Reflecting on Our First Year: Growth, Challenges, and New Beginnings
Dear Community,
As we reflect on this past year, we are truly blown away by how far we have come. What started as a vision to support nonprofits with systems development, human resources, and strategic direction has blossomed into something even greater than we imagined. Our initial mission was to alleviate the burden of leadership burnout by providing fractional support, but as we grew, so did our aspirations.
From the beginning, employment support and advocacy have been at the heart of our work—advocacy for women in leadership and for addressing the difficult conversations that impact women in workplace environments. Over this year, we gained clarity on our purpose and underwent a significant transformation. We developed our strategy leading us to a rebrand over the summer. Heading into our third quarter, we proudly emerged as the Interior Women's Centre Society.
Our rebrand was more than a name change—it was a declaration of our commitment to supporting women through employment empowerment programs, wrap-around services, and advocacy efforts across BC's Interior. Inspired by the impactful work of women's centers in Vancouver, Yukon, Calgary, and Montreal, we set out to build a model that reflects both the needs of our local communities and the broader vision of empowering women nationwide.
Creating Safe and Supportive Spaces
Becoming a women's centre has allowed us to create spaces that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all women and non-binary individuals. These spaces offer resources, programs, and opportunities to connect and navigate a variety of challenges together.
But we are not stopping there. We are also committed to advocating for systemic change—working to improve employment opportunities, environmental protections, safer spaces, and overall health and wellness for all women and girls within the Interior Region.
Planting Seeds for the Future
This year has been about laying the foundation, finding our footing, and planting seeds for the future. And as we look ahead, we are excited to grow and expand our programs. Over the next year, we will:
Enhance our core programs, and scale our current case management and employment supports
Expand our community advocacy initiatives by collaborating on initiatives within our communities for important awareness days, months and events that directly impact all women from all walks of life. Leading the 2025 Women’s March on International Women’s Day is our first objective for the Kamloops Area.
Continue to offer a safe and welcoming space for connection and community building. Providing essential items, warm snacks and beverages.
Host low-barrier tax clinics and financial literacy workshops
Psychosocial workshops
This is only a snippet of what we have in store for 2025. We invite you to visit our center, connect with us, and learn more about the resources and opportunities we are offering this coming spring and summer!
A Heartfelt Thank You
None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of all of our volunteers, community partners, donors, funders, and agencies who saw the need and believed in our mission. Your trust and support helped us get our first year under wraps, and we are deeply grateful.
We are excited to continue growing, connecting, and serving as a vital resource for our community. Here’s to another year of empowerment, advocacy, and growth for all women and girls in our community.
With gratitude,
Kathleen Larose
Chief Executive Officer
Interior Women's Centre Society
