Friendship Centres facilitate Indigenous people’s transitions from rural, remote and reserve life to Canada’s cities. They are the first point of contact to connect many people to culturally based socio-economic programs and services.
During the pandemic, this was more urgent than ever, given the higher risk and impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous people. Learn how #TakeCareInCOVID, a Gold Quill Award-winning campaign, helped deliver authentic messaging during the pandemic’s most urgent moments and gave NAFC a seat at the table to make decisions beyond the campaign.
Want to see the campaign in action? Take a look at this Facebook post from NAFC, featuring Anishinaabe comedian Ryan McMahon, as mentioned in the episode.
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Jocelyn Formsma, Kim Blanchette and Daren Wowchuck
Jocelyn Formsma is the executive director of the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). She is a member of the Moose Cree First Nation in Northern Ontario and holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa. Jocelyn has over 19 years of work and volunteer experience building strong relationships and advocacy on behalf of Indigenous peoples. She is called to the Bar of Ontario and has worked as a lawyer for a First Nations-owned law firm. Prior to this, she worked for numerous national Aboriginal organizations and First Nations organizations. As Executive Director of the NAFC, Jocelyn brings her legal training and passion for Access to Justice to her work with Indigenous peoples in urban environments and the Friendship Centre Movement towards innovative, positive, and effective systemic change for Indigenous peoples.
Kim Blanchette leads Argyle PR’s Western Canadian team of engagement, public relations and public health communicators, providing clients with over 25 years of experience in these ever-changing practices. Kim is an accredited communications professional and a member of the CPRS College of Fellows and Canada’s first Chartered Public Relations professional (CIPR) whose talents run the entire public relations gamut, from communications, media, and crisis management to stakeholder and public engagement, behavioral change communications, employee and executive communications, change management, and brand/reputation management at the provincial, federal, and international levels.
Daren Wowchuck is a core part of Argyle PR’s internal creative team, playing a key role in the vast majority of their audio and video projects. His talent for concept ideation and development is an integral part of their team’s unique approaches for both the written and visual elements of client campaigns, including the award-winning campaigns we’ve created for Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the Government of Nunavut, SAFE Work Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg.