tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396456477845866422024-03-14T07:47:23.448-07:00One SparkMindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-83457337255684081442018-11-27T08:43:00.000-08:002018-11-27T08:48:13.154-08:00An Open Letter to Our Supporters: Thank You for 5 Years of Lighting a Spark<br />
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I know it’s cliché, but I can’t believe how fast 5 years comes
and goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I sat down to write this
love letter to all of the amazing people that have given life to One Spark over
the past 5 years, I did it with an overwhelming mix of emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just today, an article came up in my newsfeed
about the number of women killed in 2017 as a result of gender-based
violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The statistical highlights
included:<o:p></o:p><br />
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<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">More than half of the approximately 87,000 women
killed globally in 2017 died at the hands of intimate partners or family
members, according to a report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime.</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The report estimated some
50,000 were killed globally by someone they knew.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><u>That
works out to 137 per day -- nearly six every hour</u>.</b></li>
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If you’ve ever heard me speak publicly about One Spark, you
know some of the other statistics that weigh heavily on my heart: in Canada, a
woman is killed every 6 days at the hands of her intimate partner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every night in this country, 3,491 women and
their 2,724 children sleep in shelters because it isn't safe at home, and
approximately 300 women and children are turned away because the shelters are
already full.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And so, a part of me thinks about the scope of the problem
and, honestly, wants to put my head in my hands and cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Violence against women and girls is endemic; it
is in every corner of our globe, countries, and communities; and it isn’t going
away.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, then, I pause and think about what I have seen, heard,
witnessed, been overwhelmed by, and fell in love with over the past five years
at One Spark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think about this incredible
organization that is made up of the most inspiring people I have ever met, and the
voice in my head that is part dreamer/part warrior, says that we can and are getting
at this in ground-breaking, innovative, meaningful, and impactful ways and that
we need to unflinchingly stare down the issues that perpetuate and sustain
violence, while continuing to feed the groundswell of impactful responses and
supports that has been started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need
to continue to have laser-like focus on our vision of a world where no woman
faces financial barriers to living a life free of violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to insist that no woman ever has to
make the choice between living with violence and abuse or facing poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No woman…no person should have to make that
choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For 5 years, we have worked with women to help them generate
income through entrepreneurship so that they can afford their basic necessities
and work towards the financial sustainability that will assist them to move
forward from abusive situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve
seen incredible outcomes and received unbelievably inspiring feedback on the
impact of our programs. We’ve assisted more than 25 women to start businesses
and have given out more than $40,000 in business start-up grants. We know that
empowerment – personal and financial – is a game-changer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve seen how empowerment leads to women
finding safety and living securely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve
seen how the empowerment of moms changes the realities of their children. And
so our work continues with fierce determination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, the only way it continues is because of the amazing
supporters that have been there since One Spark’s doors opened, and the
supporters that continue to be there in countless amazing ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This includes our phenomenal Board of Directors:
Christina, Marlo, Lynn, Jo-Anne, Jo-Ann, Howie, Golubina, and Bob.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve said it before and it bears repeating:
our Board is the soul, hands, and heart of this organization. It includes
our past Board members who steadfastly stood with us as a start-up, when we were
just a hint of what could be. It includes our outstanding advisors, including
Cheryl Campbell, our incredible lead Financial Advisor, and Shannon Stanley, our
amazing Peer Support Advisor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheryl and
Shannon have changed the face of One Spark with their amazing support of the women we work with.
It includes our donors and supporters, especially this year Libro Financial, H.U.B.
Inc, Thrive Fit, Trish Barbato, Mark Trifunovic, Lorree Appleby, and Deb Crowe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It includes everyone who shows up to curl and
golf with us so that our programs continue to be funded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone one of you has impacted our capacity
to do this work, and has fed our resolve to be unflinching in our mission and
mandate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, but most importantly, this is also a love letter to
the women we work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I meet
one of you, hear your story, experience your resilience, I more deeply
understand what you – and tens of thousands of women around our world - face
every day…and I constantly learn what it really means to be a survivor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The countless ways you demonstrate courage
and will yourself forward are the reason I believe we will one day shift the
statistics – and more importantly the realities – of women impacted by
violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To each of you, nothing but the
deepest respect, admiration, and love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s no mistake that I am sharing these thoughts on Giving
Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know your hearts and purse
strings will be pulled in a million directions today, but if you’ve got just a
few extra dollars to give, we will put them to work because there is so much
work to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One Spark does not
receive any government funding: we rely on the enormous hearts of people who
believe in our work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re able,
please help us to continue to be a source of opportunity and possibility for
women.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you everyone for an incredible, awe-inspiring 5
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thank you to everyone who will
continue to stand with us in all that is yet to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will continue to believe in possibility,
because possibility is where change begins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With heartfelt gratitude and in solidarity,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Corrie
Schneider<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Founder and
Executive Director, One Spark<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you would like to support our work, please visit our
CanadaHelps page: <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/one-spark/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/one-spark/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-33929330563094375532017-09-04T08:49:00.002-07:002017-09-05T04:48:56.681-07:00One Spark Celebrates its Fourth Birthday<div class="MsoNormal">
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When the last week of August approaches each year, I am filled with a sense of gratitude, optimism, and hope. Marking another year of One Spark's mission in action is a reminder that generosity, kindness, community, and compassion are the powerful drivers of change that persist, even when our news feeds seem to be dominated by stories fueled by anger and conflict. Our One Spark community is unquestionable proof that the desire for a peaceful, just world lives abundantly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the helm of that community is our incredible Board of Directors: Jo-Anne, Marlo, Howie, Lynden, Danielle, Lynn, Sapna, and Christina (and our amazing Board volunteer, Jo-Ann). It is impossible to overstate how this amazing group both leads and impacts One Spark's work. They are the living model of how one small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. For four years, they have unfailingly shown up ready to be that change, and I am so grateful to each of them.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Of course, One Spark's work would not be possible without the phenomenal generosity of our supporters who, on a daily basis, are building our capacity to assist women impacted by violence. They do it in a million different ways, but always with hearts wide open to our mission and work, and with the desire to bring about impactful change. We thank each of you for responding to the call, and for building our community into a place of strength and hope.<br />
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In a word, our fourth year was outstanding. Here are a few of our key highlights:<o:p></o:p><br />
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<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">As we continue to work with women to start businesses (we had two new women register their businesses just last week!), we are also now starting to see the businesses started in previous years really take root and grow. Women are reporting positive growth and outcomes, both in terms of business performance and in terms of taking courageous personal steps forward. We could not be more proud to be aligned with the amazing women that make up our One Spark alumni.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">Last fall we had the opportunity to partner with Humber College Public Relations students in Marlo Taylor's PR class. These amazing students, under Marlo's innovative leadership, spent a semester advising One Spark on our PR initiatives and developing creative and impactful ideas to increase our public engagement. We were incredibly grateful for this invaluable opportunity.</span></li>
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<li>One Spark subsequently had the opportunity to work with another fabulous group of Humber students in Denny Young's Fundraising class. These students - Chelsea, Elysha, Megan, Robin, Klim, and Ambar - developed and carried out our "Light a Spark" event in April. The <i>Light a Spark</i> cocktail reception was headlined by Olivia Chow, emceed by Kavita Dogra, and featured our amazing guest speaker and peer advocate, Shannon Stanley. As the result of an incredible group of supporters that joined us that evening, <i>Light a Spark</i> raised more than $20,000 for One Spark's programs. We are so grateful to the Humber fundraising team that made it happen, with special thanks once again to Shannon, Kavita, and Olivia.</li>
