An organization on Bell Island which helps provide community and peer support services has a new day-to-day manager.

Valerie Barter is the new project manager for the Bell Island Support Network, which is a not-for-profit organization run by a volunteer board of directors. It works closely with the Opioid Management and Treatment Clinic at the local hospital, as well as with the Town of Wabana, the AIDS Committee of NL and other key partners.

Barter has an extensive background in dealing with mental health and addictions, domestic violence, and homelessness.

Michael Clair, the chair of the board of the Network, says Barter’s passion for creating positive change in community, home and school meshes perfectly with the network’s mandate.

Barter’s background in the gender-based violence sector spans 26 years. She was nominated for the Circle of Distinction Award in 2023 and received a National Purple Ribbon Lifetime Achievement Award for her work with those experiencing violence in Newfoundland and Labrador.