When Julie Matson moved back to the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood with their partner in 2020, a member of their queer hiking group told them to check out the then-newly-opened RISE Community Health Centre where they were accepted as patients right away.

Thanks to the staff at RISE, Julie has been able to get a lot of support to navigate their chronic health issues stemming from intense childhood trauma, getting assistance with tasks like paperwork and being able to speak to specialists.

“I wouldn’t have been able to have access or been able to do the things that I’ve done without the support of the team at RISE because it would have been just so overwhelming…  I felt so supported and heard when I was working with the people that I worked with,” Julie says.

Because of their own experience and their belief in the work that RISE does in ensuring that everyone has access to quality health care, Julie joined RISE’s Advisory Committee and has been part of it for over three years now. They appreciate that the committee’s membership does not only represent the clients of RISE but also the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood.

“Identifying as a queer, nonbinary person that lives with disabilities… it was really nice to see the representation that was also around me,” says Julie. “It’s a full range of not only the cultural communities but the diversity of people in how they identify and their work, which is what I think the neighbourhood actually is.”

“It’s also really nice to be able to have a place where my voice is being heard and listened to, and I can utilize my skillset that I developed in my professional life, in ways that will give back to my community.”

They also found the backgrounds of some of the committee members impressive. “There are some serious professionals. There are doctors and people with nursing backgrounds… I was very happily surprised by that, and gives me hope that people are caring in this world that we currently live in, where it feels like it’s really devoid of that kind of personal attention and care. It was really nice to see just this level of professionalism and experience that other committee members had,” Julie says.

For folks interested in getting involved with RISE or other CNH programs, Julie encourages volunteering as a way to feel connected to the community.

“By being connected to something like Collingwood Neighbourhood House, you actually do feel like you’re not only part of the community, but you’re contributing to the community, and then you’re seeing that represented back to you just through your involvement, and then you actually are–you truly do become part of the community.”

This story was originally written for our 2024 Annual Report, which highlights the experiences of program participants, volunteers and community members at CNH. Learn more about RISE Community Health Centre at cnh.bc.ca/rise.

First published on

in