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<li>At the beginning of 2017, as a result of the work of Board Member Lynden Evers, One Spark was accepted into Deloitte Canada's ACT program, providing One Spark with access to a talented team of consultants that assisted us with our fund development strategy. The outcome was "Spark Tank": an exciting new corporate engagement program that will be introduced in 2018. We are so grateful to the team at Deloitte, and particularly Stephanie Hauck, Victoria Tersigni, and Carlo Aloe who met with us regularly to ensure optimal support and outputs from our collaboration. Thank you, Deloitte Canada!</li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">In September, 2016 we held our 3rd</span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;"> Annual Golf Tournament, which was another tremendous success, and was a particularly exciting event because it was the first year holding the tournament in partnership with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. We are so grateful to our Honorary Board member, Flavio Volpe, for highlighting our work to APMA members and fostering this partnership opportunity. We are thrilled to be once again partnering with the APMA for this year's tournament which is being held on Thursday, September 21st, 2017 at Granite Ridge in Milton. You can be part of this fabulous event by registering at <a href="http://one-spark.ca/2017-golf-tournament">http://one-spark.ca/2017-golf-tournament</a>.</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">One of the amazing highlights of the 2017 golf tournament was the introduction of our MAVerick video, engaging men in speaking out on Violence Against Women. This video was the incredible work of our partners at CCI Studios. We simply cannot say enough about CCI's commitment to the work of One Spark and creative genius in bringing our campaigns to life. We want to sincerely thank CCI for all they have done to support our mission, but particularly for the invaluable gift of the MAVerick video. We hope you'll take a minute to watch the fruits of their labour: </li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">2017 marked the first year that One Spark held "One Spark Rocks", our curling bonspiel. It was a fabulous day attended by an energetic and enthusiastic group of curlers and laid the foundation for another great event in 2018. Thank you to all who attended.</li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">We are so grateful for our continued collaboration with the dynamic Women Moving Forward Conference Committee who presented another incredible conference in May of this year. It is an important opportunity for One Spark to be connected to an event that provides networking, learning and personal growth opportunities for women as well as to provide the women who attend the conference with exposure to One Spark programming: a perfect match for growing and expanding our mission and work. Thank you to Cindy Stradling and the entire committee for your ongoing work.</span></li>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">As we look to optimize the programming offered by One Spark, we are incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to work with Systems Navigation Specialist, Peer Advocate and One Spark Alumnus, Shannon Stanley. Shannon continues to provide invaluable insight and guidance into the experience of women impacted by violence and the navigation of systems that affect them. We are greatly looking forward to the release of One Spark's collaborative publication with Shannon which explores the role and possibilities of peer support in the context of our work and in the support of women impacted by violence.</span></li>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">This year, we have also developed a wonderful partnership with Coach and Advisor, Cheryl Campbell. Cheryl has been instrumental in assisting One Spark to explore the possibilities for women to access financial counsel, education, and ongoing support and we look forward to sharing new collaborative initiatives with Cheryl. We are so grateful for her enthusiastic support!</span></li>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">This summer, we were honoured that author Lee Bice-Matheson announced that $1 from the sale of every book in her Paige Maddison series would be donated to One Spark. Thank you, Lee, for being so incredibly generous, and thank you to our Board Member, Lynn Bice, for bringing this wonderful partnership together.</span></li>
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<li>This summer we were also fortunate to be the recipient of a grant from Canada Summer Jobs, which allowed us to hire our summer student, Rehaab Rifdi. It was great to benefit from Rehaab's hard work and expertise for the past 3 months and we want to thank Arnold Tutoring for providing the space to work with Rehaab.</li>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">We want to acknowledge in a special way Intuit Canada who this year donated QuickBooks licences for each of our program participants: access to technology and software breaks down critical barriers for the entrepreneurs we work with and we sincerely thank Intuit Canada for assisting us to achieve this important goal.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">On October 16th, 2016, the amazing Dean Taylor completed his first marathon in support of One Spark, raising $4,000 in support of our Entrepreneurship Program: we can't thank Dean enough for his dedication to this fundraiser and are so proud of him for completing his marathon quest! We are thrilled that One Spark's annual marathon tradition will continue this year, with the amazing Mike Arnold running this year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to raise money for our programs. Mike has been a die-hard supporter of One Spark, along with his sister, Danielle, who is one of our fabulous Board members. If you can, please support Mike in his marathon journey by donating at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/262-for-one-spark/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/262-for-one-spark/</a>.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">On September 28th, One Spark is excited to be participating in the Women's Business Enterprises (WBE) Canada Conference. It is an amazing opportunity to engage business leaders and entrepreneurs in One Spark's mission and work and we are grateful to be part of this exciting, innovative event.</span></li>
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<li>Our work continues over the next 2 years guided by the Strategic Plan developed in November of 2016. We look forward to the goals we have set to provide holistic, impactful services to women as they work towards financial independence in the wake of being affected by violence.</li>
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Every year, I am amazed when we find ourselves already marking another One Spark birthday. And every year I close my eyes and say a silent thank you to the incredible people that make it happen. Most importantly, I pause to acknowledge the courage, strength and fortitude demonstrated by the women we work with. We look forward to another year of diligently working towards breaking down the financial barriers women face when moving forward from violence. Thank you for being a critical part of that journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In gratitude and peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Corrie</div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-14353627912501250302017-05-12T08:50:00.001-07:002017-05-25T07:38:54.906-07:00I've Been Thinking About Moms<div class="MsoNormal">
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One of the great honours of my work with One Spark is having
the opportunity to meet women who share their stories: every story
unique and every one of them – like all of our stories – rife with joy and
struggle; questions and convictions; reflection and uncertainty; moments of
complete peace interspersed with moments of complete upheaval.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about motherhood: about how while there are unquestionably shared experiences among
the universal sisterhood of moms, being a mom looks poignantly different and
unique in almost every home; in different communities; and in countries around
our world. When we celebrate Mother’s
Day, we celebrate our treasured relationship to a woman who gave us life and/or
nurtured our personhood, as we absolutely should. If I can speak personally, my mom has been my
model of kindness, determination and grace throughout my entire life, and one day a year
doesn’t seem like nearly enough to capture how essential her strength, wisdom, and joy have been to my life experience and my growth from baby to girlhood to womanhood.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the same time, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to reflect
on the value of moms to our world and on the work that is done by mothers globally
to ensure the health, safety, education, growth, development, and well-being of
their kids. This brings me back to
thinking about the stories that have been courageously shared with me over the
past number of years. I think about moms
who have surrendered their right to almost all of their financial resources and entitlements
to ensure the safe exit of their children from unsafe environments. I think about how those same moms, as a
result of trading financial security for safety, lack the financial and legal
resources to advocate for their children and themselves, putting their safety
at ongoing risk...and how they fiercely advocate anyway. I think about moms
doing all they can to patch together the income necessary to afford shelter and
food, while wondering how they can afford the basics when daycare will eat the majority
of every pay cheque. I think about how those same moms will struggle – and endure - when their children need
glasses or life-saving health care that they can’t afford. I think about moms around the world that know
education is a critical cornerstone to quality of life, but live with the
knowledge that their children can’t go to school or face grave risks if they
do. I think about moms in war-ravaged areas that are focused on the mere
survival of their kids from one day to the next.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think about these things and then I think about the moms I
know (and those I don’t) that have shown courage, resilience, strength, power, creativity,
tenacity, humour, grace, conviction, joy, fear, compassion, and a mama’s love
when dealing with these – and so many other – challenges, struggles, and
experiences. I think about those moms and I feel love, gratitude, admiration, and hope. And then I know that there
are two things we have to do:<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->We have to continue our work to ensure no woman
– and no mom and child - have to ever
trade basic financial security for personal safety; and</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">2. We need to celebrate and never lose sight of all
the countless ways that we benefit from the strength and power of motherhood
and to work towards a world that understands, values, and meaningfully supports the work – both challenging and
rewarding – that falls on the shoulders of moms: work that they carry fiercely,
even when it is overwhelmingly heavy.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Moms - as you look to
the days ahead, in all of your day-to-day sacrifices, may you also know moments
of complete joy, rest that feeds your spirit, resilience to trek forward; and hearts at perfect peace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy Mother’s Day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Corrie<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Executive Director, One Spark<o:p></o:p></div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-49524291864043475982016-11-22T13:08:00.002-08:002016-11-22T14:14:48.425-08:00Ahead of Giving Tuesday, Some Thoughts from our Executive Director<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the most significant challenges faced by any
charitable organization is demonstrating the impact of donations. My wish from the time One Spark came into
being has always been that everyone could see first-hand the unbelievable
determination, resilience, creativity, and talents of the women we work
with. My wish has been that people could
know the incredible women we’ve come to know. To witness the journeys of women as
they rebuild and forge futures from a place of hope would, without question, speak for
itself. I wouldn’t have to write a word
to show the impact of the donations we receive.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because this is simply not possible, I am going to tell you
what I’ve come to know about how the support we receive can be life-changing. When we meet women that are being introduced
to One Spark for the first time, we are connected to a unique story every
time. Some women have lived through months,
years – perhaps decades – of abuse and violence. All are facing poverty. As one woman said to me, "You almost
always have to walk through some form of poverty or lack of resources to escape
abuse.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, the real commonality that every single woman I have
worked with at One Spark has demonstrated is an unwavering commitment to moving
forward: to forging a way to economic security.
It takes seven weeks to go through the full One Spark program, and women
show up, engage, write business plans, register businesses, participate in
training, and look ahead with determination every time. They do it without fail. We have worked with women that have started
landscaping businesses, consulting businesses, home décor and self-care
products businesses, cleaning businesses.
