About ANKORS – ANKORS

ANKORS (AIDS Network Kootenay Outreach and Support Society) was established in 1993 as a non-profit society serving communities across the East and West Kootenay and Boundary regions of British Columbia. We serve those living with and at the greatest risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and other blood-borne infections, who have difficulty obtaining services elsewhere, particularly due to substance use, mental illness, sexual orientation, gender identity, race and ethnicity, and other social barriers.

From our offices in Nelson, Cranbrook, and Grand Forks, and through mobile outreach across the Kootenays, ANKORS provides harm reduction services, overdose prevention, drug checking, peer support, housing programs, 2SLGBTQIA+ support, and community education. Our programs are guided by a belief in holistic care, the right to dignity, respect, and personal empowerment. Services are provided in a non-judgmental manner, without prejudice, ensuring every individual’s right to anonymity and confidential access.

Our Mission

ANKORS’ mission is to respond to the evolving needs of those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and other blood-borne pathogens, and to foster healthy, informed communities.

Our Mandate

ANKORS works from a wellness model, through:

Support and advocacy
Harm reduction, prevention, and education
Delivery of programs and services that are client-centred and focused on the whole person
Partnerships with others

Our Values

We believe in respect for all people and the provision of barrier-free service. We value the physical and mental health of our clients, staff, and volunteers. We are committed to consumer engagement and involvement in decision-making, program development, and service delivery. We uphold professionalism, best practice, cross-sector partnerships, and community development. We practice harm reduction as a tool to reduce the harmful effects of behaviours that place individuals at risk, without requiring people to abstain from those behaviours. We embrace diversity, compassion, and inclusion.

Our History

ANKORS was established in 1993 in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, at a time when rural communities in the Kootenays had little access to support, education, or harm reduction services. What began as an AIDS outreach and support network has grown into a multi-program organization addressing substance use, overdose prevention, housing, 2SLGBTQIA+ support, and the broader social determinants of health.

In 2009, ANKORS launched Trans Connect, a health and community program supporting transgender, Two Spirit, intersex, and gender diverse people across the Kootenays. In 2016, following British Columbia’s declaration of a public health emergency due to rising overdose deaths, ANKORS expanded its harm reduction programming to include supervised consumption services, drug checking with FTIR spectrometry, and increased mobile outreach to rural and remote communities. In 2017, the Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery Program opened its doors in Nelson, offering residential recovery support.

Today, ANKORS operates more than a dozen programs across three offices, with mobile outreach reaching communities from Nakusp to Creston and Kaslo to Grand Forks.

Our Staff

Leadership

Cheryl Dowden, Executive Director
Polly Sutherland, East Kootenay Team Lead
David Nixon, West Office Manager

West Office (Nelson)

Katia Dolan, Support & Outreach
Nicola Hare, Trans Connect Coordinator
Robert Livingood, Mobile Outreach
Amanda Erickson, Fentanyl Task Force
Amber Streukens, REDUN / Street College
Holly Trider, Peer Health Navigator
Erin Thomson, OAT Support
Seamus Judd, OPS / Prevention Education
Jen, Drug Checking Technician

East Office (Cranbrook)

Staff details to be confirmed

Grand Forks

Tanis Carson, Outreach & Support

Our Board of Directors