1. School of Liberal Arts and Sciences January 13, 2016
St. James Campus
Ontario
To whom it may concern,
I have the pleasure of providing a reference for Meaghan Wray. I met Meaghan in 2010 when
she was a participant in the Katimavik project located in Bridgewater, Nova scotia. I was the
Executive Director of Family Centre at that time and we agreed to take placement of two
Katimavik volunteers, one of which was Meagan Wray.
I have been an activist for gender equality for many years therefore, during the orientation
period, Meaghan caught my eye. Family Resource works with “at risk” families and advocates
for things such as: equal access to services, education and employment. During my
presentation to the two volunteers, I could see that Meaghan was engaged. From that day on
she took every opportunity to involve herself in our advocacy work.
Many woman and children using our servicers have been exposed to violence, sexual abuse,
discrimination and other social equalities. Our program starts where a woman is at, assists her
in assessing her needs and then gently, respectfully supports her as she undertakes an
emotional charged journey. In other words, a “Woman Centred Approach” to program delivery.
Meagan learned through our conversations the existence of bias and privilege. She began to
examine how it directly impacts your ability and effectiveness when working with vulnerable
populations. As she gained confidence she became involved in the political action that is part of
our work and how it is used to inform social change. She helped prepare briefs for meetings
with local politicians, she was involved in writing letters to government ministers, strategizing for
additional opportunities to be heard and, most importantly, she helped support and encourage
women to become politically aware and to then take action by voting.
Meagan helped format, produce and market a “Kitchen Tips” booklet. The money from this effort
was used to provide women and children with information that could assist them in obtaining
and using affordable, nutritious food. Since Katimavik’s policy of food acquisition and
preparation encouraged local buying and the avoidance of packaged or fast food, Meagan was
assigned to this ongoing work. She shared eagerly her experiences and knowledge with
participants.
Since family resource uses a holistic approach to program delivery, personal development and
fun actives are an important part of the work. Meahgan enthusiastically took part in the planning
and preparing for these activities and co- facilitated a number of sessions to gain experience
and learn from participants.

2. Meaghan is a well-rounded individual with: amazing problem solving skills, excellent
interpersonal skills, leadership skills and ability, good communication skills and, most
importantly, she has compassion and the ability to think outside the box.
Meaghan is passionate about working towards social justice in our world. She has the
determination and ability to influence public policy. She will make a difference.
Debbie Smith
Retired Executive Director of the South Shore Family Resource Association.