TPINFP Episode 17

Building Community through Indigenous Knowledge and Healing, with Jody Harbour and Sherry Saevil, Grandmothers Voice

In this episode, Kirstin speaks with Jody Harbour and Sherry Saevil, co-founders of Grandmothers Voice, an Indigenous organization that serves, educates and heals, standing shoulder to shoulder with community. They talk about the impact of the Emergency Community Support Fund grant the organization received during the pandemic, and how it supported a virtual speaker series that reached people locally and afar. Their conversation explores the importance of honouring elders, knowledge, ceremony and connection to the land, as well as the impacts of residential schools and intergenerational trauma. Jody and Sherry share the details of current and upcoming projects for the organization, including some that have launched since recording.

TPINFP Episode 16 

Mental Health in the Pandemic, with Melanie McGregor, Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Branch 

The pandemic has deeply affected both physical and mental health for millions of Canadians. United Way Halton & Hamilton is committed to supporting local agencies providing mental health services in our community, especially as we recover from the cumulative stress of COVID-19. In this episode, Mike speaks with Melanie McGregor, health promotion and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Halton Branch. They discuss the mental health ‘shadow’ pandemic and alarming CMHA data that reveal deteriorating mental health across the country, disproportionately impacting marginalized groups. They explore the ongoing stigma of mental health challenges; the inextricable link to social determinants of health; and how some of CMHA’s pandemic pivots, such as offering virtual counselling, made services more attractive and accessible for community members.

Supporting Racialized Individuals and Black-led Organizations in the Non-Profit Sector, with Leo Johnson

Anti-racism + Diversity Series: Mike speaks with local Black Lives Matter activists and anti-racism experts in conversations exploring the meaning of true allyship; supporting racialized individuals and organizations in the non-profit sector; and how racism impacts the mental well-being of racialized folks and communities. In this episode, Mike connects with Leo Johnson, anti-racism activist and executive director at Empowerment Squared, an organization supporting newcomer and racialized youth through education and social development. Leo shares how his personal experiences arriving in Canada after years of living in refugee camps helped guide the organization’s mission. They discuss the unique barriers newcomer and racialized youth face in the education system, how Empowerment Squared programs help those kids to succeed, and the systemic changes required in the non-profit sector to better enable Black-led organizations to thrive.

TPINFP Episode 13 

Allyship, with Renee Hall

Anti-racism + Diversity Series: Mike speaks with local Black Lives Matter activists and anti-racism experts in conversations exploring the meaning of true allyship; supporting racialized individuals and organizations in the non-profit sector; and how racism impacts the mental well-being of racialized folks and communities. In this episode, Mike connects with Renee Hall, Black Lives Matter activist, McMaster University Social Work Masters student, and gender-based violence counsellor at YWCA Hamilton. They discuss the dangers of optical allyship and the deep reflection required to move past fragility and into the discomfort zone, where self-interrogation and examination of organizational policies can foster tangible change.

TPINFP Episode 12

COVID Series, Part III: Tracy Hussey, Halton Food for Thought

In this series, Mike connects with non-profit leaders to illuminate the impacts of the pandemic on our most vulnerable community members, while paying homage to the generosity and dedication of our local social service front-line workers. In this episode, Mike speaks with Tracy Hussey, executive director at Halton Food for Thought, an organization that provides student nutrition programming to more than 74,000 students in 130 schools across Halton. They chat about how the closing of schools meant figuring out new strategies for program delivery, reaching at-risk and vulnerable students, finding new donation opportunities, and planning for the future in exceptionally uncertain times.

TPINFP Episode 11:

COVID Series, Part II: Graham Hill, Food for Life

In this series, Mike connects with non-profit leaders to illuminate the impacts of the pandemic on our most vulnerable community members, while paying homage to the generosity and dedication of our local social service frontline workers. In this episode, Mike speaks with Graham Hill, executive director at Food for Life, the largest food recovery program in Halton region. They talk about the massive operational pivot the organization made in order to continue providing healthy food to those in need during the pandemic. Graham highlights the organization’s Good Soup Project, pressure on the system to do more with less, and how the lessons we take away from this experience might help us rebuild a better way of taking care of our communities.

TPINFP Episode 10:

COVID Series, Part I: Don Seymour, Wesley

In this series, Mike connects with non-profit leaders to illuminate the impacts of the pandemic on our most vulnerable community members, while paying homage to the generosity and dedication of our local social service frontline workers. In this episode, Mike speaks with Don Seymour, executive director at Wesley, a Hamilton agency that provides a broad range of supports to some of our community’s most marginalized people. They discuss social determinants of health, unprecedented levels of cooperation between frontline agencies and public health, and how the pandemic continues to reveal the gaps in our social safety net.

Building Capacity Through Social Innovation & Enterprise

There’s a ton of buzz around innovation – it’s inextricably linked to success. This episode kicks off a series dedicated to UWHH’s Social Innovation Lab, launching in March 2020, where five agencies will use Design Thinking to develop social enterprise projects. Mike introduces the S.I.L. and sits down with Shann McGrail, executive director at Haltech, one of 18 regional innovation centres in Ontario. They talk about navigating the path to profitability, from start-up to scale-up; the impact of making strategic connections; and building resilience in the non-profit sector by creating financially sustainable social enterprises.

https://www.uwhh.ca/innovationlabs/

http://haltech.ca/

Collaboration and Other Trends for Success in the Non-Profit Sector

Mike connects with Michael Shaen, CEO of The Centre for Collaboration, a nonprofit consultancy that helps agencies and funders assess how different types of multi-party ventures can help them fulfill their mission. They talk about the magic of collaboration; the impact of integrated services; leveraging the skills of your Board of Directors; and why successful nonprofits need to think like entrepreneurs.