Written by: Natalie Jovanic Kelsey Richard started volunteering for the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary in June 2016. While she started out on the Family Law Court floor at the Calgary Courts Centre, she is now volunteering in the Youth Mentorship program. She initially joined the organization to gain experience in the field and loved the legal aspect. Through volunteering, she also found that she enjoyed giving back to the community. Kelsey leads a busy life: while volunteering, she is working full time and taking classes through the University of Victoria. Her goal is to obtain her Master’s degree and Read More →
Aymen Sherwani is an undergraduate student at the University of Calgary who hopes to one day go to law school and pursue a career in criminal law. In 2018, she started volunteering as a Program Resource volunteer with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary, having now moved to a new position as a Traffic & Bylaw Court Volunteer. Aymen first became involved with the organization because she wanted to gain more knowledge and experience within the legal system while giving back to the community and understand racial inequality in Canada. When asked why Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary was her Read More →
Written by: Natalie Jovanic Tatiyana has been a volunteer for the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary for nearly a year. Initially, she volunteered in the Adult Criminal Court Program on the Case Management Office floor, then transitioned to the Traffic and Bylaw Court. She connected with the organization’s work because she admired the agency’s initiative in helping women integrate back into society in the face of the obstacles they are presented with, poverty in particular. Her passion for the organizations work also derives from personal experience: her mother was a single teenage mom and for that reason, they sought aid Read More →
March 28, 2019 | Blog, News
On February 28-March 2, 2019, Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary in partnership with Pathways Community Services Association – Miskanawah, Boys and Girls Club of Calgary, Sunrise Healing Lodge, YW Calgary and the White Buffalo Parent Link Centre with Siksika Family Services welcomed over three hundred family members from communities across Southern Alberta to the Honouring our Voices – Healing Gathering for Families of Murdered and Missing Loved Ones. We were honoured to have ceremonies commenced by the women of the Stand-up Head Dress Society of the Blackfoot Confederacy, and a pipe ceremony conducted by Elder Dila Provost Houle and her Read More →
Gurmeet Sawaich is an undergraduate student who started volunteering with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary in April 2018. She started in the Calgary Traffic & Bylaw Court and later moved on to the Traffic & Bylaw and Adult Criminal Courts in Cochrane and Airdrie. Interested in the legal system due to her academic background, and specifically women in need of resources and support because of her personal experiences as a woman of visible minority, Gurmeet felt that working with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary was the best of both worlds. Volunteering, as well as making art, henna designs Read More →
March 26, 2019 | Blog
Written by: Selwynne Hawkins Alberta ID, birth certificates, health care cards, and Status cards: these basic forms of identification are often taken for granted. These unassuming pieces of paper or plastic can open many doors—including health care, employment, and housing. So, for women offenders working toward successful reintegration, ID is a critical piece of the puzzle. Barriers to service The staff at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary often refer clients to systems and agencies who provide various forms of support, including health care, housing, and basic needs items. But, without ID, women offenders face additional obstacles in accessing these Read More →