CONNECTIONS JANUARY 2021
Thank You For a Year of Continued Support, Connections and Community
Thank you to the volunteers, donors, funders and women who assisted us throughout 2020 and made it possible for us to continue to provide support, connections and community during an unpredictable year.

We are open Monday, January 4 - Thursday January 7, from 9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. by phone only. Please call us at 403-264-1155 and we can assist with food bank referrals and other over the phone supports. We will re-open for in-person appointments on Monday, January 11 (pending government restrictions).

We are also offering options for women to connect and learn online with our January workshops and programs, listed throughout this newsletter, or you can visit our website for more details. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
UPDATES IN AND AROUND OUR COMMUNITY
Social Issues Readings
Below are some of the most-read articles from our 2020 readings:





We use our social issues readings section to share articles on current events and analysis on a variety of topics. Sign up for our Social Issues Readings newsletter for more!
Hours of Operation
The Centre is open January 4 - 7 by phone only from 9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.

In-person appointments open again on Monday, January 11. 

Hours of Operation 
(after January 11 and pending government restrictions)

Mondays
9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.
Tuesdays
9:30 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Wednesdays
9:30 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Thursdays
9:30 A.M. -8:30 P.M.

Closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as well as statutory holidays.
Thank You For Supporting the Holiday Toy Room
That's a wrap on another successful, but very different Holiday Toy Room program!

This year over 800 women and almost 2000 children received gifts through our program. We could not have achieved this without the generous support of our community. Thank you so much to our donors, toy drive organizers, volunteers and community members for your generosity. Your continued support ensures that we can provide women with support, connections and community, which is especially important during these uncertain times.

Thank you so much! We look forward to connecting with you again in 2021. Please stay safe and healthy over the holiday season.
Current WC Volunteer Opportunities

For details or to apply to any of our volunteer positions please email our Basic Needs Coordinator, Allison, or visit our website.

Peer Support
Peer support is the core service of the Centre and provided by volunteers who are supported by the Women's Centre staff. This is non-judgmental support with whatever women are looking for, and could include providing referrals, information, or a listening ear.

Community Connector
The pandemic has affected our ability to gather, so the Women’s Centre is trying to find new ways to build community! As a community connector, you will play a key role in welcoming women into the Centre and helping them feel comfortable in the space.

Family Law Volunteer Lawyers
The Women’s Centre Legal Advice Clinic offers one-time free
30 minutes of legal advice from volunteer lawyers to women in a safe, supportive and
confidential space.
Work for Change
Year in Review
In 2020, our Work for Change team launched a newly developed Women's Centre Reconciliation Training, which has been fundamental in helping non-Indigenous women along their journey to reconciliation. It has also given attendees the tools they needed to become stronger allies to Indigenous people and inspire system change within their own organizations or networks. We also organized inspiring events to celebrate Indigenous women and their culture and profiled Indigenous women who are community and business leaders. We will be continuing this very important work in the new year with the launch of Reconciliation Training Part 2: Allyship and Decolonization, as well as continuing our reconciliation discussions. 

Our social issues readings newsletters and website resource pages have been providing a guide through the unequal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and feminist proposals for recovery. Throughout the year, we held several environmental and social issues discussions and events, including a clothing swap to promote recycling, and talks on women and water, understanding waste, and what a just transition could mean for women. We also co-hosted Herstories in Anti-Racism and Decolonial Organizing, an inspirational community conversation with four panelists who shared their experience and insights, and a follow-up Awareness to Action Café. We will explore these and many other topics in 2021, and continue to provide the space - physical and virtual - where women can learn from and connect with each other, and work for change in tangible ways. 
Send in Your Contribution to Our Community Art Collage.
Take a moment to reflect on what the Women's Centre has meant to you in 2020 and then, put together a word, image or photo. Email your content to our artist in residence Julia Rose Sutherland at juliarosesutherland.com@gmail.com. You can also pop it in the mail to the Women’s Centre at 39 4th Street NE, Calgary AB, T2E 3R6, addressed to Sarah.

Talented artist Julia Rose will then take your pieces and add them to a collage that was started this fall.

We will now be accepting contributions until the end of January. Please email sarah@womenscentrecalgary.org with any questions.

Happy creating!
Girls Programs are back in January!
The Girls Programs provide girls-only, safe spaces where they can learn and share knowledge about leadership, activism and community building. We facilitate various activities that include music, crafts, dancing, discussions and, most importantly, girls-led sessions that allow girls to exercise their leadership skills. Topics will include gender stereotypes, reconciliation, current events, social activism, mental health, fitness and other themes girls are most interested in.
 
The programs are absolutely free! Please contact era@womencentrecalgary.org for registration.
 
*Due to rising Covid-19 concerns in Alberta, all in-person programs will be held online from January to March. We hope to move back to in-person by April. Any events held in-person will follow up to date Alberta Health Guidelines.
Indigenous Women's Perspectives on Land and Conservation
Please join us Wednesday, January 20, 6:00 – 7:30 P.M. online via Zoom for an Environmental Issues Discussion on Indigenous Women’s Perspectives on Land and Conservation.

We are honored to have: Arlana Bennett, Anishinaabe and Shoal Lake 40 First Nation member, and Pam Beebee, Kainai first nation to chat with us about land, land rights and conservation. 
Understanding Allyship and Decolonization
Join us on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 1:00 - 2:30 P.M. online via Zoom. This is the second part of our Reconciliation Training. Understanding Allyship & Decolonization is a workshop focused on decolonization and building stronger allies. 
JANUARY WORKSHOPS
JANUARY Workshops
For a full list of upcoming workshops and to register, view our calendar here.
These are conversation groups for women to practice English for daily life. These programs are free virtual drop-in programs for any English level and no testing is involved. Please register at the above links to access the weekly classes. 
Learn about the history of the Women’s Centre, the peer model, and why we do what we do. This workshop is required for anyone to volunteer at the Women’s Centre and will be held online via Zoom.
We invite you to join this weekly yoga class hosted by the Women’s Centre virtually. Perfect for all abilities. Participate in self-care. Focus on slowly moving into basic yoga postures while using your breath, which enables you to be present and mindful. You will leave the class with increased vitality and a fostered connection to yourself.
Explore women’s issues and concepts such as sexism and patriarchy. Participants will also have the chance to gain a better understanding of the Women’s Centre’s Work for Change efforts and initiatives.

Join us for “Important Skills and Useful Tips for your Job Search” on Saturday Jan. 23, 1-2pm.

This employment workshop is the first of three workshops supporting women with employment. Future topics will cover resume writing and interview skills. This workshop will be held on Zoom and is open to women-identifying individuals only. For more information, please email Monique.

Join us, with Artist in Residence Penny Gunderson, for an online Mending Circle Workshop. We will be working on slow stitching fabric patches and then attaching them to a simple cotton tote bag. All materials and bags will be supplied and can be picked up at the Women’s Centre – please email monique@womenscentrecalgary.org.

Completed stitching projects can be part of an upcoming art exhibit in the Arts Commons +15 Gallery.

There is a special atmosphere when women bond over hand stitching. Historically, sewing and quilting circles were a way that women found companionship, sharing of skills and connection to the community. A goal of the Mending Circle Project is to give women today an opportunity to gather, share and strengthen one another while working on simple handsewn projects.
Women's Centre of Calgary www.womenscentrecalgary.org