With music filling the air and camera flashes illuminating smiling faces, Abbotsford Community Services’ Ladies’ Night was in full swing for its fifth year in a row on February 24, 2017.
We had a chance to catch up with Andrea Loewen, whose Community Connections team organizes the event, to discuss what makes Ladies’ Night such a popular event and learn how Community Connections serves a variety of newcomers to Canada.
Ladies’ Night seems to be an exciting part of the Community Connections program here at ACS. Can you explain a little about Community Connections?
I have the privilege of working alongside a great team of staff and volunteers (nearly 100 of them!) to help immigrant and refugee newcomers with their settlement journey.
My team runs English conversation circles, life skills courses on a variety of topics, drop-in knitting and soccer groups, as well as a friendship-based matching program where newcomers are paired with a Canadian volunteer.
We also plan several special events during the year—the biggest of which is our annual Ladies’ Night in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Tell me a little bit about Ladies’ Night. With it focusing on newcomers to Canada (specifically women), how does it different from other get-togethers hosted by Abbotsford Community Services? How does it does it differ from events in Abbotsford, in general?
Ladies’ Night started five years ago, when our team had the idea to bring women together for a celebration. Many of our clients do not have the opportunity to get dressed up and have a night out, and we wanted to make sure that they felt valued and appreciated. The timing fit well with International Women’s Day, so we paired the two together and created Ladies’ Night!
Abbotsford is an incredibly diverse community, though people are often surprised when I tell them that I get to interact with people from over 50 different countries. At Ladies’ Night, we get to see this vast diversity coming together—and despite the differences in language, religion, and culture, everyone in the room has one main thing in common: we are all women.
The event is now in its fifth year. What do you think makes the event so successful year after year?
LI’ve been involved with Ladies’ Night since its inception five years ago. And while each event has been unique, we continue to see huge numbers of attendees year after year. I believe that the success of the event is directly related to the connection that our team has with the newcomers we work with throughout the year. The Community Connections staff, as well as our colleagues in the Multicultural Department, place a high value on building relationships and genuinely caring for those who come to us for support. This, and the fact that word has now gotten out that we know how to throw a great party!
How do you think this type of event benefits participants? What do you hope participants take away from attending?
Some [of the women who are coming to Ladies’ Night] are struggling to make ends meet. Some bear incredible burdens—health, poverty, abuse, loneliness—on a daily basis. Others are doing well and thriving here in their adopted country. I think that what makes this event so special is that women can leave their struggles at the door, and when they come in, they are beautiful, they are celebrated, they are valued, and they are included.
I hope participants leave feeling appreciated, valued, and respected—and that they know how much we, as ACS staff and volunteers, care about them.
What might someone in the general public might not know about being a newcomer to Canada, specifically a female new comer to Canada?
Some [of the women who are coming to Ladies’ Night] are struggling to make ends meet. Some bear incredible burdens—health, poverty, abuse, loneliness—on a daily basis. Others are doing well and thriving here in their adopted country. I think that what makes this event so special is that women can leave their struggles at the door, and when they come in, they are beautiful, they are celebrated, they are valued, and they are included.
I hope participants leave feeling appreciated, valued, and respected—and that they know how much we, as ACS staff and volunteers, care about them.
If you could leave one bit of advice for female newcomers to Canada, or for anyone looking to support this kind of initiative, what would it be?
For female newcomers, I would say: remember that you are valued. You are appreciated. Canada is a better place because you are here.
And to anyone else looking to support this type of initiative: don’t be afraid to get involved! If everyone does their part to welcome the newest members of the community, we will come out stronger.
Congratulations to the Community Connections team (Lata, Jen, Luciana, and Andrea) who made this event possible. If you’d like to get involved with Community Connections, visit the Community Connections webpage.
Images from top: Community Connections Coordinator Andrea Loewen (right); the evening’s photobooth added a glamourous touch to the event; a memory quilt captured empowering messages left by participants; the event provided entertainment for all ages; crafting was one of the evening’s creative outlets.