I was considering volunteer work after retirement I wanted to “help”, but I also wanted to step outside the academic environment and learn something new as well as to feel part of a team working together towards a common goal.
It’s been over a year now since I began volunteering as a French teacher for IWSO. My virtual class provides students of all levels of French with a place to practice their French grammar and conversation skills once a week.
IWSO Client Accompaniment Program Needs You!
“In every religion there is a saying, good deeds bring goodness and happiness, and that was my belief too.” Maryam Habib shares her experience volunteering with IWSO
Marieann Thottungal, is a part-time administrative assistant with IWSO. She also devotes her time as a volunteer helping newcomer women study and prepare for their citizenship exams. Marieann shares her story about why she was drawn to IWSO and the satisfaction she receives helping the immigrant and racialized women we serve.
I have been volunteering with Immigrant Women Services Ottawa (IWSO) as a yoga instructor since January 2023. I provide weekly, online yoga classes that include a combination of hatha and vinyasa flows, as well as restorative yin sessions.
My name is Odette Laurin and I started volunteering at Immigrant Women Services Ottawa (IWSO) in July 2019. I had been retired for a couple of years and I wanted to get involved with an organisation that was helping women. I have always been sensitive about the condition of women and how they are so often unfairly treated.
Solange Mattar is a volunteer with IWSO offering yoga and meditation. She teaches every Thursday at 7:00pm via zoom to a lovely group of women. The online class is inclusive to all, gentle and a great way to end your day!
When I was a little girl, I would often hear family members recount their personal experiences of leaving their beloved homes and humble roots, emigrating from the Philippines in search of a better life. Growing up, I quickly realized that these stories of sacrifices and challenges are common narratives shared amongst many immigrants.
Abigail Williams - Treasurer
Abigail Williams is a financial and policy analyst with a background in economic theory. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in Economics from the University of Ottawa and is working towards her MA in Economics at Carleton University. Currently, Abigail serves as a Supervisor at the Bank of Canada, overseeing retail payments supervision by assessing operational and fund safeguarding risk of payment providers. Her prior roles involved critical risk analysis and resolution strategies for major financial institutions, including leading complex crisis simulations. Abigail's experience also includes policy analysis at Transport Canada and early career work in regulatory reporting and compliance. Her commitment to community service is evident from her board role at the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals and mentorship with Apathy is Boring, where she has championed youth engagement and development. Fluent in English and with intermediate French skills, Abigail brings a strong analytical background and effective communication skills to the Board of Immigrant Women Services Ottawa. In her free time, Abigail enjoys running and catching up on her never-ending book list.
Maria Choque - Member
Maria Choque is originally from Colombia. She holds a diploma in Logistics Management and is completing her Bachelor's in International Business Management, having won a full scholarship for excellence in Sustainability and Innovation. Her leadership journey began as High School Class President in 2020, where she led projects benefiting over 1,000 families and earned recognition as the Best Youth Leader. She later served as a Youth Councillor in her city before relocating to Canada. Here, she is actively engaged in various youth initiatives, including the Ottawa Youth Council for Youth Ottawa, Youth Advisory Committee for YouthNet/CHEO, ambassador for Apathy is Boring and Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum.
She currently serves as a Program Officer at Incubator13, focusing on developing the first Community-based social innovation lab in the region. As a young immigrant woman her interests revolve around promoting gender equality, youth activism, and enhancing participation for underrepresented groups. She aspires to further her education with a Master's in Global Development Policy, aiming to contribute meaningfully to global social and economic development.
Hosai Qasmi - Member
Hosai Qasmi is a researcher and advocate with extensive experience in gender studies, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and international development. She holds a Ph.D. in Feminist and Gender Studies and a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Ottawa.As the co-founder of Hosa Counselling and Research, an immigrant-operated organization, Hosai has dedicated her career to empowering marginalized communities. She is also a research consultant with Archipel Research and Consulting, an Indigenous-owned and women-led company.Hosai's expertise extends to working with prominent organizations such as Amnesty International Canada and the Office of the Special Representative to Combat Islamophobia. Her academic contributions include publishing book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and opinion pieces on topics such as postcolonialism, women’s empowerment, and media representations. Hosai is fluent in English, Dari, Pashto, and Urdu, with a basic comprehension of French.
