhood friends ended up living in the DTES as extremely disadvantaged adults. As a father of young children and husband to an artist/writer, the positive mission and goals of Intrepid Pens has always resonated with Aaron. He hopes to help Intrepid Pens reach wider audiences and help more people find their voice while maintaining the spirit that brought the original members together.

His diverse employment history includes two non-profits including the Society for Children and Youth and the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table. A lifelong volunteer, Aaron has held Board positions with the Learning Disabilities Association, the SFU Alumni Association and helped dozens of other non-profits across Canada by doing pro bono project and committee work.

Jill Kenney

Jill Kenney is an entrepreneur, a small business owner, and an award-winning business plan writer with over ten-years professional experience in sales and marketing.

Since the completion of her postgraduate ‘Asia Pacific Management Coop Program’ in 2002, she has been busy gaining valuable real-world business experience both locally and globally in service, manufacturing, and retail environments. She opened, operated (staff of 8), and sold (for profit) a successful business – the Business Plan for which won Small Business BC’s Annual Business Plan Award, 2009. And she organized, promoted, and produced a variety of successful fundraising campaigns – raising over $15,000.

Today Jill works in partnership with a fellow Marketing Expert to offer a BC Provincial Government-sponsored Social Media and PR Course to local business, and not-for-profits, owners and their staff. During this time she’s attended countless seminars, workshops, and courses related to sales, marketing, promotions, and management to ensure she stays on top of the latest industry trends, and remain a thought leader in this arena.

In the past few years, Jill was a volunteer and organizer of a variety of successful fundraising campaigns for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, and BC Children’s Hospital.

Sarah Stephen

Sarah is a writing and literacy resource for the members of Intrepid Pens. She loves books and sharing them with others, and has done so as a volunteer adult literacy tutor, children’s tutor, and library assistant. She works in communications in Vancouver.

Back to top