Annual Report for 2019

WOMEN’S CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 at the Women’s Centre was a year of continued growth “The Women's Centre has given me the feminist/community-based structure and opportunity to be a part of and contribute framework.” to my community. Because of this, I not We also launched a new girls' only feel a greater sense of belonging and leadership program, Girls Lead YYC, focused purpose, but I have also become even on strengthening girls' leadership skills and more motivated to get involved.” These supporting girls to make change within their words, shared from a woman at the Centre, communities. Topics covered: leadership, girls' are echoed throughout our programs and the issues, empowerment, justice versus charity, work we did in 2019. women’s issues, community building, activism and how to take action in communities. After Leadership the cohorts were completed, four girls joined Women’s Leadership momentum at the the Girl Connect Organizing Committee, to Centre continued with the delivery of Women participate in the planning and organizing of Lead YYC programming to four cohorts. the second annual Girl Connect Conference in Women share that the program is a “Really October. valuable crash course on intersectional/ 2 Storytelling provide for these services. Thanks to a generous grant from The Calgary Legal clinics assisted a total of 353 Foundation we were able to re-develop women in 2019 and represents an increase of our Women’s Centre website to make our 10% from 2018. site more accessible for mobile phone and We provided a safe space for women tablet users. We also made the site more to build community connections by offering accessible visually and adjusted the layouts, a drop-in space to meet over coffee. We also fonts, and colours and added an accessibility offered learning opportunities and fostered tool application. The project also included a connections between women by hosting 320 refresh of our brand identity colours and logo. workshops and groups, from practice English And we created a set of storytelling videos for to Zumba. One woman said, “The Women’s our new website that communicate the impact Centre has given me a safe space to visit the Centre provides to women. if I need it and a direct connection to other women.” Supports, Services and Connections We finished the year with another “The Women’s Centre has helped me very successful Toy Room with almost 4200 take care of clothing, needs, employment individual gifts selected. This represents an searches, and my confidence. It makes increase from 2018 of 332 more gifts. The me feel happy and safe.” gifts were donated to the Women’s Centre by In 2019, we saw an 11% increase in demand 132 donors and 129 toy drives. The success for emergency food hampers and we provided of the Toy Room program is thanks to the almost 5000 emergency hampers to women. support of our donors as well as to the 296 We strengthened our basic needs work dedicated Toy Room volunteers. with new partnerships with a number of community groups and agencies. The services and connections we provided Our tax and legal advice clinics also to women in 2019 would not be possible experienced significant growth. Tax clinics without the continued support of our donors, allowed almost 950 women to get assistance volunteers, and community. We are also with taxes and almost 270 received assistance grateful to our major funders City of Calgary with benefits navigation. These numbers FCSS and United Way of Calgary & Area are significantly higher than the assistance whose support has been integral to our work provided in 2018 when 585 women received and growth throughout the year. Community assistance with taxes and 85 with benefits support makes an impact - thank you for navigation. Successful recruitment of making a difference in the lives of women and dedicated volunteers has contributed to girls. the increased support that we were able to 3 Economy. We hosted a Nature Walk at Fish Creek Park with a Blackfoot Confederacy Elder. “The mere act of coming together with others who care deeply about the environment holds its own healing power. I am so grateful that this place exists.” - Women and the Environment participant Our reconciliation work included monthly Indigenous craft workshops with the Aboriginal WORK FOR CHANGE Friendship Centre, a trip to a Tsuu-T’ina HIGHLIGHT powwow, and a tea and bannock open house. Our Feminism in Blackfoot Society workshop, A new Awareness into Action series presented by a Blackfoot elder, was attended launched in 2019. Plus, we continued our work in Reconciliation and by 50 women. Environment. We continued the important work of bringing a gender plus lens to our work in Highlights of our Work For Change efforts community collaborations and partnerships include