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Georgette Morris - Member at large
Georgette Morris holds an Honours BA in Human Rights and Equity Studies, a BA in Social Science, and an MA in Public Policy Administration and Law, all from York University. She also holds certificates in Law and Society, Public Policy Analysis, and graduate diplomas in Democratic Administration and Ethics and Public Affairs. She is a PhD student at Carleton University, in Law and Legal Studies. Her primary research interests have been in labour, policy, equity, human rights, immigration, citizenship, government, political debate, public reason, and agenda setting. Georgette possesses a range of experiences at all levels of government, within a range of departments and ministries. She has extensive experience in student government during her undergraduate and graduate studies, serving in roles of Communications and Vice President, steward, Chief Steward Unit 1. She has worked extensively in strategic policy and research. She has sat on several task forces regarding improvement, equity, diversity, inclusion, and modernization. She is also a long-time volunteer within youth, cultural, education, and immigrant non-profits.
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Veronica Dingile Mbofana - Member
Veronica Dingile Mbofana is a recently licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB). She has an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law. Veronica’s professional career began at TD Bank where she worked in customer service and later in operations before moving to join the public service as a communications officer at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. She has since moved on from the public service, opening her immigration consultancy firm VDM Canadian Immigration Consultancy Inc.Born in Lusaka, Zambia, Veronica immigrated to Canada over 10 years ago with her family. The journey, though interesting, was a difficult one with few resources at their disposal. Getting to the other side, having adapted to the Canadian environment and having knowledge of the immigration system, it is Veronica’s goal to assist newcomers to overcome the challenges and enjoy meaningful lives.
Ruth MacKenzie - Board Member
Ruth’s career in the charitable sector spans 30+ years and the local, national and global levels. She is currently the President & CEO of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), and Executive Director of the CAGP Foundation, national organizations that inspire and strengthen philanthropy in Canada. Prior to CAGP, Ruth was the president & CEO of Volunteer Canada.
Ruth is also a committed volunteer, and has served on many boards and committees at the national and international level. She served on the Governor General’s Volunteer and Philanthropy Advisory Committee from 2012-2015, and currently is the Chair of the Board of CanadaHelps. In 2015 Ruth was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in acknowledgement of her impact on
volunteerism, and received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award in 2020.
Mechthild Meyer - Past Board Chair
Mechthild's work with other immigrant women in Ottawa dates back 31 years, when she became the coordinator of OCISO's Immigrant Women's Centre. The lack of services for abused immigrant women at that time led her (together with Lucya Spencer and Alma Estable) to spearhead an advocacy initiative that led to the creation of what is now known as IWSO.
Her commitment to women's equality, anti-racism, and social justice issues inspired many community-based research and training projects, as the co-principal in a social science consulting firm (Gentium Consulting, since 1989). She has implemented numerous public health, social research and evaluation studies for the non-profit sector and for all levels of government.
For 15 years she also was a member of the qualitative research team at the Community Health Research Unit (CHRU), University of Ottawa, co-authoring many publications and conference presentations. Currently, she is Gentium's lead researcher in two developmental evaluation projects for Canadian national women's organizations focusing on the prevention of violence against young women (cyberviolence; sexual exploitation).
Mechthild is the proud mother of three grown-up children, a son and two daughters, who as young children were dragged to many immigrant women's community meetings. She plays in two community music groups (an orchestra and a big band), and loves to ski and canoe in the Canadian wilderness.
Mechthild has a Masters degree in Counselling from the University of Western Ontario and holds a teaching degree (Political Science, Physical Education) from the University of Hamburg, Germany. She also completed training in peer-counselling. She recently finished a Certificate in E-Learning at the University of Toronto.
Juliet Woodfield, CPA, CA
Board Member, Vice-President, Finance & Human Resources and Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Woodfield joined DCC's Executive Management Team in September 2016. She brings more than 20 years of public and private sector experience, and was most recently the Vice-President, Corporate Services and CFO at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
She has worked with a variety of government organizations and has also served as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program in Brussels, Belgium.
She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary.
She has two daughters at university. She volunteers at the Ottawa Catholic Immigration Services of Ottawa as a career mentor for new Canadians and at the Immigrant Women Services Ottawa as a Board member (Treasurer).
Lori-Ann McDonald - Member
Lori-Ann McDonald is a Registered Social Worker, currently working as a Counsellor for Sexual Assault survivors and as a Women's Advocate at a local Domestic Violence shelter. Lori-Ann is an immigrant from Jamaica, now citizen of Canada who moved here with her family. Over the years, Lori-Ann has been gaining experience in the non-profit world with various agencies serving different populations.
She is a hard worker and even more caring person who seeks to see women living their best lives without fear of violence or anything unsafe.