About Us

From left: Amanda Whitefield, Curtis Evans, Lorna McPherson, Gerry Fewster, Jessica McPherson, Ruth Forsythe, Kelly Buccini, Kathleen Neilson, Lisa Varsteh

The Serenity House is a concept devised by Lorna and Jessica McPherson to create a facility to house young parents and their children when other options are not available. The Serenity Child and Parent Society is a non-profit society that was formed to plan and oversee the birth of the Serenity House concept.

The Serenity House Mission is to provide a safe and caring residential resource for Young Parents and their children, which will provide them with a “chance” to co-create healthy familial patterns and themes for future generations, and to work with them in a manner which will enhance optimal growth and development of infants, children, and youth, through assessment, intervention, prevention, advocacy, and education.

Doug Routley, MLA Cowichan – Ladysmith said, “ The project proposed by Lorna and Jessica McPherson is the kind of project that will have a positive effect in our community and lends itself to a pilot project that would be of value throughout BC.”

Serenity Child and Parent Society Prominent Members and Board Directors

	Lorna J McPherson (Executive Director for Serenity Project) Lorna holds a Degree in Child and Youth with a Specialization in Child Protection - CYC BA - Partially Delegated Children Protection Worker & Certified ECE Assistant. Named to the Dean’s Honour List for Academic Achievement – 4 years in a row; received four scholarships which included Cowichan Foundation Award for Academic Achievement; Carol Matthews Community Service Award; Malaspina University Award for Academic Excellence; with the largest scholarship being Millennium Scholarship for Community Service. Lorna also completed the Family Care Home Program through the Ministry of Children and Family Development in 2006.
	Jessica J McPherson (Associate Director for Serenity Project) Jessica has a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Specialization in Special Needs and Infant/Toddler. Additional education has included Right from the Start Facilitator Training; Infant/ Toddler/Special Needs Training; Food Safe; Level 1 First Aid; Introduction to Accounting; and Computer Graphics. Jessica is currently employed in the Growing Together Young Parent Program and has also completed the Family Care Home Program through the Ministry of Children and Family Development in 2006.
	Ruth M.E.Forsythe (Active Serenity Society Member - Founding Member of Serenity Board of Directors) Ruth holds a degree in Child and Youth with a Specialization in Child Protection – CYCBA – Fully Delegated Child Protection Worker. Contributes and promotes the Society.
	Gerry D Fewster (President of the Serenity Child and Parent Society Board of Directors) Ph.D., Administrator of the Pacific North West Institute of the Integrative Body Psychotherapy and Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at the University of Calgary. Program Design and Development Consultant and contributes and promotes the Society.
	Christopher Paton-Gay (Vice President of the Serenity Child and Parent Society Board of Directors) Chairman of a number of Public Corporate Boards and Director / Trustee of several Private Boards. Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
	Curtis M Evans (Secretary of the Serenity Child and Parent Society Board of Directors) Holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering – Engineer in Training EIT with the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia. Web Site design and management, records the minutes of the board meetings and contributes and promotes the Society.
	Kathleen Neilson, (Treasurer of the Serenity Child and Parent Society Board of Directors) Certified Early Childhood Educator from Alberta. Maintains a daycare out of her home while working at a local financial establishment part-time. Contributes and promotes the Society along with financial reviews.
	Lorna Medd, MD (Member At Large of the Serenity Child and Parent Society Board of Directors) Public health physician with special interests in community food security, ecosystem health and population health. Medical Health Officer, Central Island, VIHA; assistant clinical professor UBC.
	Betty Exelby (Member At Large of the Serenity Child and Parent Society Board of Directors) Professor Emeritus of Early Childhood Education; Early Childhood Education Consultant, Gadeki and Associates; Success by Six Council of Partners member
	Chelsea Duncan (Active Serenity Society Member) Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology  - December 2007 –   Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care with a Specialization in Child Protection – June – 2010 Rainbows Certificate  - December 2008. She contributes to and promotes the Society.
	Dan Loussier Ph.D RPBio (Active Serenity Society Member - Grant/Proposal Writer) Forestry research scientist. Areas of expertise include ecosystem health and dynamics, community health and well-being, gardening, small-scale farming, and communications.