March 2023

Celebrating International Women’s Day

iSisters will be participating in three special events with our partners: Alterna Savings, Accenture and Nokia. We also will be hosting an internal celebration within our iSisters Team. More to come in our next newsletter!

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

Here at iSisters, we respectfully acknowledge that we work and live on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinabe Nation. We commit ourselves to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.

Ondaje iSisters, nidapiitenindaamin kikenindamang eji ondaamitaayaang ashidj abiyaang ondaje ega wiikaad kamiigiwaaniwang iyo kichi Anishinaabewakii. Niwaawiindamaagemin niinawind kidji-kikenindamang tebwewin ashidj kidji-kwayakijichigeyaang kabii-ijiwebag.

iSisters and Alterna Savings

Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited (Alterna) has been the good in banking® for over 110 years. Joined by our members and like-minded organizations, we strive to promote community economic development. As a value-based and driven cooperative organization, Alterna is proud to provide programs and services designed to support women.

iSisters Technology Mentoring Inc. has been a member of Alterna Savings since 2017. We are proud to support them as their financial partner and as a sponsor of various initiatives designed to help women on their journey to economic independence.

This year, in honour of International Women's Day, Alterna invited Erin Keeley-Messier, Program Manager at iSisters, to participate in a panel discussion titled "A Seat at the Table: Equity, Innovation, and Women Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector."

In this discussion, six innovative women leaders from across Ontario shared their experiences and expertise as advocates for equitable practices and women's empowerment in the nonprofit space. #EmbraceEquity.

The link to this discussion will be distributed on International Women's Day.

Executive Director Vacancy

As you are aware, our current Executive Director, Ann McSweeney, is retiring. If you know of someone who would be interested in this exciting position, please have them connect with us through the posting advertised on LinkedIn below.

Job Posting

Community Consultation Survey Report

The iSisters Community Consultation Survey Report is now available.

Download the report

iSisters Executive Assistant

Thank-you Neena Parbhakar and Welcome Michael Powell.

Thank you Neena for your work and commitment as our Executive Assistant. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and please keep in touch.

We welcome Michael as our new Executive Assistant, who will be working with our team four days per week. Michael comes to us with a wealth of communications and executive assistant experience. It’s so great to have you with us!

Did you know…

iSisters offers select programs in Ukrainian and Arabic?

For further information contact Erin at directorpm@isisters.org

Spotlight on Programs

Basic Computer Skills

Basic Computer Skills is designed to deliver life skills through elementary training, a key aspect to helping our learners to equip themselves for the future.

The goal of this program is for women to learn the most basic of computer skills, bringing learners online and encouraging them to continue learning from online technology and tools, while empowering their potential so that they may develop sustainable livelihoods.

Specific Objectives:

Email – create Gmail accounts, use of email
Computer Basics – Basic Word Instruction, Daily Internet Use, Keyboarding
Social Media
Internet Safety
Financial Literacy – budgets, setting up a bank account, etc.

This program provides confidence and tools to advance to our core ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Program.

If you know anyone who could benefit from this program, please have them connect with: directorpm@isisters.org

Welcome New Volunteers

We wish to welcome two new volunteers to our iSisters Team: Jamie MacPherson and Nicole Darechuk. We look forward to working with you in the near future and thank you so much for your interest in iSisters.

Spotlight on Partners

Located in Ottawa, Youville Centre is a non-profit, registered charity and Accredited Child and Youth Mental Health Agency that serves adolescent mothers and their children. Since 1985, Youville’s trauma-informed, holistic programs and services include: a fully accredited secondary school, crisis intervention, intensive mental health therapy and treatment, substance-use counselling, collaborative problem solving, a licensed child development program with a focus on infant mental health and attachment-based parenting programs with intervention and treatment.

iSisters has a long-standing partnership with Youville Centre offering our iAT (Assistive Technology) program and recently mentoring to Arabic women in their native language.