It's been a challenging month, but I'm as committed as ever to my mission of creating change, one woman at a time. I firmly believe that we need more women in leadership roles, especially in politics, and I work tirelessly towards that goal through The Jean Collective.
For over four years, I've personally funded this initiative, paying all expenses to keep it going. Although I’m not independently wealthy, I’ve managed to secure sponsorships for all our conferences. The Jean Collective operates as a social enterprise, meaning every dollar of revenue, after covering expenses, is reinvested to support future events. In fact, our upcoming September 14 conference is partially funded by the successes of our spring conferences.
We are making a real difference:
1.?Empowering Women: We've impacted over 500 women through our conferences, virtual events, and campaign school. In 2022, seven women were elected in Lambton County, since then we've expanded our reach to Elgin, Middlesex, and Lambton counties, and we’re determined to continue empowering more women, many of whom we hope will run for office.
2.?Advocacy: We’re beginning our advocacy work, standing firmly behind Emily McIntosh and The Women of Ontario Say No. We are also exploring other areas such as the fact that the lack of child care prevents many women from becoming leaders. More work to be done here!
3.?Collaborating with AMO: We’re working with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) on their Healthy Democracy Project, which aims to attract more diverse candidates to municipal office, support equity-informed leaders, promote respect in democratic processes, and increase civic engagement and voter turnout. [Learn more about the Healthy Democracy Project](https://lnkd.in/gCaxNrhv).
4.?Successful Conferences: We’ve hosted three immensely successful conferences in Middlesex, London, and Elgin counties, and we’re gearing up for our next one.
5.?We support the YMCA Southwestern Ontario?with $5 from event ticket and the annual dividends from our fund at the Sarnia Community Foundation.
You can learn more about our work on our website: [www.thejeancollective.ca](https://lnkd.in/gtqs-du6).
Now, I need your help. Would you be willing to share our work and encourage women to attend the September 14 conference?
Why am I asking? Because right now, I’m feeling like I’m barely keeping my head above water. My oldest son is in Windsor Regional Hospital with a rare type of meningitis, and I’m spending 2-3 days a week there to help with his care. I rarely share personal challenges, but perhaps now is the time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for any support you can offer. Please let me know if you need the poster or the QR code for registration.
Executive Director at Central Valley Health Policy Institute
2 个月Well deserved!