We have worked with a woman who invented a product and published a book. We are so honoured to be able to provide the forum
to bridge their experiences from living with violence/in poverty to owning income-generating
businesses. Providing the opportunity to
live that transition is what your donations do. <b>You lift women up through possibility</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I am speaking publicly, one of the questions I often
field is how we raise our money. We do
not receive any government funding. We
are 100% reliant on the generosity of people: it is only because people reach
into their pockets and so kindly give to One Spark that we can do our
work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Therefore, as we begin to celebrate the joy of the holidays – a time of year
that can also powerfully remind us of income inequities and those struggling with
poverty – I am asking you to please consider helping us to continue to do our
work and reach even more women in 2017.
You can make a donation of any amount at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/one-spark/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/one-spark/</a> (or through the button at the bottom of the page).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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On behalf of the women we work with, I thank you in advance
for any support you can offer and I leave you with words written by Nancy, a
client who offered to share her One Spark experience to help make opportunities
available to other women:<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"What I would like to say is that for the first time, I have had the greatest experience during this whole endeavor and none of it would be happening without One Spark. I have gained confidence, not only in myself, but as a women with substance that does have something to bring to the table. One Spark has listened to my idea's, even during the current struggles that I continue to have. They give me a direction and keep me on track as this has to be one of the hardest things to accomplish as an abused women, especially with children. The support from all of the experienced board members and all that they have to offer is supreme to say the least.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All the support that I have received could not be written in this letter as there is not enough words to explain. What needs to be said though is that even knowing the experience that the board members bring to the table along with Corrie Schneider's knowledge, none of this could happen without funding. As we all know, all the experience, all of the hard work, no matter the idea, can't be done without money or funding in any way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope that you see the benefits in helping this wonderful and well needed Organization and all that it will do for our future as human beings.</span></div>
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From the bottom of my heart, thank you again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d108631" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!" border="0" src="//www.canadahelps.org/image/DonateNowLink/en/Donate1.png" /></a>Corrie Schneider<o:p></o:p></div>
One Spark Executive Director<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-74932666101037883062016-10-06T10:27:00.003-07:002016-10-07T02:48:43.146-07:00A Letter to the St. Pat’s High School Football Coaches and Players<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLRVBmbSVP6sdZwRHM3r_fhV6daQs8dN2hy55VfE_Luyfsg9htYocBuK0kbDgDgwYUXaAW0dDkZfdozGe3LU75vj_IczDoMgQgzKLHhk2vJ7FeZy-t_4zExQxYYOA6LiUOZ73nMsBqjY/s1600/st+pats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLRVBmbSVP6sdZwRHM3r_fhV6daQs8dN2hy55VfE_Luyfsg9htYocBuK0kbDgDgwYUXaAW0dDkZfdozGe3LU75vj_IczDoMgQgzKLHhk2vJ7FeZy-t_4zExQxYYOA6LiUOZ73nMsBqjY/s320/st+pats.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I want to
begin by saying thank you. I have worked
in the field of violence against women for a while now and today was a first
for me. Today was the first time I witnessed
action and advocacy on the issue of violence against women being initiated - and primarily championed - in a high school by the men in the school. Wearing white in solidarity with our “MAVerick”
campaign and ending violence against women and girls may have felt like a small
action, but it felt revolutionary to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Each of you
may have your own reason for having been part of today’s campaign. I know many of your coaches are husbands and
fathers. Perhaps some of you have been
personally impacted by violence, or know women and girls that
have experienced violence. To some of
you, it may feel like a bit of an arm’s length issue: you might feel like it is
something that happens to other people. But
we know statistically that violence against women touches every corner of our
globe…and every corner of our communities.
The number is 1 in 3. One in
three women globally have experienced physical or sexual abuse. That means that, in the course of your day,
you may not know it, but you are almost certainly interacting with women and
girls that are living with – or have experienced – violence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The reason you may not be aware of the violence happening
around you is that violence against women is an issue that is often shrouded in silence. Women and girls may not talk about it for a
number of reasons: perhaps their safety – or lives – are being threatened; perhaps
they stay silent out of shame or fear of stigma. By using your voices today, you have
pro-actively shown your support and solidarity so that, even in the silence,
women and girls are being acknowledged and heard.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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I firmly believe that, if we are going to end violence
against women, men like you must be engaged in meaningful ways. And, so, I’ll end where I started: by
thanking you for the incredible action you took today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With gratitude and in solidarity,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Corrie
Schneider</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Executive
Director, One Spark</div>
<o:p></o:p>MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-28789702089808300152016-08-16T05:34:00.002-07:002016-08-16T06:22:10.077-07:00One Spark Celebrates its Third Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9QbbGq6t-TZpJ_deoeQK3gPW4xk8m3vlhzO-L2lu8EWvjC4j4QUv2MLsWS7dBPoKzzgWUL9OLgZSOHs4wjdD-wqnGzUSahF1W534dJWqJNCHWicZuT7jgns1DZXYRjHU-px29JdS3ss/s1600/3rd-birthday-cake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9QbbGq6t-TZpJ_deoeQK3gPW4xk8m3vlhzO-L2lu8EWvjC4j4QUv2MLsWS7dBPoKzzgWUL9OLgZSOHs4wjdD-wqnGzUSahF1W534dJWqJNCHWicZuT7jgns1DZXYRjHU-px29JdS3ss/s1600/3rd-birthday-cake2.jpg" /></a></div>
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As I sit down to write this blog and mark three incredible years
of being part of One Spark’s mission in action, I am overcome with a sense of gratitude
and peace. I recognize that may seem
counter-intuitive given both local and world events that have shocked and
saddened all of us in recent months, but here’s what I’ve come to know: goodness,
kindness, generosity and compassion live.
They live in abundance in people all around us. I know this because I unfailingly see it
every single day in my work with One Spark.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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As One Spark celebrates its third birthday, I want to pause
and acknowledge the collective kindness and generosity that powers our
work. We have seen the most incredible
generosity in our donors and supporters: your steadfast willingness to share
what you have is truly the only reason One Spark’s work can happen. And we have seen the most amazing, tireless hands
at work through our volunteers: your skills, gifts and time are the foundation on
which One Spark is built. To all of the
amazing people that breathe life into One Spark’s vision of ensuring no women
faces financial barriers to living a life without violence, we are so thankful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’d like to especially take a moment to acknowledge our
Board of Directors. Jo-Anne, Marlo,
Flavio, Howie, Lynden, Danielle, Lynn and Christina (and our amazing Board volunteer, Jo-Ann): I feel like I run short of
words to describe your individual and collective impact. The fearlessness, integrity and passion with
which you have led a young – and ever-growing – organization is a true gift to
the mission we are so diligently pursuing.
Thank you for being the critical core of this organization.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our third year has been one of amazing growth and change. Here are a few of our key highlights:<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">We are thrilled to be on track to have 20 women
completed One Spark’s Entrepreneurship Program by the end of 2016.</span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">We introduced group programming to great success this
year, which has allowed us to reach more women simultaneously and to encourage natural
support and business networking opportunities among the women
participating.</span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">We are looking forward to building on key learnings and outcomes in order to expand the group programming format in 2017.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">In June of this year, One Spark was honoured and
grateful to be chosen to receive funding through the MasterCard Foundation’s 10</span><sup style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">
Anniversary Giving Campaign. The funds we
received have been critical in expanding the reach and impact of our
Entrepreneurship Program and we want to acknowledge and thank the MasterCard
Foundation for such a wonderful initiative.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">Also in June of this year, we were thrilled to
once again work with the amazing team at CCI Studios to launch One Spark’s “Be
A Maverick” Campaign, encouraging men to speak out on the issue of violence
against women. CCI’s creative genius
helped us bring to life an important and meaningful grassroots campaign started by the Original Maverick, Joe Palko. We
are continuing to promote and expand the campaign to engage as many men as
possible in using their voices to end violence.
Thank you to the always-fabulous team at CCI for being true partners in
our work to end violence. Check out the campaign at <a href="http://beamaverick.org/">beamaverick.org</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">In September, 2015 we held our 2</span><sup style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">nd</sup><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">
Annual Golf Tournament, which was a tremendous success and brought out a
fabulous group of golfers and supporters.
We are incredibly excited to be holding our 2016 tournament in
partnership with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. This amazing partnership gives us an
invaluable platform to share the work of One Spark and to expand our
fundraising efforts. We are so grateful
to our Board member, Flavio Volpe, for highlighting our work to APMA members
and fostering this partnership opportunity.
