Spectrum

Our Caregivers are the heart of Spectrum and we are hiring! If you, or someone you know is interested in being a paid Caregiver with Spectrum, we would love to meet you.

Please email Sally at [email protected] to arrange a time to get together to discuss the opportunity.

REMINDER! We are currently inviting applications for membership on our Board. We would like to grow our Board by adding four or five people to our team. A volunteer position on the Board is an excellent opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of our North Shore communities.

If you are interested in supporting this work, please send a resume and cover letter to [email protected].

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Spectrum Mother’s Support Society 👩‍🍼

📸: Lisa Ayton

We were delighted to host our first get together with Spectrum moms and caregivers. The moms enjoyed connecting and everyone felt encouraged and supported.

Seeing a blanket full of babies and the smiles on the mom’s faces showed that Spectrum really is making a difference. As one of the young moms shared afterwards, “It was so encouraging to realize that I am not the only one who needed some help.”

“Happiness is everywhere if you know how to see it. It’s not always in the big flashy, moments; most often it’s in the little things—a friendly smile, a cup of coffee, or a butterfly.

Happiness doesn’t have to be grand to be real. Make it your goal to find a bit of happiness each day, no matter how small.”
—

📸: Lisa Ayton

“One day you’ll wake up and feel a weight lifted. The pain of the past weeks, months, or even years will finally ease its grip. You can’t force this day to come, but you can trust that it’s on its way. Hold onto that hope, breathe deep, and keep moving forward. Your healing is already happening.”
—

📸: Lisa Ayton

“Dear Spectrum Supporter,

As a Board Member, I have the privilege of reading the monthly reports from Lisa Ayton, our Caregiver Coordinator, outlining the intense challenges facing the new Mothers we support. Many women in our community are in isolation with no family or friends nearby. The resiliency,  strength and determination of each Mother is incredible, and with a little support and time from our Caregivers, each one receives encouragement to keep going one day at a time.

Motherhood is powerful, but everyone needs support—if only to take a nap, have a shower or some time alone to recharge and rest in whatever way each Mother needs.

Our support is simple, timely and effective and with your help, our small but mighty team is helping families one Mother at a time.”

—Wendy Brown, President

📸: Lisa Ayton

“We have had a significant increase in referrals this past month and so many new moms are struggling with anxiety and depression and some with other significant mental health challenges.

The theme of the Canadian Mental Health Association this year is “Healing through Compassion,” which is Spectrum Mother’s mission and mandate—first we show kindness to ourselves and then to others.

Compassion reduces stress, anxiety and loneliness and increases connections and improves resilience. Thank you for your support!”

—Sally Livingstone, Founder and Program Director

📸: Lisa Ayton

Are you a resident of the North Shore or have worked in one of our North Shore communities? 

We are currently inviting applications for membership on our Board. We would like to grow our Board by adding four or five people to our team. A volunteer position on the Board is an excellent opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of our North Shore communities.

If you are interested in supporting this work, please send a resume and cover letter to [email protected]. 💙🦋

📸: Lisa Ayton

Our Caregivers are the heart of Spectrum and we are hiring. If you, or someone you know is interested in being a paid Caregiver with Spectrum, we would love to meet you.

Please email Sally at [email protected] to arrange a time to get together to discuss the opportunity.

📸: Lisa Ayton

This month we had nine new referrals of women in crisis and thanks to your financial support, we were able to pair each one with a Spectrum Caregiver. We thank you for your support so we can continue to make a difference!

📸: Lisa Ayton

Our mandate is simple...to help any mother who is a resident of the North Shore with children under the age of five.

In the beginning we focused on young mothers with an unexpected pregnancy and those working to leave addiction or abusive relationships. We quickly realized there were many other new mothers facing challenges such as severe anxiety, a husband battling cancer, triplets, twins or a new baby with a serious medical condition. It became clear that if we could reach these mothers with practical and emotional one-on-one support, we could transform her day-to-day reality.

We saw immediately how our support positively impacted the lives of the mother and her children. A new mother is facing sleep deprivation and overwhelm. A compassionate Caregiver brings much needed relief and hope ❤️

📸: Lisa Ayton

Lisa Ayton, Spectrum Caregiver Coordinator

We are thankful for Lisa Ayton who took on the role of Caregiver Coordinator at Spectrum after long time serving Julie Evans retired from the position. Lisa is also a Spectrum Caregiver, but the Caregiver Coordinator role involves triaging the new referrals, matching each one to a Caregiver, writing monthly updates for the Board Members to review and attending Board Meetings.

Lisa trained with Julie and then embraced this important role on our team. Her compassion for the Mothers we support is evident in all her decision making. She has helped to refine our systems of intake and brought her prospective as an experienced Spectrum Caregiver to offer suggestions to better support our Caregivers.

Thank you Lisa for the time and effort you give as Caregiver Coordinator. We appreciate you!

“Motherhood. You do it tired. You do it hungry. You do it overwhelmed. You do it overstimulated. You do it late. You do it early. And often you do it all alone. You do it for them. How? Because your love for them is a force that cannot be reckoned with.”

—

Your love for your children inspires us every day. You are not alone ❤️

📸: Lisa Ayton

“I wish someone would have told me how hard it is to be a mom; not to stop me from having kids, but to help me know I’m not doing anything wrong when the hard creeps in.

Being a mom is hard and being a mom is great. Just remember every day will have different amounts of both, and that’s okay.”

