Making Wellness Fun & Empowering

Hope, resilience and … fun will be part of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch (CMHA-WECB) inaugural Women’s Wellness event.

“Wellness is often talked about but we wanted to review it from a few different perspectives and invite women who could share their stories and maybe have some fun along the way,” says Kim Willis, Director, Communications and Mental Health Promotion, CMHA-WECB.

Willis says the event comes at a time when women are also facing the greatest struggles. “We know pandemics hit women harder because they are often responsible for the health of an entire family – children, parents, extended family,” says Willis, “and at CMHA-WECB mental health is our sole focus so empowering women in a time of need is an important part of our mandate.”

Women are often at greater risk because of added responsibilities of ensuring their children are following safety measures like wearing a mask, or homeschooling due to some women sacrificing their work as they often earn less than their male partners, according to a recent survey by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Delvinia, an automated research platform.

Chivon John, a wellness educator, who is also Shopify’s Global Wellness Specialist, says hope is the one thing women can grasp onto during our toughest days – the same hope we celebrate during good times.

Chivon’s message is one of hope and resilience. “Women are resilient and they often must support and help others around them. So wellness is a necessity and we can share how we can do this together,” says John.

CMHA-WECB invites women of all ages and backgrounds to register online and set aside 3 hours November 12 to support their mental health. 

“Get comfortable, make a hot chocolate, tea or other refreshments. Shut down your email and phone and just make yourself a priority. Our goal is for women to leave the event feeling empowered,” says Willis.

John will guide everyone and give some tips along with our panel of some women leaders in Windsor-Essex who will bring messages of hope, inspiration and likely some fun too! And an interactive trivia contest – have some laughs and maybe challenge our brains in a different way, says Willis.

The event will have a panel representing women in health care, mentorship and finance, front line workers and arts and culture, moderated by Gail Robertson of GailNow, and includes:

• Janice Kaffer Chief Executive Officer and President of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, in West Windsor.
• Kavaughn Boismier, President & Founder – The Women of Windsor Mentorship Collaborative
• Mechelle Murphy, Deputy Chief, Operations (Acting), Essex Windsor, EMS
• Jude Abu Zaineh (MFA, University of Windsor) is a Palestinian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist and cultural worker.

The goal is to provide a safe, inclusive space for women to come together to be inspired, empowered and share with some fun mixed in!

The Women’s Wellness event is also a soft launch for our Wellness Boxes for Women.

“As part of CMHA-WECB’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2021 we will be launching Wellness Boxes for women similar to other subscription boxes like FabFitFun. Items will focus on mental health and wellness with some fun kicked in,” says Willis.

Funding for the Women’s Wellness Symposium is made possible by Windsor Essex Community Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund.

WELLNESS EVENT

12:00 PM ET – Keynote Speech

Chivon John, Wellness Educator and Advocate

1:00 PM ET – Fireside Chat

A panel discussion with four speakers from various industries.

2:00 PM ET – Party Mix Trivia

Compete for the title of ultimate quiz master with 40+ general trivia questions.

Chivon John is a Wellness Educator, Speaker and Global Wellness Specialist at Shopify. As a passionate advocate of #HustlingwithIntention and mental health, Chivon is devoted to helping ambitious achievers unlearn exhaustion as a necessary price of success by learning how to apply their ‘work ethic’ to their overall wellbeing.

In addition to her work in wellness, Chivon is an active member of her community and devoted to making wellness resources more accessible for marginalized communities. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Taking It Global and is a Founding Investor for the Founders Fund – an accelerator and investment fund for Canadian women identifying entrepreneurs.