Last month, as part of the first GIVEADAMN Day of the year, I joined my fellow GenNexters for a tour of Inspirations Studio, a part of Sistering (a women’s support centre).

The work Sistering is doing with the studio is truly, as its name suggests, inspiring. They teach women, many of whom already have a creative knack, to hone their skills in ceramics, provide them a supportive environment where their skills can thrive and then show them how to market their work so they can turn a profit.

The women at the studio have found themselves at Sistering for a number of reasons but ultimately, at some point fell on hard times. Many had jobs, were self-sufficient and/or had families to support, and lost their jobs because of the economy or unforeseen injury or illness. Some of us are fortunate to have a support system of friends and family to assist in bad times, but many people don’t, so when something bad happens, its nice to know that places like Sistering exist to help women get back on their feet.

Once involved with the studio, many of the women never leave, returning daily to work on their craft, socialize with other artists and get their work ready for sale. Many have a steady flow of repeat customers and handle custom orders (think wedding favours, custom gifts) and the money they make allows them to pay for their materials and put some money in their pockets.

Best of all, the studio has given them confidence and a support system, something we all need from time to time.

Need some new mugs, serving platters, casserole dishes  or vases that are dishwasher and oven safe? Go to www.inspirationsstudio.ca and be sure to check out the Mother's Day Studio sale that runs from May 7th to May 9th.

As a former Sponsored Employee  at the United Way, I am always interested to hear about ways to stay involved with the United Way and all of the member agencies it funds.  GenNext is an excellent means to stay connected and learn of different opportunities available.  Recently, I volunteered to help Family Service Toronto  prepare for their Family Day celebrations.  We set up a booth at a local mall with a simple mission: to photograph and video families and have them tell their stories.  Just as people-watching can be very entertaining, actually stopping and talking to the “average person on the street” can be even more fascinating! 

Even though I was born and raised in Toronto, this opportunity took me into a diverse neighbourhood with which I was largely unfamiliar and engaged me with its residents.  Also, those working the booth were a very interesting and diverse group.  And that’s one of the great additional benefits of volunteering: it is really an easy way to network with some quality people.

For more information on the Sponsored Employee Program at United Way Toronto: (http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/campaign/SE/main.php) 

Family Service Toronto: (http://www.fsatoronto.com/) 

Visiting St Alban’s Boys and Girls’ Club was by far the best part of my week. In retrospect, I’m embarrassed that I was so surprised at all the services – swimming lessons, daycare, preschool,a library for studying, a kitchen for bake sales, dance classes, and even a recording studio!

The only thing more impressive than the students taking time to make the most of their afternoons were the staff. It’s a truly dedicated group of people that are willing to put up indoor jumps for skateboarding night knowing the damage that it’s going to do to that floor.

There are lots of excuses not to go to events. It’s been a long day, you’re tired, you won’t know anyone, there’s so much snow you want to quit Canada, blah blah blah the list goes on…but when you go to a GenNext event, it’s always going to be worth your while.