There is great potential in everyone and everything. @jajawoot @FreeOfViolence #sharethejoy

Photo of Janice Abbot, CEO of Atira Womens Resource Society by Eyoalha Baker for the Jump for Joy Photo project

Janice is the powerful force behind Atira Womens Resource Society. I had the honour of not only meeting her, but being supported by her to create the Wall of Joy mural with Atira and BC Housing. I have great admiration and respect for her, and her ability to make things happen and to help people in the DTES of Vancouver. Knowing people like her are out there doing this kind and much needed work to lift people up is a good reason to jump for joy. Thank you Janice!

JANICE ABBOTT …

Q: What makes you jump for joy?
A: Eyoälha.. 🙂

Q. Your experience doing jumping photos?
A: A little silly. A little free. A little joyful.

Q: What inspires you in life?
A: My daughter… and all vibrant, intelligent, interesting, ambitious young women, really.

Q: Your greatest passion?
A: Whatever I am doing in the moment.

Q: Driving Force?
A: There is a Taoist saying, “the journey is the reward.” There is a Sanskrit saying, “Each today well lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness and tomorrow a vision of hope. Look, therefore, to this one day, for it and it alone is life.” I believe I have to live my life knowing this is all there is and that every moment matters.

Q. Philosophy?
A: There is great potential in everyone and everything.

Q: Anything in the world?
A: I am currently doing exactly what I want to be doing and while the work of ending violence against women sometimes feels overwhelming and futile, if you think about it one woman, one child, one man at a time, it feels infinitely possible.

Mini Bio: I grew up in Powell River. The ocean smells like home. While there are lots of things I hate about the sports industry, I love baseball. I inevitably cry when I am reading a book or watching a movie, even happy ones. I don’t stand for the national anthem – any of them. I have a bit of a shoe fetish. I love the rain. I hate coffee. My favourite book is Beloved, by Tony Morrison. I have read every book, short story and poem Margaret Atwood has ever published. My guilty pleasure is reading crime novels, the creepier the better. I am a non-practicing atheist What I want most in life right now is a dog.

CONNECT WITH JANICE
Twitter: @FreeOfViolence @jajawoot
Instagram: @freeofviolence
FB: Atira Womens Resource Society
Web: www.atira.bc.ca

This is Janice Abbott being interviewed by Fiona Forbes at the Wall of Joy mural opening 2015

Support what you value and admire @FreeOfViolence #jumpforjoyphotoproject

Photo of Janice Abbot, CEO of Atira Womens Resource Society by Eyoalha Baker for the Jump for Joy Photo project

“You get more reward from your efforts when they’re applied in a positive direction. So instead of rebelling against what you dislike, work to build and support what you value and admire.” – Marc and Angel hack Life

Janice Abbott is a woman I admire and respect. She is the Founder and CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society, which is a not-for-profit organization committed to the work of ending violence against women through providing direct service, as well as working to increase awareness of and education around the scope and impact on our communities of men’s violence against women and children.

If it weren’t for the support of Janice and all the amazing people who work at Atira, the Wall of Joy Mural may never have been created but more importantly the work they do in the community is vital. People have homes, are safe and eat because they took the time to build what was needed.

There will always be difficult situations in life, the perspective and actions we take make all the difference. Thank you to people like Janice, who do what needs to be done.

Happy to celebrate wonderful people doing good 🙂