There is something brewing at The Den in Quesnel beyond the Moonshine coffee.
Yes, the café roasts its own beans. Yes, it serves a fine cup of tea. But once a month, something even more meaningful fills the room — connection, encouragement, laughter, honesty, and the kind of support that can quietly change lives.
Pull up a chair.
Come to the Table is a monthly gathering created by Michelle Klapatiuk and Marianne van Leusden after a simple question: how do we create more space for women to connect and lift each other up?
What began in June 2024 as a one-time event called Finance and Fizz quickly became something people wanted more of. So, they made it monthly.
Some groups call it networking.
This isn’t that.
There are no stiff introductions. No pressure to impress. No need to be anything other than yourself.
Instead, women gather to share stories, ask questions, learn from one another, and remember that nobody has to figure life out alone. Each month features a different woman and her story. It starts with work or entrepreneurship but often turns to motherhood, resilience, change, loss, confidence, or taking a chance on yourself. Often, it’s all of it at once.
That is what makes it powerful.
People arrive not always knowing what they need, and leave feeling lighter, braver, more connected, or simply seen.
And the impact doesn’t end when the chairs are stacked and the coffee cups are cleared.
That conversation you had might become a new friendship. The encouragement you offered might be exactly what someone needed to try something new. Someone in the room might leave believing more is possible for her. An idea shared around the table might grow into something that helps others.
That is the ripple effect.
In the Cariboo, those ripples don’t disappear into the distance. You can actually see them. You see confidence grow. You see people step forward. You see others volunteer, create, connect, and care because someone first made space for them.
You see that your presence matters.
That’s one of the gifts of living in the Cariboo. You are not lost in the crowd. In communities like Quesnel, people know each other, show up for one another, and notice when someone is trying to make things better.
When you give your time, your kindness, your energy, or your ideas, you can watch them shape the community around you.
You don’t just live here. You help make here better.
Come to the Table is proof that when women lift each other up, everyone rises.
