This new monthly opportunity is for sharing thoughts, opinions or questions in a safe and welcoming circle. The circle will be co-facilitated by our Programs Manager Anna and a Board Member. Meetings will be hosted at the Women’s Centre with tea and coffee available to all participants. Anna may have the capacity to provide solutions to some matters at the meeting, while others matters will be passed on to our Executive Director and the Coordinating Collective.
Please view our Calendar to view upcoming Round Table events.
Out Next Round Table is Wednesday, September 6th at 3pm. Kerry Marsland (Treasurer & Director) will be co-facilitating this RoundTable.
We have an exciting announcement! The basement of our house is being insulated by @ellenwood_homes next week, august 28 to September 7th.
As a result there will be modified drop-in service available. The basement and free store will be closed and there will be contractors on site. We will still be offering all other services including food, computers, counselling, referrals, coffee and more.
If you have any questions or concerns or require accommodations around this work you can reach us by email at info@nelsonwomenscentre.com or by phone at 250.352.9916
Queer Drop-in is catered towards gender diverse folks, the queer community, and our amazing allies! We will be making Vegan, gluten-free meals every week and will have a selection of games and crafts available. If you have any dietary requirements or accommodations you would like to be met please reach out to us!
This program is hosted by Anna and Malia who are both proud members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. They are excited to create a safe inclusive space for the community.
Please note, all regular drop-in services will be available, including the free store, access to computers, referrals and more.
We are proud to be a part of such a vibrant community that has so many strong female leaders! The Nelson & District Women’s Centre has decided to pay tribute to the strong female leadership that enriches our community, both within the not-for-profit as well as business sector as success within every industry deserves acknowledgement and celebration.
Please read on to celebrate the success of Holly Smee!
Name: Holly Smee
Position: Owner, Director of Hollytree Wellness Centre and a psychotherapist in private practice.
Question One: What drew you to work in the non-profit sector?
Since I was a small child, I’ve naturally been drawn to helping people. I come from an intergenerational family history with mental health challenges and so there has always been a keen interest to understand others and figure out a way to help them. An insatiable curiosity of how other people think and feel led me to psychology in my 20’s, and later to a Master’s degree in my 30’s. I knew early on that I wanted to work in mental health therapy because I find people fascinating, their stories captivating, and consciousness, psy, and the realm of the human mind one of the great mysteries of life. We all live on the same earth and yet the lens through which we view the world is often vastly different. After hearing so many stories of trauma and abuse (typically by people known to the client) I realized that it’s people who hurt people, and that if kindness and empathy increased globally, adversity would decrease. The world is full of scary and sad stories; what we need now is more helper souls.
Question Two: Have you faced bias or barriers in being a woman leader?
Women have many challenges and hats that they wear in life as they juggle multiple roles. Exhaustion is something I have struggled with at times, as I am sure many women have. The feminist movement was beautiful for liberating women’s rights and giving women options that were not available before; however, I also feel it increased women’s workloads, silently. Running a business, maintaining a home, fulfilling the duties of wife/mother/sister/daughter/friend/therapist/entrepreneur/stepmother/mother/secretary/cook/cleaner is a lot. The thing I hear most commonly from women is that we are tired. Tiredness has been a significant barrier I am always navigating; the drive and the interest is there but often the time and the energy is not. A woman’s work day does not end at the end of the shift when she locks up the office at work. The bias is that women are expected to do it all; and when we can’t, we are presumed to be failing.
Question Three: What three qualities do women need to succeed as community leaders?
There are three qualities that go into being a truly great leader. The first is intelligence. Leaders intuitively see trends and can assess need, recognizing a gap in service/market and providing an innovating project/idea not there before. The second is hunger. Motivation, drive and self-belief go a long way in carving out a path that was not there before. Leaders typically don’t want to live a status quo life, doing what society expects of them. Leaders are often rebellious and stubborn, thinking for themself around what is best and true to them, while challenging social norms and stereotypes. The third quality is humility. A humble attitude goes a long way when coupled with gratitude. Feeling blessed to do what you do, and quietly going about your work and your goals without ego, is a sure-fire way to guarantee success. People don’t like arrogance or self-righteous attitudes. Most of us pull away from people who think they are better than everyone else or deserving of special privileges. We are all special in our own way and everyone brings something unique and magical to the table. Finding out what makes you “you” and pursuing that, makes one a leader because they are living their life with authenticity and integrity.
Question Four: What do you enjoy most about your work?
My favourite thing about my career is the diversity and that no day ever looks the same; hour by hour, I have no idea what will happen after someone walks through the door and the constant pivoting of attention keeps the mind highly engaged. No two people are alike and no stories are ever the same, even if the themes behind the stories don’t change much. Humans are emotional creatures and we all experience feeling, but the way the mind interprets emotions and the world around is drastically different. Stories are sacred and I feel endlessly grateful that I get to be the gatherer and the holder of other’s stories and secrets. Seeing growth in my clients and stability/progress makes my career highly rewarding. I get to witness people see/feel/think/behave better as they evolve into a higher level of consciousness.
Question Five: What’s the best book you’ve read or film you’ve seen recently?
The last book I read was Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani. It recounts an amazing near death experience of a woman who was palliating from stage 4 cancer. She was in a coma on her deathbed as all her organs shut down. She returns to life with an amazing message for humanity and her story continues to be a medical mystery to many oncology doctors. Her message was very clear: if you want to be healthy and happy, be who you really are, rather than who you think the world expects/wants you to be.
