A Houston DUDES Club is looking to resurrect and start helping the men in the community.
The first DUDES club was founded on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in 2010 with the overall objective of encouraging wellness and health.
It is about having a safe space to talk, share, work towards positivity.
The club in Houston, that was first started a year ago, had to close down for two reasons, one is due to COVID and second is because the Elder who was part of the group is moving away and according to Anthony Payne, who is trying to bring together the group, having one First Nations Elder in the group is necessary.
Payne, who was part of the club that was started a year ago in Houston and is now hoping to bring in another Elder, as well as is looking for a location to host the club.
“Due to COVID we are now going to have to meet outside. So now we are looking for a place where the DUDES club with more than five to six people can meet outside safely,” he said.
Currently there are two DUDES clubs in Burns Lake, one in Smithers and one in Hazelton.
The first DUDES Club was established in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside in 2010 and takes its name from the phrase Downtown Urban knights Defending Equality and Solidarity. The three objectives of DUDES club are to build solidarity, brotherhood, trust and positive role models with men; to promote holistic, cost-effective men’s health through accessible dialogue, education, and health screening opportunities and to enable men to regain a sense of pride, purpose, and fulfillment in their life.
“Any man from any age group who wants to come is welcome at the club. There are several support groups for women so having something like this for men, is great,” said Payne adding that this is not a group like the alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous but a group to foster dialogue and development for men.
“I just want people to know that they could have a safe space to meet and also that we are looking for a place to gather as a club,” he said.
- With files from Rod Link