The tournament will be held on September 22, 2016 at Granite Ridge Golf
Course: we’re hoping to see you there! </span><a href="http://one-spark.ca/2016-golf-tournament">http://one-spark.ca/2016-golf-tournament</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">2016 also marked the first year that the Women
Moving Forward Conference was presented under the One Spark banner. We are incredibly proud of and grateful for
the partnership we have developed with the WMF Conference Committee. It is an important opportunity for One Spark
to be connected to an event that provides networking, learning and personal
growth opportunities for women as well as to provide the women who attend the
conference with exposure to One Spark programming: a perfect match for growing
and expanding our mission and work.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">Over the past year, we have continued to develop
our Professional Advisory Committee and to consider how professionals from a
variety of key functional business areas can support the women entrepreneurs we
are working with. Our Professional
Advisory Committee has been such a wealth of expertise and support and we look
forward to fostering ongoing community support through this wonderful group.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">We are so grateful to have expanded our
corporate support network over the past year, including being the beneficiaries
of events and initiatives led by Energi PR and Thrive Fit. Thank you to these amazing organizations for
connecting our work to yours.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">There were some truly wonderful community events
that happened this year that were coordinated through our unfailingly wonderful
and committed volunteer and advocate, Heather Lapier. Over the past year, Heather organized a Karma
Class at Inner Dawn Yoga and a contest through Handmade for you
Love Lu for the benefit of One Spark. We
love the opportunity to highlight our work through innovative and creative
channels like these: thank you, Heather!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -17.85pt;">Finally, but not at all least, we have had the opportunity
over the past year to connect with other partners and service providers in the community
to consider how we can bring our respective work together to maximum
impact. We’ve made critical connections
with organizations such as the Elizabeth Fry Society and the Women’s Rural
Resource Centre in Strathroy. We’ve also
connected to an incredible network of business coaches that offer ongoing
business development coaching and mentorship to the women that participate in
One Spark’s Entrepreneurship Program. We
had the amazing opportunity over the course of this year to have Janice Gerol –
the Vice President of International Business Operations for Pampered Chef – to provide
an advisory/mentorship session. Thank you to the community partners that work with us in the spirit of collaboration: the benefits of community connection are so critical to our work.</span></li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every year, I am amazed when we find ourselves already
marking another One Spark birthday. And
every year I close my eyes and say a silent thank you to the incredible people
that make it happen. Most importantly, I
pause to acknowledge the courage, strength and fortitude demonstrated by the
women we work with. We look forward to
another year of diligently working towards breaking down the financial barriers
women face when moving forward from violence.
Thank you for being a critical part of that journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In gratitude and peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Corrie<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-35341945910946328352016-06-10T04:56:00.002-07:002016-10-08T03:51:15.672-07:00The Story of #WhiteHoodieFriday<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdPUnp2Sc7FlxNAdk_cHazSX4Rxh_JP06UwIyTUN20CaiG6Bo6LM1zs4fbpbbtePHyxo9cmW-MuRmqfqff-ScRGkwdl-QI7leKHQFZrwaCYvw7wrN0S13qo4nhjtv934f7-kvQ2XOBBk/s1600/white+hoodie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdPUnp2Sc7FlxNAdk_cHazSX4Rxh_JP06UwIyTUN20CaiG6Bo6LM1zs4fbpbbtePHyxo9cmW-MuRmqfqff-ScRGkwdl-QI7leKHQFZrwaCYvw7wrN0S13qo4nhjtv934f7-kvQ2XOBBk/s320/white+hoodie.jpg" width="320" /></a>Growing up in our house in Sarnia, everyone listened when my
dad spoke. My dad can have a big,
booming voice and a very commanding presence.
You assumed he meant business with just about everything he said, but
probably never so much so as when he reminded us of the first, and most unbreakable
rule in the house: nobody was ever to hit our mother.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That was how the rule was phrased, “You NEVER hit your
mother”. And, to be sure, it was a
literal rule. Even if you were joking
around and playfully pretended to give her a nudge or chuck to the arm, my dad’s
laughter would turn to a glare I can see to this day. That rule was never to be tested. But, even as were instructed to take it
literally, there was a not-so-subtle underlying philosophy to holding this rule
as the central, most important, most oft-noted in the house: women are to be
valued, respected, treated with dignity, and, when necessary, protected.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
But, my dad also never saw the women and girls in our house
as weak. I’m vividly remembering coming
downstairs one Christmas morning and finding two fully-loaded toolboxes under
the Christmas tree for my sister and me.
And I can hear my dad’s words about that toolbox to this day: never
become dependent on someone to do things for you. You’re perfectly talented, skilled and capable of doing things
yourself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And so it didn’t surprise me at all when my dad announced
last fall that he was going to wear a white hoodie every Friday to show his
solidarity with the work of One Spark and to hold it as his personal sign that
mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, co-workers are NEVER to be abused in any way.
People that have heard my dad does this, or seen him in his white sweatshirt, think its brilliant. So, with his
blessing, we adopted it as a signature campaign and asked our creative
partners, CCI Studios, to bring it to life, which they beautifully did with our
new #BeAMaverick campaign, which you can check out at <a href="http://beamaverick.org/">beamaverick.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be part of the campaign, all you have to do is wear a
white sweatshirt on Friday as a sign of your intolerance of violence against women
(and if you are feeling really inspired, make it a group or office
event!). If you don’t have a white sweatshirt, we are selling them with our Maverick logo on the sleeve:<a href="http://beamaverick.org/cart">http://beamaverick.org/cart</a>. All of the
proceeds will go to One Spark’s programs helping women to establish financial
sustainability in order to move forward from their experiences with violence. To give
visibility to the work of One Spark and your amazing Maverickness, post your
white hoodie pics on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) with the
hashtags #BeAMaverick #WhiteHoodieFriday and #onespark.</div>
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The impact of men speaking out on violence against women is
critical to meaningful change. Please
consider becoming an advocate of this campaign.
And please use your voice to uphold my dad’s ubreakable rule of zero tolerance of
violence against women.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Corrie<o:p></o:p><br />
One Spark Executive Director</div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-33674251435137849232016-04-11T17:53:00.000-07:002016-04-11T18:50:59.721-07:00The Heart of One Spark: Our Volunteers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The simple truth is that One Spark would not exist without the amazing people that lend us their wellspring of incredible gifts: gifts of time, of talent, of financial support, and of love for our vision of a world where no woman faces financial and economic barriers to living a life without violence.<br />
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Two and a half years ago, when One Spark came into being, those volunteers totaled seven. Today, we are honoured and blessed to have an ever-growing host of volunteers that translate our vision into action. Jo-Anne, Flavio, Marlo, Howie, Danielle, Lynn, Lynden and Rachel are at the forefront of our volunteer team as our inimitable Board of Directors. To be sure, I include our other wonderful Jo-Ann in this group for her unbelievable willingness to volunteer to take minutes at all of our meetings. To even begin to speak about this group is emotional and overwhelming to me, as they are a non-profit dream team in the depth of their generosity, thoughtfulness, knowledge, sincerity, and senses of humour. They continue to breathe life, energy and joy into One Spark, and National Volunteer Week is a wonderful opportunity for me to say out loud that my gratitude for each of them runs incredibly deep.<br />
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In the same breath that I share my appreciation for our Board of Directors, I want to acknowledge Heather, another unfailing volunteer that has transitioned her previous Board role into an on-the-ground advocate role in which she has been an unwavering champion of One Spark's work and a voice that has engaged donors, supporters, mentors and community partners for the benefit of our work. She is a force that constantly amazes.<br />
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In a previous blog post I shared my thoughts about our Professional Advisory Committee and I want to say again that this group's insights and commitment to our work represent part of One Spark's evolution that we are so proud of and grateful for. Thank you to our amazing committee members. Likewise, the incredible volunteers that plan and support our golf tournament are the heart and soul of an event that is integral to funding our work through the year. Thank you for making the golf tournament an annual highlight and an absolute joy to prepare for. We are also grateful this year to be working with a spectacular group of women that plan and carry out the Women Moving Forward Conference.<br />
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While these represent our core volunteer groups, every day and in a million different ways One Spark is impacted by the goodness of the people that surround us and touch our work in immeasurable ways. Volunteer energy is what powers our organization: generous hearts and hands fuel our capacity to carry out our mission. For that, I am sincerely and deeply grateful.<br />
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Corrie Schneider<br />
One Spark Executive Director<br />
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<br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-48856302369204918412016-03-24T08:41:00.000-07:002016-03-24T12:26:40.351-07:00My Heartbreak Over the Ghomeshi Verdict<div class="MsoNormal">
I am heartbroken over the Jian Ghomeshi verdict. There are countless pioneers, trailblazers,
advocates, and allies of the violence against women movement that can explain
the socio-political and legal implications far better than I can, but I feel
its impact deeply. For all of us that
work with One Spark to ensure that women achieve financial independence, we do
this work because there is no question that when women lack access or face
barriers to resources, their vulnerability to violence is increased
exponentially. Likewise, when a legal
system reacts with impunity to punching, choking, and otherwise abusing a woman,
that system makes all women vulnerable. When
we treat victims of violence like they have only experienced a crime if they
did and said the right thing before, during, and after it happened, that makes
all women vulnerable. When we send the
message to survivors of physical and sexual violence that we will employ every
legal means and loophole to tear you down before you may or may not see
justice, that makes all women vulnerable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jian Ghomeshi did not say that he did not hurt women, nor
that he did not enjoy it. But, that wasn’t
the issue. The issue was the role of the
women: did they collude, did they reveal all the details, did they lie, did
they contact him after the fact…did they…did they…did they…<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, <b>nobody</b> denied he hit them and he choked them. And nobody denied he held the balance of power
while he was hitting and choking them.
