The Kootenay-based Diverse Family Roots Society celebrated its one-year anniversary last month and Executive Director Ben Postmus says it was one to remember.
The Diverse Family Roots Society was created in the fall of 2023, providing a grassroots support network for those who have children or family members with disabilities.
The organization promotes mentoring, family connections and supports, access to resources, and advocacy.
Executive Director Ben Postmus founded the group last fall out of necessity. Today, it has over 20 volunteers throughout the region who support other families with diverse needs and concerns in their own communities.
“Starting a non-profit from scratch and having the community embrace it was really exciting. We have 22 volunteer family stewards now who are not only navigating their own family’s needs but have stepped up to help other families in their own communities. We’ve had many responses from people saying, ‘Where has this been all my life? I could have used this years ago,’ and so on.”
Postmus hosts a virtual dad group every Sunday evening. A highlight of 2024 for him was seeing dads from across Canada ask to take part.
“I’ve been hosting the group for a number of years, but we have had 108 dads come through now, which is amazing. There’s nothing out there for dads who have children with disabilities. It’s not only dads from the region joining but also from around B.C. and as far away as Thunder Bay, who come because they want the connection.”
DFRS relies strictly on grant funding, however, in Postmus’s opinion, a true grassroots organization shouldn’t rely on government funding but rather on community funding streams instead.
The organization secured two of the Columbia Basin Trust ReDi grants in 2024 through the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary, which it’s applying for again this year.
DFRS is applying for the same grants through the Regional District of East Kootenay this year as well, with the goal of expanding and strengthening DFRS’s presence in the eastern region.
While he feels confident in securing the ReDi grants again, he says remaining a sustainable organization was, and will continue to be, DFRS’s biggest challenge.
“We’re trying to be sustainable, right? And to be sustainable, we need the funding. So, our wish for 2025 is to be sustainable—to not worry about how we’re going to deliver this program and to have the financial stability through community support.”
Postmus hopes to see more volunteers join this year, aiming to have at least three family stewards in every Kootenay community by the end of 2025.
He says increasing community support and raising awareness are also priorities and encourages those interested in volunteering or seeking assistance to visit the DFRS website for updates on events and initiatives.
“Our website is full of information. We’ve got some amazing resources and some amazing testimonials from parents on the impact that we’ve made.”
For more information, click here.
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