Receiving the YWCA Sudbury Women of Distinction Award in the Entrepreneurship category is a tremendous honour, but it is especially meaningful given my longstanding personal and professional connection to the organization. From my earliest childhood experiences to my more recent community partnerships, YWCA Sudbury has been a steady influence in my life. To be recognized by the very organization that helped shape my path, is both humbling and profoundly significant.
YWCA Sudbury’s Impact on Ma’am Sarra
My earliest memory of YWCA Sudbury dates back to when I was about seven years old. A family member, a survivor of gender-based violence, found safety and support at Genevra House, YWCA Sudbury’s emergency shelter. For privacy reasons, I won’t share details, but I visited them there a handful of times.
At the time, I was too young to truly understand the scope of what they had endured. What I do remember is the warmth and kindness of the environment. While as an adult I recognize the seriousness of the setting, seven-year-old me would have described it as “fun” and “inviting.” That impression of compassion and safety stayed with me long after those visits.
As I grew, my connection to the YWCA continued. While attending Churchill (Go Chargers!), I participated in their Christmas Program better known as “Adopt a Family.” I still vividly remember racing through Walmart with my friends, cart piled high, trying to find the perfect gifts for families in need.
Those moments sparked my passion for fundraising and community involvement. Helping others wasn’t just fulfilling; it became a cornerstone of who I am and the work I continue to do today.
At 13, I attended the Power of Being a Girl Conference, another YWCA initiative that left a lasting impression. The event focused on building self-esteem, resilience, and a sense of community among young girls.
At the time, I was just excited to spend a day away from school with my friends, but looking back, it was so much more. Raised by a single dad, I sometimes felt shy or uncomfortable discussing certain topics at home, even if my dad was supportive. I’ll never forget reading “The Care and Keeping of You” under the covers with a flashlight, too embarrassed to ask questions out loud.
The conference gave me a safe space to talk openly about female issues, meet role models, and celebrate girlhood. It was inspiring, empowering, and something I believe every young girl should experience.
Today, as the owner of Rise Above Martial Arts, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with YWCA Sudbury to continue their mission of empowerment.
In March 2024, we celebrated International Women’s Day together by hosting a free ladies’ self-defence seminar, ensuring survivors had access to practical skills and vital resources. In May 2025, we launched our Fight Like a Girl Campaign, raising $2,350 through t-shirt sales and donating 100% of the proceeds to Genevra House.
As a survivor of gender-based violence myself, this work is deeply personal. Partnering with an organization that shares my values of safety, empowerment, and resilience was a natural and important step.
What started as childhood visits to Genevra House has grown into a lifelong relationship with YWCA Sudbury. To now be recognized as a Woman of Distinction by this very organization proves how far-reaching their impact truly is. My story is just one example of how YWCA changes lives and empowers futures. This award isn’t just for me; it’s for every survivor, every young girl, and every family that finds strength through YWCA.
Learn more about YWCA Sudbury
YWCA Sudbury is committed to enhancing the lives of women and their families through programs that foster equality, economic security, and a life free from violence.
Since 1955, YWCA Sudbury has been supporting our community with a wide range of programs:
Genevra House Shelter
Transitional & Housing Support
Brockwood Apartments
Child & Youth
Supportive Counselling
Family Court Support
Christmas Program
Building Opportunities for Women (B.O.W)
Genevra House Shelter
A 32-bed emergency shelter operating 24/7 for women escaping abuse from intimate partners or caregivers. It offers crisis intervention, support, assessment, safety planning, counselling, referrals, transportation, and a secure environment for women and children.
Transitional & Housing Support
Tailored for women exiting the shelter or accessing community services, this program provides ongoing safety planning, housing assistance (market rent or income-geared), referrals to legal and counselling services, and access to community resources. It also includes bi-weekly sharing circles with traditional healing, and involvement in awareness events like International Women’s Day and Week Without Violence.
Brookwood Apartments
A 10-unit rent-geared-to-income apartment complex providing safe, affordable housing for women and children who have experienced intimate partner abuse, in partnership with the City of Greater Sudbury’s Housing Services.
Child & Youth Program
Offers supportive services to both children and their mothers, including help with staying safe, after-school activities, parenting coaching post-abuse, and fostering cooperative play and peaceful solutions at home and school.
Supportive Counselling
Delivered at Genevra House, this includes individual and group counselling focusing on safety planning, stress management, empowerment, self-esteem, and long-term well-being for survivors of abuse.
Family Court Support
Provides survivors with information on the family court process, assistance in documenting abuse, safety planning, accompaniment to legal or court-related appointments, help navigating Legal Aid, and referrals to culturally appropriate and domestic violence-specific services.
Christmas Program (Adopt-a-Family)
During the holiday season, this initiative matches donors (families, agencies, groups) with women and children who have accessed YWCA services, fulfilling wish lists (including clothing and dinner items) while maintaining confidentiality. Donations of toys or monetary gifts are also accepted and used year-round for birthdays or shelter needs.
Building Opportunities for Women (B.O.W.)
A 12-week educational workshop series for groups of 10-15 women that explores roots of gender-based violence, self-esteem, financial literacy, and future training or educational goals. It aims to enhance participants’ housing stability, social and cultural supports, and financial independence.