Now, he’ll see another day to hit and choke again, as will others that
know that the Ghomeshi defence can be their defence and that the complainants’ shame
and humiliation can be their victim’s shame and humiliation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As much as I love the “I believe you”/ "We believe you”
hashtags, those of us that work in the violence against
women field – and make it our daily mission to broadcast that message to survivors -
tend to inherently start from a place of belief, compassion, and trust, so
these campaigns and messages reiterate existing systems of support. The fundamental challenge is to effectively address the
flaws in our systems and power structures that critically exacerbate the vulnerability of
women. In time, I know the heartbreak of
“not guilty” will translate into a strengthened resolve to make change: it will
fuel the work of so many that understand that violence against women and the risk of violence against women are woven into our socio-economic and legal systems and the processes that
support them. And so our work marches on
in the hope of a day when #webelieveyou is a systemic starting point and no
longer a necessary rally cry for women impacted by violence and re-victimized by the very systems that are supposed to protect them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With peace and hope,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Corrie Schneider<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Executive
Director, One Spark<o:p></o:p></div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-34448394165032751022016-03-05T11:13:00.002-08:002016-03-05T11:22:20.540-08:00An Amazing Meeting of the Minds: The One Spark Professional Advisory Committee<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been an incredible thing to watch One Spark, as a new
organization, get its footing and become part of the fabric of the charitable
sector. One of the things I know for
sure is that bringing the work of an organization to life can only happen if
people are willing to put their hand up and say, “I will help you”. We all know the adage that it takes a village
to raise a child: it’s no less true about raising a non-profit
organization. We need a spectrum of
skills, expertise, perspectives, viewpoints, and experiences to ensure our
programs and services are on point and that we are serving women according to
the highest possible standards.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To ensure we are providing exceptional programs to assist
women to achieve financial independence through entrepreneurship, last year we
asked community members to bring forward their unique skill sets and expertise
to form the One Spark Professional Advisory Committee. The role of the committee is twofold: 1) to
assess programming and service delivery on an ongoing basis to ensure we are evaluating
outcomes, addressing challenges, and dismantling barriers as much as possible;
and 2) to serve as direct mentors, advisers, and support systems to women
entrepreneurs who may benefit from individual members’ expertise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What we could not have foretold was the amazing meeting of
minds that emerged. Serendipitously, a
fantastically passionate and skilled group of individuals stepped forward to
offer their expertise in areas such as legal compliance, new business
development, communications, instructional design, and charitable programming
and community development. The most
amazing thing about this group is not just that they lend their expertise to One
Spark but that they enthusiastically ask the question, “What else can we do?”
and before we can answer them, they offer, “Here’s what else I could do…”. Our small but mighty group is a true micro example
of what happens when people roll up their sleeves and commit to bringing their
skills to the table. I’m convinced that what will ultimately and
always change things is the generous act of people saying, “Here’s what I can
do: how can that be a useful resource for your mission?”. Indeed, a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens changing the world.</div>
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On behalf of One Spark, I want to thank the Professional
Advisory Committee from the bottom of my heart.
The work of the committee is young and emerging, but the impact is already
being felt in profound ways. You are
change-makers and we are so grateful to have you on the journey.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Corrie Schneider,<br />
Executive Director</div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-37243261127937153462015-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:002015-11-04T14:39:02.704-08:00Why Would We Do This?<div class="MsoNormal">
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Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking to a room full of big-hearted golfers at our annual One Spark golf tournament. The message I most wanted to convey is why the issue of violence against women - and working to end it - is so important. The reasons translate into why my sister and I will run 42.2 km in one week's time to raise money to fund women entrepreneurs that are trying to move forward from violence. I wanted to share a few of those reasons in the hope that it might inspire people to donate to our marathon quest. This is some of what has inspired this mission:<br />
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<li>It was sitting with a dear friend that was like a brother to
me in despair at his mom’s apartment a few days after she died. As I listened to him
recount her life, I noticed that he was telling it in chapters of the violence she experienced, and I came to the devastating realization that her story of abuse was also his story of abuse, and that she died
never really having escaped it.</li>
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<li>It was August 8 and May 16: two days when my life changed
forever with the birth of my daughters and, as a mom, I started to constantly
think about the “what ifs”.</li>
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<li>It was 6 months working with child protection workers at the
Children’s Aid Society as we compiled indisputable statistical evidence
telling us that in a home where mom is abused, the children are likely
abused and vice versa.</li>
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<li>In the course of that same research, it was reading the
Ontario Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Gillian Hadley whose final act as a
mom was to struggle to get her front door open long enough to get her 1-year
old child outside and into a neighbour’s arms before she was killed, and
knowing that not being able to afford alternative housing was one of the
reasons she was still in her family home that day. </li>
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<li>It’s the fact that Ontario now has Jared’s
law because another little 8 year old boy in Brantford didn’t make it out the
front door when he was caught in the crossfire of domestic violence.</li>
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<li>It was sitting around a table with a group of violence survivors and
listening to them agree that the scariest day of their life was not the day
they went into a shelter, but the day they left its security and protection.</li>
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<li>It’s been listening to the news over the past 18 months and
thinking about how many women don’t get daily coverage of the fear they are living
with, or the survival strategies they are putting in place every day.</li>
</ul>
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<li>And now it’s the amazing, courageous, strong,
resilient women we work with at One Spark that say all they want is to live
free of the fear, shame, guilt, and denigration that they’ve experienced and
that they know, given this chance to generate income and stand on their own, that they will finally come to see that they have much to bring to the table and are so much more than their violent
experiences. </li>
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There are so many other reasons, including the 24 women and children we lost in Ontario to gender-based violence in 2014, and the 599 we have lost since 1990. It also includes the more than 1,000 indigenous women in Canada that have been missing or murdered since 1980. I would add that it is also the silence that surrounds so much of the violence. Violence against women is an issue so often wrapped in a deafening silence.</div>
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Please help One Spark continue to do critical work that breaks down financial barriers to women living lives free of violence. Please donate to our 2 For 2 Marathon at: <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a></div>
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If you need more reasons, please take a minute to watch our golf tournament video. Thanks for being part of our journey.</div>
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MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-15063652322531484942015-09-30T12:25:00.000-07:002015-09-30T12:37:57.945-07:00The Kindness that I Take With Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're now under 3 weeks away from running the 2 For 2 Marathon. It's been a tough journey to this point, and it will be a long road to conquer on October 18th. I'm so proud and excited to be running that road with my sister, as I believe that we are all stronger when we take things on together. This has been true of my training, so I wanted to share 3 of the greatest gifts of kindness I've received leading up to the big day. Each of them (in addition to the amazing, generous, gracious hearts that have supported this run) has become my daily inspiration to run strong.<br />
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The first are my awesome new kicks. A few years ago I found what I believed to be the perfect pair of running shoes: the first pair that I have been 100% comfortable in, with no foot pain, no blisters, no shin splints. But as I started training the mesh on the front of them started to rip. I wasn't sure what to do because I didn't want to run the marathon in anything other than these shoes, but I knew that that there was a chance they would completely fall apart mid-run. A few weeks ago my husband came up with a scheme while he was out doing some shopping to get my daughter to take a picture of the inside of the tongue of my running shoe and text it to him. He found the exact model and surprised me with a pair of new old shoes. (#waybetterthanflowers) I've loved every minute of training in them.<br />
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Then, last week I received two other amazing surprises. The first were new socks that were sent to me by a dear friend and incredible soul, who not only found a pair that are totally blister-resistant, but also have great sentimental meaning because they let me take the warrior hearts of the people that are close to me that have been affected by cancer out on the road, reminding me what it means to take on a real battle. I love that they say "Go Fight Cure".<br />
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And, finally, the beautiful medallion in the picture. Those who see me regularly often notice that I wear a peace necklace that I almost never take off. Now I have this medallion that I wear daily and will have around my neck on race day, so that it is close to my heart. It's got the day and distance of the marathon, but the thing I love most about it is that my sister has the exact match to it...the only other one to exist. It was a gift from her, and one of the best I have ever received. I didn't think my gratitude to her could run any deeper, but she awed me with this amazing treasure.<br />
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Being supported in this journey in these ways - and in a million other wonderful ways - has reminded me that we all need a circle of support, compassion, empathy, and love. That is the founding spirit of One Spark: to be part of that circle for women who are living their own challenging journey: to find ways to share the road with them and make their load a little less. We truly are all stronger together. I invite you to be part of that circle for the women we work with and consider supporting our marathon with a donation at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a>.<br />
