Community Conversations: Community Conversations: Creating Welcoming Workplaces

Join Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia (IONS) for a community conversation!

This event will provide a chance to connect impact organizations (nonprofits and charities), learn about how IONS defines “Welcoming Workplaces” and why they are important, and leave with some resources and next steps to help you make your organization more welcoming.

Becoming a Welcoming Workplace is not something that can happen overnight. It requires time, conversation, and intentional effort from all levels of your organization – from the board to your volunteers and everyone in between. We hope to support organizations to identify what is needed to create a workplace that is welcoming for them by sharing our story, best practices we have found, and providing tools to support the work needed.

This workshop is for you if you work in the Community Impact Sector (non-profit sector), are an existing or new organization, and are looking for a chance to spend some time in the community to recharge, learn and share experiences, and think about how equitable policies lead to more impact.

Part of the event will be small table activities, allowing you to dive into questions, idea sharing, and conversations that you may have on what it means to create a welcoming workplace.

The work you do is essential – your voices matter, and we know that this work is hard. This session is also meant to be collaborative, energizing, and a helpful next step forward!

Participants will leave with:

• A deeper understanding of how to define welcoming workplaces
• Examples of activities and changes that they are already doing (or can be doing in the short term) to move toward this change
• More clearly articulated needs of your own organization regarding creating a welcoming environment
• Knowledge sharing and strengthened relationships with your peers in Nova Scotia’s Community Impact Sector
• An invitation to become more connected with IONS on work that supports our collective capacity and voice

Note: Registration opens at 12:30 and we hope to start promptly at 1pm. Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided.

Masking and COVID-19 Considerations

With the winter season upon us it is no surprise that COVID, colds and illnesses are on the rise. We want everyone to walk away from this event healthy. All the IONS team will be wearing masks at the event and strongly encourage you to wear masks at the session so that we can continue to safely be in community with each other. N95 Masks will be available at the event. We will have to-go containers for food so that you can bring the food with you if you prefer to eat it outside of the space. Please reach out to us at clary@ions.ca if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns.

Accessibility Information

The Eventbrite registration has a section to fill out any accessibility needs or requests. The rental spaces aren’t completely accessible but we will soon have a list of accessibility considerations of the space for folks to be able to make the decision if this space will be accessible to them. If you have any further questions or needs please reach out to Clary Chambers, Engagement Lead – clary@ions.ca 613-850-2527

Event Location Images

Equipment and Facility Features:

· Accessible, family, and gendered bathrooms

· Access to the bus route

· Limited parking available at the building

· Street parking and close parking available at the venue

Main entrence to the building has stairs – we are told by the Libary staff there is an accessible entrence further from the main doors. More details to come.