WHAT IS ASHE

The Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists (ASHE) is an association of professional home economists organized in 1958. At that time the organization was known as the Saskatchewan Home Economics Association. Since then it has become a lobbying force in the province on issues affecting the family and home economics education and has worked to maintain high standards within the profession.

The mission of ASHE is to provide professional support to members and to persons in allied professions in managing personal and public resources to meet the needs of individuals and families as they strive to achieve a desirable quality of life.

ASHE celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1998 by sponsoring a recipe contest and cook-off for chefs and a recipe contest for Saskatchewan high school students. Foods created by the first prize winning chefs in each of seven categories were sampled prior to the anniversary luncheon held in May. The goal was to encourage the use of local food products and increase the profile of the association in the province.

Join ASHE now. For more information write ASHE Registrar, Box 3963, Regina, SK S4P 3R9 or e-mail: beverley.dinnell@spiritsd.ca.

There are two local branches of ASHE in the province.

ASHE - Regina welcomes all home economists to join. Meetings, which include professional updates, are usually held the third Wednesday evening of the month. On-going activities include sewing graduation hoods for the University of Regina, judging home craft items for the Buffalo Days Exhibition and providing a university scholarship. ASHE -Regina also has co-sponsored, with the Regina Public Library, "Girl's in the '90s", a self-esteem, body image program. Regina's HELP project has educated many low income people in to develop home economics related skills (see "Project News" for more information).

ASHE - Saskatoon are the key people involved in maintaining and updating the homefamily.net website. Between 1983 until 1999, the branch was also involved in two international development projects with the Ghana Home Economics Association in West Africa funded by CIDA through the Canadian Home Economics Association. In addition, the association holds a number of social events during the year, provides scholarships at the University of Saskatchewan and financially supports a number of charitable organizations relating to the home and family. They have also developed a handbook for newly single older adults (see "Project News" for more information).