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Thanks so much,<br />
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CorrieMindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-29634598301167413022015-09-23T05:39:00.001-07:002015-09-23T05:47:28.904-07:00Why Run?<div class="MsoNormal">
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I’ve spent a lot of time by myself as I’ve logged the
(seemingly endless) miles to prepare for this marathon. I’ll admit, there have
been lonely times on the road that I’ve questioned why I am doing this. Of
course, the most obvious answer is that I am doing this because I believe the
money we raise running for One Spark can make a difference in the lives of
women.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the course of various training runs, however, I’ve
realized there are three more:<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]--><b>I am doing this because</b> I can get up on a
Saturday morning and spend three or four hours training. I have been blessed
with the financial means not have to go to a second or third job just to ensure
my family has a safe place to live. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]--><b>I am doing this because</b> I don’t worry
what is happening to my children when I am out of the house for those hours. I
know no harm will come to them even if I am not there, standing guard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]--><b>I am doing this because</b> the only reason I
hurt is because the miles are piling up and my muscles are stiff. My aches are
only a result of my running. There is no physical threat or pain in my life.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I am doing this because I believe everyone deserves a chance
at financial security, freedom from fear, and a life without violence. I am
doing this because I believe in a world where those things are not luxuries. I
am doing this because I believe One Spark can make that happen.</div>
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If you believe, please consider donating to our run <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women</a>/. It just
takes One Spark to change the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-19954690401145370362015-08-22T03:48:00.000-07:002015-08-22T04:10:22.879-07:00One Spark Celebrates its Second Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's amazing that 2 years have already come and gone. It truly feels like the first 2 years have passed by in a heartbeat, but we are so excited about the things One Spark has achieved in that time and we are even more excited about what we see ahead. Here are some highlights from our second year:<br />
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<li>On October 2nd, 2014 we held our inaugural One Spark golf tournament at Deer Creek in Ajax. It was an amazing day that rallied incredible support around One Spark's mission and work. We are so excited about our 2nd annual happening on September 24th, and we are thrilled to have CCI Studios returning as our Presenting Sponsor. Come and join us for another fabulous event! You can register online at <a href="http://one-spark.ca/2015-golf-tournament">http://one-spark.ca/2015-golf-tournament</a>.</li>
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<li>On December 6th, we held our second annual Candle Campaign. One Spark's social media lit up with pictures of candles shining in windows to honour those lost to violence, give hope to women affected by violence, and bring the issue of violence against women out of the darkness. </li>
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<li>Most importantly, this year was the year that we began delivering programming to women. Our first participants have completed the program components and are looking ahead to the wonderful opportunities they have ahead of them. Piloting our programming with the first participants has also given us an invaluable opportunity to evaluate and assess our program delivery and outcomes to enhance our work in ways that will provide the highest levels of support to the women accessing our programs. We were honoured to have one of the women we work with share her thoughts on the Entrepreneurship Program: "<i>What I would like to say is that for the first time, I have had the greatest experience during this whole endeavor and none of it would be happening without One Spark. I have gained confidence, not only in myself, but as a women with substance that does have something to bring to the table. One Spark has listened to my idea's, even during the current struggles that I continue to have. They give me a direction and keep me on track as this has to be one of the hardest things to accomplish as an abused women, especially with children. The support from all of the experienced board members and all that they have to offer is supreme to say the least.</i>"</li>
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<li>In May, One Spark clients had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Women Moving Forward Conference in Toronto. This incredible conference featured sessions that share knowledge/experiences and provide tools for women to move forward from life challenges. Our clients unanimously agreed that it was a powerful and motivational experience.</li>
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<li>In June, One Spark was honoured to receive the Workplace Group's Community Spirit and Vision Award. We were so grateful to be recognized by such an amazing organization.</li>
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<li>Our highly committed Board of Directors continues to diligently oversee and ensure effective strategic development of One Spark. We welcomed Lynden Evers and Danielle Rombough to our Board this year: two fantastic individuals that bring a wealth of experience, talent, and passion to our Board.</li>
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<li>We were very excited to announce the development of "Hey Babies", a fabulous new online retailer of previously loved and practically new baby, child and maternity clothing that will be launching over the next year. Hey Babies has committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from their sales to One Spark's work. Please let us know if you have baby/children's clothes that you are looking to give away.</li>
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<li>For the past number of months, Board Member Marlo Taylor and Executive Director Corrie Schneider have been training to run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18th. They are calling it the "2 FOR 2" Marathon, as they are 2 sisters raising money to fund business start-up grants through the One Spark Entrepreneurship Program for two women working towards financial sustainability in order to live violence-free lives. You can support their marathon quest at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a>.</li>
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<li>Our support network continues to grow in leaps and bounds. We are so grateful for those who have provided financial support, in-kind support, and those who rally their networks and community members to be part of the One Spark movement. We see great things ahead in terms of community engagement!</li>
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It has truly been an amazing 2 years and we enter into our 3rd year with visions of growing and expanding the reach of our programs; looking at innovative new ways to deliver our mission; engaging individuals and communities in meaningful ways; and, most importantly, remaining fervently committed to our vision of a world where no woman faces financial barriers to living a life without violence. Thank you for being there with us as it all continues to happen!<br />
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<br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-18203918695954838322015-08-03T15:02:00.002-07:002015-08-03T15:17:32.875-07:00Conquering 16 KM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I conquered the 16 km mark in my training for the One
Spark marathon. Finishing this run, just shy of the ½ marathon distance, was
the first time I truly believed I was going to finish this marathon. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, don’t get me wrong. I was exhausted and sore -- and ELATED
that it was over. I was also fighting the voice in my head that was gleefully
taunting me with the idea that the marathon was doing that 16 km AGAIN plus
some. But then, somewhere way at the back of my brain, came the faintest sound
of possibility. That it was going to be okay. That I GOT this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The program I am using to train for the marathon is very big
on visualization – when you’re out on a run and aching, imagine what your best
run ever looked, felt and even smelled like. When you’re tired or frustrated,
imagine what the end of the race will look, feel and smell like. Who will be
there? How will you celebrate?<o:p></o:p></div>
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It sounds crazy, but it’s working for me. I can see it all –
and am inspired during the darkest of my running moments to keep putting one
foot in front of the other. And, step by step, the distance and time pass. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a good lesson – that perhaps what is achievable is only
limited by what we allow ourselves to imagine and create in our mind’s eye. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’ve ever imagined what could be, or believe in our
individual power to change who we are and what we do, then please consider
donating to One Spark. With your support, we will be able to help women who
have imagined that their lives can and should be free of violence.</div>
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Thank you for imaginings – and sharing our vision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Marlo Taylor</div>
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You can support our 2 for 2 Marathon at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a>. Thanks in advance for your support!</div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-71334329068772440992015-07-19T15:48:00.000-07:002015-07-19T16:34:45.753-07:00What I Want to Tell You About One Spark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you know me, you know that One Spark is a living piece of my heart: I immediately think about our work at One Spark when my eyes open in the morning and it's often the last thing I think about before shutting things down for the night. Honestly, one of my greatest joys in life is when I see people excited, impassioned, engaged, and committed to our mission. I'm always trying to think of ways to share and express my love for this organization.</div>
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So, for this week's blog, I thought I would give a quick synopsis of the Top Ten Things I Love About One Spark in the hope that it might move someone reading this to help us continue our work by supporting our 2 For 2 Marathon. <br />
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Here it goes:</div>
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10. We are in a constant state of innovation. When the people involved with One Spark are around a table, we are constantly trying to find meaningful solutions to eliminate violence against women and to brainstorm how we can rally communities in new ways to support women impacted by violence. It is an amazing wellspring of ideas.</div>
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9. We are acting on our ideas. We started with an Entrepreneurship Program and our Candle Campaign. We are in the process of bringing more amazing programming to life, including some very cool programming for girls: let's use entrepreneurship as a vehicle for prevention by engaging girls in our mission.</div>
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8. We've been embraced by the most amazing organizations. CCI Studios and The Workplace Group in particular have been such amazing champions on our behalf in our first 2 years of existence.</div>
