What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than announcing the third annual Surrey Women’s Centre Champions of Change Award recipients!
Surrey Women’s Centre Annual Champions of Change Awards are an important recognition of community members who are greatly advancing gender equity and human rights.
This year we are recognizing six individuals and one organization who have demonstrated an incredible commitment to creating a gender-equitable world.
Champions of Change – Philanthropic Leaders
Christine LaLiberte
Christine LaLiberte is a champion of women’s rights and empowerment, who has left an indelible mark on the community. She has created a legacy by launching the first-ever matching gift campaign for the Surrey Women’s Centre’s Jane Doe Legal Clinic and supporting the SMART program, helping vulnerable women access emergency resources. We are recognizing Christine for her leadership and dedication to creating opportunities for women.
Donna Balfour
Donna Balfour is a powerful force in the fight for women’s equality, especially for those who are more likely to be marginalized. As a Founding Mother of the Surrey Mobile Response Team (SMART), Donna was instrumental in making SMART a reality, a ground-breaking service that supports the most vulnerable women and girls in Surrey and beyond. We are recognizing Donna as a Champion of Change for the way she has transformed Surrey Women’s Centre’s services and programs.
Champions of Change – Community Leaders
Angela Marie MacDougall
Angela Marie MacDougall is currently the Executive Director of Battered Women’s Support Services and since the nineties, she’s developed training curricula from a decolonizing and intersectional feminist framework for community-based organizations, systems players, universities and in the larger public sphere.
Angela is being recognized for her three decades of leadership role in community-based organizing, supporting frontline work, and activism in challenging social inequities.
Fay Blaney
Fay Blaney is a Xwemalhkwu woman of the Northern Coast Salish. She is deeply committed to issues affecting Indigenous women. This year we are recognizing Fay Blaney for devoting her heart and soul to fearlessly fighting for the rights of Indigenous women. We are recognizing Fay as a Champion of Change for her unwavering commitment to resisting the harm colonization, capitalism and patriarchy has on Indigenous communities.
Fraser Health Authority Forensic Nursing Program
Fraser Health’s Forensic Nursing Service is being recognized for their 30-year commitment to providing compassionate medical care to survivors of sexual and relationship violence. For survivors, navigating the medical system can be another barrier to overcome but the forensic nursing service dismantles barriers by being accessible, trauma-informed and culturally competent to all survivors. Through our SMART program, Surrey Women’s Centre has had the privilege of partnering with this amazing team to ensure all survivors receive equitable care.
Sonia Andhi
Sonia Andhi is a recipient of a Champion of Change award because of her empowerment work through the Shakti Awards. She founded the Shakti Awards to address the issues of family violence and empowerment of women. Since 2000, the awards have honored nearly 150 girls and women. Sonia is a hero behind the scenes of these awards and we are delighted to celebrate her contributions to the community.
We will also be honouring a survivor for her resilient journey at this year’s awards.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients! We look forward to celebrating this year’s Champions of Change Award recipients at our annual award celebration.
When Surrey Women’s Centre is able to give survivors the right kind of help at the right time, it can be transformative.
“I am not the same person I was when I first walked into Surrey Women’s Centre,” said Jessie. “I realize my own strengths. I went from feeling worthless to knowing who I am and the power I hold as a woman.”
When Jessie was trying to escape her abuser, she didn’t have a lot of people in her life who understood what she was going through. This is a common experience for many survivors and this isolation can make it more difficult to figure out how to leave.
But after her abuser turned from harming her to harming one of her children, she drew a line in the sand and called 911. Leaving her abuser was the first step in Jessie’s long journey to rebuilding her life.
Jessie began her healing process at Surrey Women’s Centre where she received counseling and court support. She told us that the biggest difference we made was “making it safe for me to tell my story without fear of judgment.”
Watch Jessie’s story
Today, Jessie has finished a social work program specializing in addictions and recovery. Her goal is to be a victim service worker so she can help other women escape domestic violence.
Last year, over 17,000 survivors like Jessie came to us for life-saving and life-changing help. Your donation makes this level of care and support possible. Donate today to help more survivors like Jessie.
As a donor, your support makes it possible for our staff to help survivors through vital services like counseling, medical support, and court support. With your donation today, we can continue to help many more survivors like Jessie on their path to healing.
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