Land Acknowledgement

 

I want to acknowledge that I reside on Aboriginal land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning. As a settler, I am deeply grateful for the privilege to live and to gather here and I want to communicate my deep appreciation and reverence to generations of people who have cared for this land for thousands of years.

 

As a settler in Toronto, I would like to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and the Mississauga’s of the New Credit, whose territory I live on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. I recognize and deeply appreciate their historical connection to this place. I also recognize the contributions of the Metis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made in shaping and strengthening our communities, province and country on the whole.

 

As settlers, this recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities, and in particular to bring justice for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls across our country. Thank you to the bebo mia team for this land acknowledgement.

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DEI Statement

 

Dear Community,

 

Thank you for being here. I wanted to take some time to reflect on my diversity, equity and inclusion statement in an effort to show up transparently and in integrity in terms of what I have done, what is within my means and what I am committed to doing moving forward.

 

As an anti-racist, anti-oppressive feminist, I am deeply committed to showing up for my community and clients in the most accessible ways possible, doing what I can to ensure high-quality sobriety coaching services and support to as many women as possible who seek to work with me. This is on-going, ever-evolving work for me so I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as I seek to learn, unlearn and continue to evolve in this process.

 

As an individual and as an organization, I am committed to:

• Explicitly and publicly affirming my identity as an anti-racist, anti-oppressive and inclusive individual and business

• Bolstering and amplifying the voices, lives and stories of Black, Indigenous, Women of Colour (BIWOC) in my community, business, and beyond

• On-going diversity, equity and inclusion education and training to ensure I am meeting the different and specific needs of a wide range of women seeking sobriety support including those within the LGBTQ+ community, BIWOC, women with disabilities and more

• Dismantling white supremacy and my role in it

• Sharing my privilege and resources as much as possible with BIWOC in my community and beyond

• Offering payment plans, extended payment plans, and discounted coaching packages to those within the LGBTQ+ community, BIWOC, women with disabilities; please communicate directly with me if you wish to take advantage of these offerings

• Offering an array of coaching support and services at different price points to ensure that I'm accessible to a range of women seeking support

• Regular and on-going evaluation of coaching tools, communications, policies, and programs to ensure they are a reflection of my commitment to anti-oppression, anti-racism and inclusion in my work

• As a team of one, I do not currently have any staff/team members; however, when the time for expansion and hiring arrives, I am committed to prioritize the hiring of BIWOC, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women with disabilities, etc.

• In 2022, I am committed to developing a scholarship program that will enable women to receive sobriety coaching and support at no charge to them (with priority given to BIWOC, women from the LGBTQ+ community, women with disabilities)

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In love and solidarity,

Amy C. Willis

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