Taking Charge! has been a Winnipeg non-profit agency for 30 years. That means three decades of serving single parents and single women experiencing poverty and significant barriers that make them feel stuck, helpless, and keep them in the belief that they cannot lead the lives they dream of. Three decades sustained on a simple tenant: empowerment.
As we celebrate our 30 years of service, we reflect on the incredible changes in our society and our city since that day in 1995 where we opened our doors to our first students. The introduction of the internet to mainstream society and the later invention of the smartphone revolutionized our every day lives and brought previously unimagined access to all the world’s knowledge to our pockets. Social media redefined how we connect, gather, and socialize. Human and civil rights progressed, creating a more inclusive society for the diverse array of differences that make our country what it is. Reconciliation and the goal to acknowledge past and ongoing harms to Indigenous peoples helps us come to terms with our past and begin to move forward together in a better way.
At the same time, we’ve experienced unprecedented challenges. The lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflict and division in our society remain significant challenges in our every day lives. The increasing cost of living, the mental health and addictions crisis, and increase in people living in poverty pose significant risks to our fellow Winnipeggers and their ability to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives. As with many societal challenges, the adverse effects of these systemic problems have a disproportionate effect on women and children living in our communities. The women and children that walk through our doors to begin their journey with us face complex issues and barriers that often have roots in previous generations, and the availability of help and support seems to dwindle with every passing year. Funding for social services has been reduced, and many agencies are operating on budgets stretched so thin that many necessary and helpful services are no longer a possibility.
The need to empower the most vulnerable members of society has never been greater. There is an urgent need to help women and children obtain their education, build their confidence, and learn the skills necessary to live fulfilling lives. As we reflect on the last 30 years, we take the time to acknowledge the students of the past, present, and future, who show tremendous bravery in the face of unimaginable barriers to attend our programs, obtain their education, become more nurturing parents, and achieve their dreams. We acknowledge the role of the staff who have come to work every day with the desire to support, learn from, and provide the best possible versions of themselves to our students, never wavering in their beliefs in the potential of our participants. We thank everyone who has ever served on our Board of Directors to help guide and inform the work we do. We honour any community member who has volunteered or donated to Taking Charge!, and recognize the support of our community as essential to the work we do.
As we reflect on thirty years of service of challenges and successes and of weathering storms and still opening our doors to students every day, we only hope for one thing. We hope for thirty more years of being able to serve our community, empower our students, and make a difference in the lives of women and children. When our most vulnerable members of society succeed, we all succeed.