10 Year Highlight: Nancy Wing, Founder
Celebrating 10 years of Restorations
This fall, we celebrate 10 years of Restorations!
Restorations grew out of the unified passion of a small group of individuals, to see a solution to the gap of long-term services to survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking in Canada.
In celebration of our 10 year anniversary, throughout the fall we will be sharing stories from individuals who have been a part of Restorations' growth and impact.
Our first highlight is on Nancy Wing, the person who brought us all together and founded Restorations.
While most of our submissions will be condensed and shared on our social media platforms (Instagram Facebook, and LinkedIn), we couldn’t resist sharing all that Nancy had to offer as she reflected on our past and looks ahead to our future.
So, in her own words, here is Nancy’s story of how she was a part of Restorations’ growth and impact!
I was compelled to become connected with Restorations because…
LOL It's a long story ☺️
Nancy Wing, at her last Board of Directors meeting in October 2018 where the Board of Directors informed her that the house we were working on opening for survivors of human trafficking would eventually be called “Nancy’s House.”
In 2012, I learned about commercial sexual exploitation in Canada. As with many naive, white, middle-class Canadians, I had only heard about this type of tragedy in far off countries. To know it was happening in and through neighbourhoods like those I lived in and how very easy it would be to fall prey to love bombing, grooming and the like, I became determined to learn more.
At a conference in Atlanta, an organization helping survivors took to the stage and spoke about the women they served. They cued the audience members with white umbrellas to open them, representing the percentage of the population embroiled in sex trafficking. My breath caught in my throat as white umbrellas filled the massive stadium. This organization went on to talk about the thrift stores they had that supported their programming financially as well as provided safe spaces for survivors to learn on-the-job skills. Surely I could do that!
When I returned to Canada, I dove into research, conversations and planning to start a neighbourhood coffee shop and third space where people could come together in community, share their talents and some conversation, and get some of the best brewed coffee around. It would be set up as a not-for-profit with all the proceeds being donated to a Canadian organization that provided long-term care to survivors.
The problem...
There was no such organization at the time.
I spoke with survivors, allies and front-line workers. Each one expressed a general frustration that, while short-term, emergency care seemed available, the support required for long-term survival was limited. This unfortunately, would lead to the re-exploitation of survivors as opportunities, resources and hope were at a low.
This was an area I had no idea about. Coffee...I could figure out. Long-term care for survivors, that was a mystery. But I awoke every day with it weighing on me. Spent every day thinking about it. And went to bed every night racked with an ache I can't even describe.
So, I reached out to an acquaintance that I had met at a local awareness event, Jennifer Lucking. I knew she had experience with short-term services for survivors and that her education was embedded in this kind of work. I peppered her with questions about the need and ultimately asked if she would be game to try to make this happen.
She said yes.
And so, a year later, a small group of determined folks gathered one night in 2013. We sat on the floor of one of our homes and talked about what could be and what our next steps would be.
Thus, Restorations was birthed.
It wasn't a journey without its obstacles. Interpersonal issues arose, legal and political red tape had to be maneuvered, promises were broken, and dreams were snatched, but the determination remained. We knew we would succeed even if the path seemed more like a rollercoaster than a walk in the woods.
We engaged experts where we were weak or lacked knowledge. Our team grew and shrank and grew again. We battled the seemingly constant heartbreak. We celebrated each win.
Eventually, we overcame our largest hurdle to that point...charitable status. We had been rejected two times and it looked like we were about to receive our third strike. But we knew that without charitable status, potential donors and partner organizations would not take us seriously since we didn't as yet have the home or programming up and running. But without the donors or partners we couldn't get the house or programming up and running. It was a terrible catch-22.
The letter from the CRA came back for the third time. The woman who had been working with us commented that they were about to deny the request once again but "something" made them go back to the table. Not having a program like this in Canada with its specific purposes had given them pause, but ultimately, we got the green light and we were off running.
We got out in public at awareness events and fundraisers. We attended working groups. All the while working on the programming and growth of Restorations alongside survivors.
The next big hurdle was the house. We had been in line to receive a donation of a large, rural property that could house ten women and provide ample opportunity for growth. Our dreams went wild. We spent hours talking about what that space could mean. We laughed. We wept with hope. And then we wept with tears when the opportunity passed us by.
But our ever constant, ever profound Sally Wong stood in unwavering optimism and assured us there was a reason (gosh we love you, Sally).
Ultimately, Sally was right. We realized that though our aspirations were great, there was nothing wrong with starting smaller. What could we do now to support survivors while we waited for the house? So we started small with assistance for individuals. And we continued to grow Restorations with the resources it needed to eventually flourish.
In these years we saw many organizations pop-up quickly and then have to shut down from lack of funding. Though we, in part, wanted to move quicker, we knew the slower pace would be more sustainable. The absolute LAST thing we wanted to do was re-traumatize any survivors by opening on rocky ground and having to shut the doors on them.
Slow and steady wins the race.
From left to right: Mark Lucking (volunteer, Property Committee), Nancy Wing, Jennifer Lucking (Executive Director), and Shane Van Barneveld (Team Shane, Project Manager of the renovation of Nancy’s House) during renovations in 2019.
As you know, a home was eventually made available to Restorations. One in serious need of its own restoration but we knew this was the home we had been waiting for.
This was the point in my journey with Restorations where I realized my strengths could no longer help move Restorations forward. Though my love for the team and my passion to help survivors never wavered, I knew I needed to step away in order for more skilled, more intelligent and more experienced people to take the reins.
And boy did they ever.
I am so proud to have been part of the foundation of Restorations, and to sit back and watch it flourish today. Restorations does, and will always, hold the most special place in my heart.
Nancy at Ride for Refuge in 2019, continuing to champion Restorations after formally stepping down from Restorations’ leadership.
What has made me most proud about Restorations’ work over the last 10 years is…
The continued growth. I am so proud of the skilled people who continue to dedicate their hearts to Restorations with survivors at the forefront.
Some words of encouragement for Restorations’ future…
My words of encouragement are to those who would come into leadership roles as staff or the board of directors. Restorations is not a space where ego comes to thrive. For Restorations to be successful, leaders and staff must acknowledge and accept their strengths, weaknesses and limitations. Just as this is a strengths-based program for survivors at its heart, you too must lead from your strengths and welcome those who can compensate for your weaknesses. Bring what you have with survivors as your focus. Restorations is for them. Build a strong village to support survivors. Build it strong.
Thank you, Nancy, for the role you have played at Restorations! Restorations wouldn’t be where we are today without you!
We cannot continue this work without the support of our larger community. Please consider a donation today to continue providing a place of belonging and support for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.