Our impact - End poverty

Alice

Having grown up in a family atmosphere of violence, it’s perhaps not surprising that Alice decided to become a social worker even though she had a strong passion for the arts—one day, she hoped to start her own arts-based business. (MORE>>>)

Audrya

Can playing a didgeridoo help to beat depression? For Audrya, who has suffered from the condition for “a good chunk” of her life, the answer is yes. (MORE>>>)

Catherine

By the age of twenty-three, Catherine knew her life was headed in the wrong direction. She had left school in Grade Seven and spent her teen years working in minimum wage jobs. After two abusive relationships, she found herself living on welfare, trying to raise two children on her own. (MORE>>>)

Cheryl

After escaping an abusive relationship, Cheryl had to start all over. She literally didn’t have a chair to sit on. But still reeling from the impact of the abuse, she couldn’t find a steady job. (MORE>>>)

Chonda

Chonda didn’t want to give up her job, but she didn’t know what else to do. Her abusive former partner was harassing her at her workplace, a call centre, and her frustrated supervisor was on the brink of firing her. (MORE>>>)

Danielle

Danielle was a stay-at-home mom living in Calgary. Her husband worked two jobs to try and keep the family afloat. Danielle was eager to contribute to the family income, but without a high school education she could only find minimum wage jobs that barely covered the cost of child care. (MORE>>>)

Devi

Born in Guyana, Devi saw violence even at a young age. When she was 11, her father was murdered by a mob. “At that time in Guyana, those of us of East Indian descent were often victims of violence,” she explains. After her father died, Devi was raised by her mother. “Life was not easy, but we survived.” (MORE>>>)

Emmy

A few months ago, when Emmy was asked to say something positive about herself, she couldn’t think of what to say. Today, she can think of fifty good things to say about herself. (MORE>>>)

Isatu

At 38, Isatu says she is “very old.” At that age, most Canadian women would consider themselves in the prime of their life. But Isatu has had more than her share of tragedy. She and her three children came to Canada as refugees from Sierra Leone after her husband was killed by rebels. (MORE>>>)

Kasey

When Kasey found out she had cancer in 2006, she felt she no longer had a future. Even after surgery and chemotherapy, her prognosis was grim: she was given just two years to live. “I was told I was going to die,” she says. (MORE>>>)

Maria Christina

Four years ago, Maria Christina and her family came to Canada fleeing political unrest in Columbia. They left behind their extended family, friends, a successful family business—almost everything. (MORE>>>)