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7. We are committed to exceptional standards of accountability. We match our innovative thinking with our concern for maximizing the use of the donations we receive and meeting and exceeding all standards of accountability required of Canadian charities and federally incorporated non-profits.</div>
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6. We are an ever-growing band of individual supporters: people are constantly asking what they can do to support our work and wanting to engage in such amazing ways. We believe we have incredible growth potential and will continue to engage the most amazing souls in our work.</div>
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5. We have some exciting fundraising initiatives on the horizon: a social enterprise called Hey Babies; an amazing concert event called Revelree; our golf tournament; and our upcoming marathon are just a few of the great events that will be supporting us in the near-term (drop me a line if you're interested in supporting any of the above!).</div>
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4. We have the most incredible Board of Directors. I can't say enough about this group. These spectacular individuals are smart, passionate, committed, trustworthy, and all-around fantastic people. They are the heart and lifeblood of One Spark's work.</div>
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3. We are serious about our work, but we never forget to laugh.</div>
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2. We are seeing meaningful outcomes. As one of the women we work with recently wrote, "<i>I have gained confidence, not only in myself, but as a women with substance that does have something to bring to the table. One Spark has listened to my idea's, even during the current struggles that I continue to have. They give me a direction and keep me on track as this has to be one of the hardest things to accomplish as an abused women, especially with children. The support from all of the experienced board members and all that they have to offer is supreme to say the least</i>."</div>
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1. We work with courageous, resilient, incredible women. We never stop learning from the women we work with and are so excited and hopeful about their next steps. They are at the heart of One Spark's work and the reason we want to see One Spark continue to grow in leaps and bounds.</div>
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If you need more reasons, email me any time at corrie@one-spark.ca. I could talk your ear off about One Spark's work, where it's going, and what we will continue to achieve. If you're already feeling my love for this organization, please consider supporting it with a donation to the marathon my sister and I will be running to get two new women set up in their own business to help them move towards a life free of violence. You can make a donation at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a>. Thanks so much for your support!</div>
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Peace,</div>
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Corrie</div>
MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-3103966991736612532015-06-20T06:22:00.001-07:002015-06-21T06:58:56.219-07:00The Greatest Cheerleader<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Someone told me before I registered for the 2012 Scotiabank Toronto Marathon to be sure that I registered early enough to get my name printed on my race bib. I didn't really get the significance of that advice until race day when the power of having people cheer me on by name was, at moments, all there was to convince me that I should keep putting one foot in front of the other. </div>
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I don't know how many people line the streets during the waterfront marathon, but, amid everything I heard from the sidewalks that day and the number of people that willed me on by name, there was a voice I heard that seemed to somehow rise above. It was my dad's. There was a special strength in hearing my dad cheer me on that day because beyond whatever encouragement he was yelling out to me, I heard a million other things. </div>
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I heard the day he bought my sister and I our first running gear (new shoes and matching pink wind pants with pink wind breakers). He told us that he would support us 1000% if we wanted to be runners, but that we had to make the commitment and do the work. I heard him on my graduation day, telling me how important it was to have a good education and that, no matter what happened in my life, no one could ever take my education away from me. I saw his big smile as he watched my sister and I open up our fully-stocked toolboxes on Christmas morning, telling us to never be dependent on someone else when we were perfectly capable of doing things ourselves. I saw him tear up before walking me down the aisle on my wedding day. I heard him tell his granddaughters how important an education is and that no matter what happens in their life, no one can take it away from them.</div>
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I also heard him championing an end to violence against women. There is something incredibly powerful in hearing the men in your life, and particularly your dad, cheerlead an end to gender-based violence. It makes me realize what a gift his example of respecting and championing women truly is. It made me realize how blessed I am to have my dad cheering me on.</div>
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And so I encourage all dads to never underestimate the gift you are to your daughters and all men to appreciate the impact of your example. And I leave you with one of the greatest moments I've ever lived...and the voice of the best cheerleader I could ask for. Thank you dad for believing in all that I have ever wanted to do, and thank you for your belief in the importance of ending violence. Happy Father's Day!</div>
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(Please consider supporting the marathon my sister and I are running - and I know my dad will be cheering for - with a donation supporting One Spark's programs that assist women to achieve financial security in order to be free of violence. You can make a donation at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women</a>/.)</div>
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<br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-58821013040713610112015-05-23T08:13:00.001-07:002015-05-23T08:17:07.093-07:00Running Isn't Hard (by Marlo Taylor)<div class="MsoPlainText">
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I’m not a natural runner. In fact, while I have been
blessed with a body more than physically capable of running, over the years I
have been lacing up my shoes it’s never really gotten easier – mentally or
physically. I do it because I like to feel strong and I love crossing the finish
line. But the actual act of running? Not so much.</div>
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I am also a compulsive scheduler. If there’s a minute in
the day, let’s fill it! My mantra: Relaxing is for the weak! Interestingly,
though, I rarely proactively book that time for my runs so am consistently
bemoaning the fact that I can’t fit them in. How am I expected to run and do
all the other things I tell myself are day-to-day necessities?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I used to think this whole running thing was hard. Doing
it, making time for it . . . hard, right? No. Running isn’t hard. At least not
in the ways I've been complaining about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s hard is needing to escape an abusive situation,
find a safe place for you and possibly your kids, and face an uncertain future.
What’s hard is being courageous when your body and heart hurt. What’s hard is
truly believing no one – including you – deserves to live with violence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m running because it’s the least I can do to help while
other women are doing the truly heavy lifting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 for 2 is hoping to raise $4,000. For $4,000 we can help
two women tackle what’s really hard. We can help them as they take on the
challenge of imaging what comes next for them and their families as
independent, hopefully thriving entrepreneurs. We can support their business
development as they try to create financial stability.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tonight, I’ll lace up my shoes (and likely whine while
doing it), but I’ll come home to a house that is safe and I will sleep well
because there is no threat to either me or my children. Imagine being able to
help two more women find their path to that kind of peace of mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you can, please support 2 for 2 at <a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a>. <o:p></o:p><br />
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MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-31205768541975268652015-05-18T06:24:00.000-07:002015-05-18T07:19:01.935-07:00True Story: Why We're Running<div class="Standard">
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Since One Spark's inception, I have often said that I wish everyone involved with One Spark could sit at the table with the women entrepreneurs we work with and experience their determination to courageously carve out a new path. As a means of sharing our partnership with the women we support, I asked one of our clients if she would be willing to write a short description of her experience working with One Spark. With her permission (and her enthusiasm: she is extremely eager to share her story for any others it may touch and/or benefit), I am sharing her words. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"What I would like to say is that for the first time, I have had the greatest experience during this whole endeavor and none of it would be happening without One Spark. I have gained confidence, not only in myself, but as a women with substance that does have something to bring to the table. One Spark has listened to my idea's, even during the current struggles that I continue to have. They give me a direction and keep me on track as this has to be one of the hardest things to accomplish as an abused women, especially with children. The support from all of the experienced board members and all that they have to offer is supreme to say the least.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All the support that I have received could not be written in this letter as there is not enough words to explain. What needs to be said though is that even knowing the experience that the board members bring to the table along with Corrie Schneider's knowledge, none of this could happen without funding. As we all know, all the experience, all of the hard work, no matter the idea, can't be done without money or funding in any way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope that you see the benefits in helping this wonderful and well needed Organization and all that it will do for our future as human beings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you so much."</span></div>
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Please consider supporting the "2 for 2" marathon to raise money for start-up business grants for two women: we're 2 sisters running for 2 women entrepreneurs. Our goal is $4,000, the cost of 2 One Spark start-up grants for women impacted by violence. You can make a donation at:<br />
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<a href="https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/">https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/</a><br />
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Thank you for your support!<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"></span><br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-44406881939441808412015-05-08T05:59:00.000-07:002015-05-08T06:17:25.292-07:00A One Spark Mother's Day Wish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We truly work with some amazing moms at One Spark. Here's to these incredible women - and all moms - on Mother's Day.</div>