—Kendra Walker,

We’re here to help you through the hard. You’re doing great. Keep going 💕

📸: Lisa Ayton

She is carrying the world right now
But she is also learning to put it down when she needs.
She is learning she can balance
What is hers to give to
While remembering her right to have those moments to breathe.
— S.C. Laurie

📸: Lisa Ayton

I’m proud of you
Proud of you yesterday
Proud of you today
And I will be proud of you tomorrow, because I know you try your best and you deserve the world ☀️
—

📸: Lisa Ayton

“Behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.” —Mitch Albom

📸: Lisa Ayton

Our Caregivers are the heart of Spectrum and we are currently hiring. If you, or someone you know is interested in being a paid Caregiver with Spectrum, we would love to meet you.

Please email Sally at [email protected] to arrange a time to get together to discuss the opportunity.

📸: Lisa Ayton

We are very thankful for a generous $7,500 grant from the West Vancouver Community Foundation. This organization has been a great encouragement to us over the years, and we are proud to be a 2024 Grant Recipient.

With our focus on prevention and combating isolation, we support the WV Foundation core values of belonging and connections in the community.

On behalf of our entire Spectrum team, Thank you!

Are you a resident of the North Shore or have worked in one of our North Shore communities? If you are interested in joining our Board, please send a resume and cover letter to [email protected].

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Spectrum Mother’s Support Society.

📸: Lisa Ayton

“The impact of the support received by our clients, and therefore the impact of the dollars donated, is real.

The opportunity to listen, hold space and to just be there as a friend is powerful. When we can offer practical support we do. With your help, we are reaching more families than ever in a timely manner before a crisis occurs.

Thank you!”

—Sally Livingstone, Founder and Program Director

📸: Lisa Ayton

“Dear Spectrum Supporter,

I feel very fortunate to live in a vibrant and welcoming community. Many of us have life long friendships and broad family support systems. However, many of our neighbours are lacking connections as they are away from family and friends for a variety of reasons. This is why Spectrum exists during a time in a woman’s life when she is recovering from childbirth and also facing major life challenges.

Our simple and effective “one-on-one in-home” Caregiver support provides a safety net of encouragement for six months to a year for a new mother. A child’s first 1000 days is key and when we help a mother, we are reaching the child, any other siblings, and in many cases, her partner. We see the resilience of mothers and how caring and nonjudgmental support during tough times can make all the difference.

On behalf of our Board, and our entire team, thank you for believing in our work, and for your financial support each year.”

—Wendy Brown, President

📸: Lisa Ayton

Thank you to Mothers who put their best foot forward every day.
Thank you to Mothers who support themselves and their children in every single way.
Thank you to Mothers who are doing their best.
Thank you to Caregivers who give our Mothers a chance to rest.

Happy Mother’s Day from Spectrum Mothers Support Society 💜

📸: Lisa Ayton

Have you signed up for our newsletter?

Click the subscribe button on our website, or click the link below. Sign up for monthly announcements and messages from President, Wendy Brown and Founder and Program Director, Sally Livingstone. We would love to have you join our e-community!

https://spectrummothers.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4662ef6d2adf2bebf1399ef7f&id=8216599615

📸: Lisa Ayton

“Dear Spectrum Supporter,

Thank you for your support! At this month’s Board meeting last week, we heard from Lisa and Sally about our most recent referrals, and the challenges these Moms are facing.

It is heart warming that we are able to come alongside new Moms who are struggling in our community.”

—Wendy Brown, President

📸: Lisa Ayton

“Spectrum Mothers mandate is prevention before intervention with the goal of healthy families and healthy communities. Living in a caring neighbourhood where everyone looks out for one another is so encouraging in times of difficulty and stress.

For all of us, making that effort to connect with our neighbours and providing ‘random acts of kindness’ leads to a sense of belonging and confidence. Thank you to all who support us as together, we seek to make a real difference in the lives of mothers and their families across the North Shore.”

—Sally Livingstone, Founder and Program Director

📸: Lisa Ayton

We are currently inviting applications for membership on our Board! A position on the Board is an excellent opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of our North Shore communities.

Spectrum’s board is responsible for the stewardship of the organization, for guarding the mission of the society, and for maintaining high standards of accountability. Our Board regularly interacts with the staff in discussing issues and the overall strategic direction of the organization.

If you are interested in supporting this work, please send a resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Spectrum Mother’s Support Society.

📸: Lisa Ayton

The “Cause We Care” Foundation is making a difference.

Having an empty food cupboard is stressful at any time, especially when you have young children to feed. This past December we were once again recipients of the “Cause We Care” hamper backpacks for us to distribute to our clients.

We appreciate this opportunity to network with another local, dynamic organization to provide this practical support for our moms. Thank you to our friends at “Cause We Care” for choosing our Spectrum Moms as a recipient of your hampers.

Welcome Alexis Greer to our Caregiver team!

Alexis was hired in January 2024 and is the most recent addition to our Caregiving team. Alexis is a mother of five and has always had a passion to support mothers. With some doula training under her belt, she is the perfect Caregiver to match with a mother with premature twins.

If you, or someone you know is interested in becoming a paid Spectrum Caregiver, we would love to meet you and provide you with more information.

Please email [email protected] to arrange for a call at your convenience.

“Motherhood teaches us that we can do hard things. We do it tired. We do it touched out. We do it when we often don’t feel like we can.

We do it because one look in our kids’ eyes is enough to light a fire in us that can’t be put out. When the going gets tough, the moms get going. I’m proud of us.” —.partyy

We’re proud of you ❤️

📸: Lisa Ayton