CONNECTIONS OCTOBER 2020
PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK!
Our annual Outcomes Survey launches October 1 and we want to hear from you.
If you have participated in any capacity at the Women’s Centre this past year, including used the services, volunteered, donated, or attended a workshop/event, please click on the link below and complete the survey.

With COVID safety measures limiting in-person access, we need your help to collect as many surveys as possible. Your feedback and ideas are important for planning our future services, events and programs, as well as for reporting to our funders.
The deadline to complete the survey is October 31.

Thank you for your time and your input. And thank you for supporting the Women's Centre community.
SERVICES UPDATE
Hours of Operation
The Centre is now open extended hours by appointment.

Monday:
9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.
Tuesday - Thursday:
9:30 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.

Please call us at 403-264-1155.
Tax Appointments
Tax clinics take place on Wednesdays from 5:00 - 8:30 P.M. by appointment. Please call us to book and note that space for appointments is limited. Our volunteers will also only have capacity for two filing years per appointment, so please book a separate appointment if you have more than two years of filing.
I.D. Clinic
We are hosting I.D Clinics on Wednesday, October 21 and Wednesday, November 18, from 1:30 - 2:00 P.M. Please note that these clinics only have five spaces each and are drop-in only.
Need Help Finding Employment?

The Women's Centre is hosting an employment clinic throughout October to assist women with a variety of skill-building to help their job search.

We can help with:
  • Resume support and feedback
  • Interview practice and tips
  • Navigating employment resources
  • Job searching and referrals

If you are interested in booking an appointment please call 403-264-1155 or email Allison.
UPDATES IN AND AROUND OUR COMMUNITY
Social Issues 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!
Current 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 peer support volunteers who are supported by the staff.

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.

Legal Assistants
Legal Assistant volunteer position is a core part of the legal advice clinic program. Volunteers will complete intake forms with women requesting legal advice services, as well as give out legal information, BUT NOT legal advice. Legal advice will only be given out by our volunteer lawyers.

Bread Pickup
Bread pickup volunteers will pick up nine to ten blue bins from the Women’s Centre to take to Cobs Bakery Wednesday evening at 6:50 P.M. Working with another volunteer, they will load bins with bread, buns, and sweets. They will then load their vehicles and deliver bread to the Women’s Centre on Wednesday evening.
Visit Telus Spark

Do you want to spend some quality time with friends and family while you learn and have fun at the same time? Register now to be a part of the next group of women who will be visiting Telus Spark with their friends and family. Women meet a Women's Centre volunteer at the entrance to collect their tickets and can enjoy Telus Spark on their own with family and friends. Spots are limited, so register soon by phone: 403-264-1155 or email Monique.

For current information on how Telus Spark is helping people stay safe and healthy, please visit their website.
Save the Date: Volunteer Appreciation 2020

Now more than ever we want to show our appreciation for all of our wonderful Women's Centre volunteers.

More details will be announced as they are available, but save the date for the last week of October. We will host an online event and also provide opportunities that week for volunteers to drop by the Centre, pick up their volunteer gift and catch up with women, staff and other volunteers.
Girls Programs Available with Online & In-Person Options

We are excited to be offering three programs (online and in-person options) for girls this fall! The programs are absolutely free, and include supplies, snacks, and bus tickets.

The Girls Programs offer opportunities for girls in grades 5-9 to learn and share knowledge about leadership, activism, and community building within a safe, girls-only space. Girls will explore topics such as gender stereotypes, body image, reconciliation, current events, and more, based on their interest, and will also have opportunities to lead sessions or activities to exercise their leadership skills. They will also engage in fun activities such as music, crafts, dancing or yoga.

Please note: we have implemented safety protocols and will follow the provincial guidelines to ensure optimal safety for the participants, staff, and volunteers.

Contact Era for more details or to sign up.
Connecting Community
We have been trying out some new ways to connect, but the pandemic has definitely affected our ability to build community. Now that we have our safety procedures in place we are ready to explore how to re-connect with each other in new ways.

Do you have ideas for activities that would help us build back our community – in person, online & beyond? Email Sarah to chat further!

(Photo: IWD 2020, pre-COVID shutdown)
Unequal Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic
New on the Women's Centre website:

We've curated a Resources page on the Unequal Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also plans and reports on how we can move forward to a more equal recovery.
Sisters in Spirit Red Dress Activity
The Sisters in Spirit Vigil honours the memory of the more than 1,200 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Every October 4, vigils and events are held across the country in support of family members and loved ones. Due to limitations on gatherings and considerations for COVID-19 safety protocols, this year's event will move online (more details to be released as they are available).

In the lead up to the event, the Women's Centre along with our Artist in Residence, Julia Rose Sutherland, will host a Sisters in Spirit Red Dress Tribute Activity on Thursday, October 1, 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. at the Centre. Please join us to learn a bit about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and making Red Dress tribute dresses to hang on the Women’s Centre windows.

Space is limited. Details and registration available on the Women's Centre website.
Meet our Newest Team Members
We welcomed three new staff to the Women's Centre team. Meet our new Basic Needs Coordinators, Allison (left) and Erika (right), as well as our new Data Management Coordinator, Alessandra (middle).

Read Allison's welcome blog here.

Read Alessandra's welcome blog here.

Read Erika's welcome blog here.
Meet Your New Board of Directors
In case you missed it, we hosted our Annual General meeting in August online via Zoom. While we kept most of the program as business only, it was nice to see some friendly faces from the community. Since many of you may not have had the opportunity to attend and because we are limited on in-person events, we would like to formally introduce you to our 2020/21 Board of Directors:

  • Amy Alexander
  • Aralee Pereira
  • Ashley White
  • Carmen Greeff
  • Carrie Blaug
  • Cindy Dolland
  • Ellen Hamilton
  • Jessica Howe
  • Linda Garratt
  • Martha Peden
  • Moremi Omotoso
  • Nicole Bastien
  • Nilima Sonpal-Valais
  • Tapisa Kilabuk

We are very excited about the wealth of skill and expertise possessed by the board and look forward to what the next year will bring to our community.
Toy Room Planning is Under Way!
Our Toy Room Committee has begun planning for Toy Room 2020!

Following up on the success of last year's program, and with the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns, we expect the number of women who will want to access program this year to be high. We are asking for your support to meet the demand.

If you are interested in sponsoring a toy room shift, volunteering, donating money and/or toys, or organizing a toy drive, please contact us.
OCTOBER WORKSHOPS
October Workshops
For a full list of upcoming October workshops and to register, view our calendar here.
Women's Issues | Thursday, October 8 (6:15 - 8:00 P.M.)
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.
The purpose of this workshop is to understand what active diversity is, and to spend some time discussing barriers that women who use the Centre are often facing. Learn how the Women’s Centre works to celebrate diversity and fight oppression, both in our individual interactions and in broader society.

Want to know what’s under your hood? Come and learn some basic mechanic skills! Will include training and tips to keep you safe on the road. This workshop will be held in-person at the Women’s Centre while following Alberta Health guidelines; however, the event could move online via Zoom if provincial health circumstances change.
Women's Centre of Calgary www.womenscentrecalgary.org