our move to an Awareness Into Action addressing social and systemic issues. series which provided women opportunities to take an in-depth look at an issue, and then take action on that issue; and the integration of our Reconciliation work into our social and environmental education series. We looked at gender-based violence against women, the origins of Indigenous women’s marginalization and the staggering rates of violence against them. We participated in the Sisters in Spirit Vigil, to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We offered 10 environmental workshops with topics ranging from bees to biking, from Ecological Grief to a Just Transition to a Green 4 2019 SNAPSHOT: OUR IMPACT A SELECTION OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR ANNUAL OUTCOMES SURVEY "I have become more aware of “Volunteering has 75% helped give me a the issues facing of women have women and have purpose. I've had so made friends many opportunities. become inspired here to do more to help It's helped me grow push my gender exponentially and forward." expand on many personal skills. It's helped open my eyes more than anything.” 96% of women feel safe at the Centre “The Women's Centre 808 volunteers has been a place for provided support me to connect with to women in our other women to work community together to make a difference for women in our community.” 80% of women know more about social issues 5 WOMEN’S CENTRE VOLUNTEERS Over 800 volunteers provided support, created connections and worked for change in the community. Thank you for your time, skills and generosity! Aakriti Ghai Alejandra Mejia Ally MacGregor Andrea Henrequez Aaniya Naryar Islam Alejandra Montoya Allyssa Sicam Andrea Louise-Martyn Abhishek Sewak Alex Bothwell Alyssa Abenes Andrea Medwid Ada Chaparro Alex Hansen Alyssa Ricioppo Angel Song Ada Ikenwa Alexandra Symes Amanda Bishop Angela Cardenas Adam Lavergne Alexe Bernier Amanda Davis Angela Day Adele Sieber Alexis MacPhail Amanda Lottermoser Angela Fu Aderonke Adedeji Alicia Croft Amber Matthews Angela Sevinarathna Ado Nkemka Alina Kenstavicius Amelia Buffam Anjali Mahendra Ahyeong Yu Alison Atherton AMi Kenzo Ann Hajes Aimar Bracho Aliya Bean Amina Zakari Ann Le Aimee Bowden Allie Laurent Amy Alexander Anne Azucena Akram Mahani Allison Card Amy Coppen Anne Marie Graziano Alana Backer Allison Gaudon Amy Heidman Anne-Marie Davies Alanna Nazarko Allison Lockhart Amy Totten Annick Forget Alec Thomlison Ally Herauf Anastasia Chernykh Anthony Tran 6 Aralee Pereira Breanne Harty Caroline Muchira Cindy Rowley Arend Van Oousten Brenda Hillis Carolyn Blasetti Claire Himsl Arianna Korbett Brenda Mansfield Carolyn Byers Claire Leighton Ariel Browne Brenda Moore Carolyn Inglis Claire Wilson Arielle Lavoie Brenda Murphy Carrie Pohl Clementine Uwitue Ash Lululemon Brett Haasdyl Carrie Vaillancourt Colin McWhae Ashley Colin Bri Verstaten Casey Pederson Colleen McKelverey Ashley Dhillion Brita Jowett Catherine Fox Colleen Peters Ashley Gallant Brittney Scott Cathryn Tiffany Corinne Knodel Ashley Loxton Bronwyn Bragg Cathy Lynn Corinne Vessey Ashley Vandeponseele Brooklyn Bartel Cayley Wreggitt Courtney Perry Ashley Yakimchuk Brooklyn Tchozewski Cecilia Campos Crista Costen Ashmeena Grewal Bryce Kapshaw Cecilia Pham Crystal Mackenzie Ashna Prakash Byron Daniels Cecilia Ukaegbu Crystal Raim Aster A. Byron Fredrick Chalsie Henry Crystal Raymond Aurelia Pascale Caillie Mutterback Chantal Ludeki Cynny Hagen Avril Fisher Caitlyn Milot Chantel Moise Cynthia Chambers Awolaru Olajumoke Caitlynn Newman Charlene Reed Dago Correa Azam Ajili Callen Armstrong Charlotte Terek Daisy Swain Barb Fuller Cam Devlin Chelsea Bearspaw Dale Grey Barbara Mellersh Camila Roncancio Chelsea Detheridge Dale Johnston Barrie Thesen Camille Brothers Chelsea Finn Dale Rudd Bea (Brittany) Friesen Camille Fournier Chelsea Kennett Damon Bailey Becky Bertwistle Camille LaFrance Ching Ching Lee Dana Wasylyshen Beebee Khodabocus Camille Minvielle Chinonye Uzoma Danelle Watson Ben Maciorowski Candace Woodman Chioma Obi-Ikwumelu Danelle White Bernie Crane Cari McLaughlan Chris Vitek Dani Dufresne Beth Bailey Carly L’Henaff Chrissy Pierse Daniel Parker Betsy Hagestedt Carmen Greef Christie Mach Danielle Flaherty Bev Brooks Carmen Thrale Christine Gray Danielle Maksimow Bev Unger Carol Roett Christine Sarac Danielle Pupo Beverley Norman Carole Carpot-Lacassagne Cindy Dolland Danysha Harriott Bhakti Jani Carolina Albuquerque Cindy Fredricks Darian Windsor Bill Foreman Caroline Baker Cindy Hume Dasha Pushkar Bobbi-Jo Amos Caroline Loewen Cindy Lee David Wong Branden Mckenzie Caroline Morrison Cindy Leung Dawn St. Arneault 7 Elizabeth Alvarado Florence Lye Elizabeth Chong Gabriel Guevara Elizabeth DaSilva Gabriele Crisanti Elizabeth Dirks Gail Davis

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