Do You Mind if I Run With You?

I'd like to take a minute to talk about this picture.

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.

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?".  

No kidding, three years later, my eyes water all over again thinking about it.

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.

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.

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  http://one-spark.ca/.)

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.

Thanks for running with us,

Marlo Taylor and Corrie Schneider

To make a donation, please visit our CanadaHelps page at 

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2-for-2-marathon-two-sisters-for-two-women/

As We Celebrate National Volunteer Week, Here’s to our Board of Directors

I 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.

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.

Lucky for me, they are also 8 of the funniest people I know.

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.

Corrie
One Spark Executive Director

Introducing Hey Babies!

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.  

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!

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

For more information, check out the blog of CCI Studios' Vice President, Heather Lapier:
http://audreysupperstory.blogspot.ca/2015/01/hey-babies.html.

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!

Purple Scarves and Supporting Your Local Women's Shelter

Be part of the Wrapped in Courage Campaign by wearing a purple scarf this month.

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.

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.

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.

Peace,
Corrie
One Spark Executive Director

An Amazing Day

I'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.

Peace and courage,
Corrie Schneider, One Spark Executive Director

One Spark Celebrates its First Birthday!

It was a year ago this week - on August 23rd - that One Spark officially became a registered entity and life was breathed into a vision of ensuring that no woman faces financial barriers to living a life without violence.  As cliché as it may sound to say that time flies, One Spark's first year has come and gone in a blink, and yet has been packed with planning, activity, engagement, and excitement both about what has been accomplished and what lies just over the horizon.

Here are some of our favourite year one highlights:

• On December 17th, 2013 the One Spark Board of Directors convened its first official meeting.  We are extremely proud of the dynamic group that has worked diligently over the past year to govern, guide, and serve as the heart and soul of the organization.  Our inaugural Board of Directors includes President, Jo-Anne Liburd; Vice-President, Flavio Volpe; Secretary, Rachel Ryan; Treasurer, Howie Paskowitz; Member Marlo Taylor; and Member Heather Lapier.  Their giving of time and talent is the reason One Spark can effectively deliver its mission.

• On November 25th, 2013 One Spark launched its inaugural Candle Campaign.  For the 11 days between November 25th (The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) and December 6th (The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women), we promoted the campaign, which asked people to place lit candles in their window on December 6th to honour, remember, and shine a light on victims of domestic violence.  We then asked people to share their pictures on the One Spark Facebook page and were so proud to see our page glow!  This year, we are raising the bar on campaign engagement and eventually hope to light up the world on December 6th.

• We launched a drive to collect used laptops for women participating in our programs.  We had both corporate and individual donors generously give us computers for re-use.  We will continue to collect any laptops that are functional...your retiring laptop is a critical business tool for a woman escaping violence.

• We met with potential community partners and developed opportunities for One Spark's programming to enhance the capacity of organizations already doing great work.  We were thrilled to be so warmly welcomed by the Workplace Group in Sarnia, one of the first program partners to come on board.

• We reviewed, finalized, tested, and re-tested program components to ensure we are providing the highest and most effective levels of programming and service to women living with violence.  We were humbled by the work of Greg Zatulovsky and Leanne Ho, two accountants who so generously gave of the time to peer review our programs and make valuable recommendations for program enhancements.  We are also grateful for the amazing engagement of Lynn Bice, an entrepreneur that assisted us with beta testing and ensured we had thought of program development from every angle.

• We laid the groundwork for the very first One Spark Golf Tournament happening on October 2nd, 2014 at Deer Creek Golf Course in Ajax, and we are thrilled to have brought on board our fabulous Fundraising Intern, Fatima Amjad, to help make it happen.  We were also thrilled and grateful that the amazing CCI Studios signed on as our title sponsor.  If you are looking for a birthday present to be treasured by One Spark, this would be it!  Come out and join us and be the spark that ensures that we continue to increase our impact on the lives of women and children living with violence.

• On August 1st, 2014, One Spark officially became a registered charity, which means the charitable donation portion of your golf tournament fees are tax deductible!  We are thrilled about the ways in which our charitable designation will open doors for us to more effectively serve the women participating in our programs.

So, now we journey into the amazing possibilities of our second year.  We have big plans and vast work to be done.  We're excited to see you along the way in all the ways that you can be part of our mission to help women live lives free of violence.  Here's to another incredible year!!!

Honouring World Humanitarian Day

Today is World Humanitarian Day.  We just wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on all who dedicate their lives to bringing aid, comfort, relief, and peace to so many around the globe.  In particular, we wanted to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for their commitment to relieving the struggles of others.

To put this in perspective, the year 2013 set a new record for violence against civilian aid operations, with 251 separate attacks affecting 460 aid workers. Of the 460 victims, 155 aid workers were killed, 171 were seriously wounded, and 134 were kidnapped. Overall this represents a 66 per cent increase  in the number of victims from 2012.

We, at One Spark, want to thank all who so selflessly walk into the crises and tragedies that most of us only read about or see on the news in order to provide comfort and dignity to those affected.  Here's to you, and thank you.

"To be bold, to be brave.
It is the thinking that the heart can still be saved
And the darkness can come quick
The danger's in the anger and the hanging on to it.
We are Love
We are One
We are how we treat each other when the day is done
We are Peace
We are War
We are how we treat each other and nothing more.
Tell me what it is that you see
A world that's filled with endless possibilites?
Heroes don't look like they used to, they look like you do."
                                                         -Nothing More by the Alternate Routes