Last week, I had the chance to attend a Women Networking and Leadership Event put together by GenNext, a program from the United Way. The location was a United Way agency, Sistering, located in the west end of the city. This was their first such event and it had a great turn out. I was glad to see so many lovely ladies ready to hear how to make a difference in the community and become leaders in some way.
The speakers included Harleen Bains (Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets); Jane Kali (Director of Programming and Advocacy at Sistering), Deloris Thomas and Claudette Nevins (both artists) who shared their experiences at Sistering. Each woman had something inspiring to share with the rest of us. What stood out for many of us were Deloris and Claudette’s stories about surviving work injuries, loss of work and living in poverty yet being able to rise above all these. These ladies are nothing short of amazing. They were so welcoming to all of us and shared more of their personal triumphs one-on-one. As I listened to them, I wish many other women had come to hear their stories and share in this event. As I talked to various attendees, I also learned many of them were like me, trying to find ways to help the community; especially women. Some of us sometimes think, “Oh, if only I had more money to give” and so on but in fact, any little bit counts. As a friend of mine and I discussed a while back, it’s all about having good intentions; any small act, as long as it comes from a good place, counts.
Tonight, however, you have a chance to help out Sistering. This agency serves marginalized, low-income and homeless women from all parts of the city, of various ages. Funny Girls and Dynamic Divas is a fundraising event taking place tonight starting at 6pm at Jane Mallet Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. The event is showcasing some of Canada’s top female comedians and musicians. The line up includes Carla Collins, Nikki Payne, Amanda Martinez and Saidah Baba Talibah to name a few. When I asked Ms. Talibah to tell me how she got involved in this project, this is what she had to say: “I am one of the Dynamic Divas singing with the Hot House Band. Why? Why not support women getting back on their feet? Or just to maintain some semblance of sanity, security and self-esteem in their lives. It’s enough that we have to struggle as women, but then to have more ‘x’s against you, like where you live, whether you have a job or not, et cetera et cetera. So if I can help in any way by instilling faith, raising money, then I’m there.” I think this summarizes Sistering’s purpose; as well and why tonight’s event is so important. For more information on the event, go to this link.
If you’re able to attend tonight, it’s going to be a great evening for a great cause. However, you can always volunteer your time at Sistering or by donating to the United Way. Small Acts can go a very long way.
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