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<br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-90173669004571702592015-04-30T12:03:00.000-07:002015-04-30T16:20:37.600-07:00Do You Mind if I Run With You?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQUVME6RSofxJOR1tVOlP9pMUX4651Tx0veNrCZiwsxt7bvp2Z_2MztMYDBSHl6_ztPUzMbFqbge96Ii5KhDfTR9cX_tj9nSlPiyrltOQn51rzbS0OmMUK29sbMtOC_I7yFPYg9710uM/s1600/MandCrunning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQUVME6RSofxJOR1tVOlP9pMUX4651Tx0veNrCZiwsxt7bvp2Z_2MztMYDBSHl6_ztPUzMbFqbge96Ii5KhDfTR9cX_tj9nSlPiyrltOQn51rzbS0OmMUK29sbMtOC_I7yFPYg9710uM/s1600/MandCrunning.JPG" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'd like to take a minute to talk about this picture.</div>
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The runner on the right is me (Corrie Schneider) on October 14th, 2012. I was approximately 30 km into my attempt at completing my first marathon (the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon in Toronto). The runner on the left is my sister. If you zoom in on the picture, you'll see that my sister isn't wearing a race bib...or proper running clothes. She wasn't supposed to run that day.</div>
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About 15 minutes before this picture was taken, I had reached the 28 km market and had turned the corner to head north on Coxwell Ave. Ahead of me on the sidewalk I could see my mom, dad, and sister holding up signs encouraging me to "Run Strong!". It's such an amazing feeling to be out on that road with people cheering you on and cheering you home. The truth, though, was that 15 minutes before this picture was taken, I wasn't feeling strong at all: my shoulders and lower legs were screaming with pain and when I finally reached my cheering section the only words I could get out of my mouth as I was running by were, "I hurt". Before I could inhale my next breath, my amazing sister threw off her backpack, stepped off the curb and said, "Do you mind if I run with you?". </div>
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No kidding, three years later, my eyes water all over again thinking about it.</div>
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My sister ran the next 5 km with me: making jokes, singing to me, and cheering me on...anything to try to take away my pain. Then, in the best relay I will ever be a part of, she slipped off to the side of the road at 33 km, and my awesome husband took over and ran with me until I was 1 km away from the finish line. Definitely 42.2 of the best kilometres my feet will ever travel.</div>
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In my experience, few things are more powerful than people rallying to lift someone up in times of challenge and struggle. The journeys we share with women at One Spark remind me so much of that marathon: we are honoured to be introduced to the most amazing women and then to have the opportunity to say, "Do you mind if we run with you?". They are the might and determination that cross the finish line with their own will and strength, but we have the unbelievable experience of being there for a few kilometres on their journey.</div>
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And, so, in solidarity with women living with violence, my sister Marlo and I are so excited to reunite on the marathon course at the 2015 Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon, both of us officially running this year's race. With our "2 for 2 Marathon", we are running to raise money to fund One Spark start-up grants for 2 women that are launching their own businesses as a means of working towards financial self-sufficiency in order to live free from violence. Two sisters for two women entrepreneurs, and an end to violence. (You can read more about One Spark's work at <a href="http://one-spark.ca/">http://one-spark.ca/</a>.)</div>
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Our goal is to raise $4,000. We're kindly asking you to consider supporting our run and to stay tuned as we blog about how the preparation and training are going. We are so grateful for your support of One Spark's work to help women escape violence, and we look forward to an incredible journey.</div>
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Thanks for running with us,</div>
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Marlo Taylor and Corrie Schneider</div>
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To make a donation, please visit our CanadaHelps page at </div>
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<br />MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-67305725447955207492015-04-13T15:08:00.000-07:002015-04-14T07:55:53.399-07:00As We Celebrate National Volunteer Week, Here’s to our Board of DirectorsI don’t think I will ever forget the moment that the One Spark Board of Directors took its first breath. It was June 26, 2013 at approximately 1:00 p.m. I sat across from Jo-Anne Liburd over a pint on a Front Street patio in Toronto and said nervously, “I want to talk to you about something”. By 1:30 Jo-Anne was the founding President of the One Spark Board of Directors. <br />
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I know for a fact that many organizations have outstanding Boards of Directors, but as we celebrate National Volunteer Week, I want to share why I love the One Spark Board from the bottom of my heart. So here it is: I adore this crew because I asked them not to join and lead an organization, but to whole-heartedly believe in a concept and then to leap right into that idea with no guarantees of how it would unfold. There was no office, no staff, no coffee maker, no lights to turn off when they leave. There was simply an application for incorporation and massive, unassailable faith in what was possible. They've been asked to take time away from the families and friends they adore and the daily work that fills their plates, and to commit to reviewing programs, approving minutes, developing policy, discussing finances, organizing golf tournaments, and – most importantly – taking on violence against women. They have taken it on fiercely and, in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, they have dared greatly. As the Board of Directors, Jo-Anne, Lynden, Danielle, Marlo, Flavio, Heather, Howie and Rachel are the brilliant heart, brain, hands, feet, eyes, and voice of what One Spark has become.<br />
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Lucky for me, they are also 8 of the funniest people I know.<br />
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So, as we toast the volunteers that make the non-profit world turn, here’s to 8 amazing people that have collectively brought One Spark to life. With an immensely grateful heart, I thank you.<br />
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Corrie<br />
One Spark Executive Director<br />
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MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-14375670615345786522015-01-21T09:38:00.000-08:002015-01-21T09:49:51.845-08:00Introducing Hey Babies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One Spark is incredibly excited to announce the anticipated Fall 2015 launch of Hey Babies, a new enterprise of our amazing corporate supporters, CCI Studios. Hey Babies will be an online retailer of previously loved and practically new baby and child clothing, as well as maternity clothing: the site will be updated with quality items daily and the sales/shipping process will be quick, seamless, and user friendly. </div>
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The most amazing part of the Hey Babies initiative is that it will support the work of One Spark - and our mandate of addressing violence against women - on a number of meaningful levels: a percentage of Hey Babies' profits will be donated to provide ongoing funding to One Spark; Hey Babies will provide career development opportunities for women experiencing violence; and it will provide an amazing channel for generating awareness of One Spark and issues associated with violence against women. Hey Babies is truly a unique, inspiring, and socially conscious initiative that we are thrilled to see coming to life!<br />
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Hey Babies' inventory will be donated by community members, who in turn will be given a gift certificate to shop on their site. If you have children's and/or maternity clothes that you would like to put to amazing use, let us know and we will arrange to have them collected for Hey Babies re-sale. To schedule a pick-up, email me directly at corrie@one-spark.ca<br />
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For more information, check out the blog of CCI Studios' Vice President, Heather Lapier:<br />
<a href="http://audreysupperstory.blogspot.ca/2015/01/hey-babies.html.">http://audreysupperstory.blogspot.ca/2015/01/hey-babies.html.</a><br />
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We are so grateful to CCI for this partnership opportunity and look forward to the official launch later this year!! Stay tuned for Hey Babies updates as the launch date approaches!MindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-3755852558007600462014-11-04T16:08:00.002-08:002014-11-04T16:14:06.082-08:00Purple Scarves and Supporting Your Local Women's Shelter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Be part of the <i>Wrapped in Courage</i> Campaign by wearing a purple scarf this month.</span></div>
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November is Woman Abuse Awareness Month. One of the amazing ways you can show your support for women and children living with violence is to take part in the "Wrapped in Courage" campaign, which asks you wear a purple scarf as a symbol of solidarity with abused women and children. I'm going to ask you to do one more thing.<br />
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Please think about lending your support to your local women's shelter. Over the past 10 years I have worked closely with many shelters across Ontario and here's what I would like you to know: every shelter I have come to know has lived and breathed the plight of women and children living with abuse. The Executive Directors, Managers, Front Line Workers, Counsellors, Advocates, Administrators, Support Staff, and Fundraisers that work in women's shelters are a 24-7, 365 day-a-year lifeline to women and children in crisis. The work that happens in shelters saves and changes lives, usually with scarce resources, tight funding, and limited capacity. But none of those barriers limits the work or indomitable commitment of shelter workers to provide safe haven and a way forward for abused women and children. Similarly, I can tell you that the women that access shelter services are the very embodiment of courage and strength. But as the "Wrapped in Courage" campaign reminds us: the courage of a woman alone is not enough. Shelters need your donations, support, volunteer time, and advocacy.<br />
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So, yes, wear a purple scarf this month and let people know that you stand with all women and children living with abuse. And then please lend your skills, time, and/or dollars to your local women's shelter.<br />
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Peace,<br />
Corrie<br />
One Spark Executive DirectorMindBridge Strategieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923259600022931557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3539645647784586642.post-63139868013628688842014-10-03T06:42:00.002-07:002014-10-03T06:46:35.624-07:00An Amazing DayI'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone who made yesterday's golf tournament such an amazing and successful event. From our title sponsor, CCI Studios, to our Board of Directors (and our trail-blazing President, Jo-Anne Liburd) to our Fundraising Intern, Fatima Amjad, to our incredible volunteers and our big-hearted golfers: you are the reason our work will continue to be done. Thank you from all of us at One Spark. Can't wait to see you all back next year.<br />
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Peace and courage,<br />
Corrie Schneider, One Spark Executive Director<br />
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