Will2Well CEO Speaks at a Fundraising Event for International Women’s Day

For International Women’s Day on March 8th, Will2Well’s own CEO, Zahra Zahed, participated as a featured panelist at the “Grow Together” event. Taking place at the Arcadia Earth Toronto Art Museum and presented by McCarthy Tetrault, the event raised much-needed funds for the Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter. 

This non-profit “provides advocacy, crisis intervention and shelter to Women, Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-binary and Gender Diverse individuals and their children experiencing violence.” It also offers many important services, including a food bank, a secure housing and outreach program, and a “Life After Violence” program. 

Ernestine’s is a shelter with which Zahra has a close connection. She herself was a resident here for one year and remembers this place as a “safe haven.” When she arrived there at the young age of 23, she recalls feeling “like a free bird.” She was given shelter, warm clothing, nutritious food, and counseling—and here she began the long process of healing. Ernestine’s is where Zahra delivered her baby girl and had her baby shower. It is where she completed her high school education and started her post-secondary studies. It is also where she discovered her love of dance, fitness, and health, and where the idea for Will2Well blossomed. 

“Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter was my first home in Canada,” Zahra recalls. “I will forever be grateful for everything they have done for me and my daughter.” 

The event began with a happy hour (drinks and refreshments) and a welcome reception, and it continued with a 45-minute lively panel discussion on the theme “Grow Together”. It ended with some networking time for the attendees and the opening of a new museum exhibit. 

Besides Zahra, the other panelists included three women, Monica, Jennifer, and Natalie, who are familiar with the shelter system in Toronto either through personal experience or through advocacy work. The women shared their own transformative journeys towards safety and empowerment, identified the most critical challenges facing shelters today, and discussed societal attitudes towards survivors of violence and how to encourage survivors to seek help. 

“This event was a wonderful and empowering way to celebrate International Women’s Day,” Zahra reflected. “Thank you very much, Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter.”

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day was “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” And nowhere is that theme more prevalent than in organizations like Ernestine’s, which continue to support women’s safety, education, and livelihoods, helping them to heal and thrive in society. 

Will2Well would like to thank its partner, Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, for inviting Zahra to speak and for organizing this powerful event. To learn more about the programs and services provided by Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, go to their website. To support their important work with a donation, head here.