The Government of Canada honours two outstanding Canadians with the Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award

OTTAWA—April 19, 2005—Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development, announced today that June Callwood of Toronto and Ashraf Ghanem of Fredericton are the 2005 recipients of the Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award.

"These two Canadians have affected the lives of so many," Minister Dryden said. "Their determination and dedication demonstrate the power that each one of us has to improve our communities."

Both award recipients have made lifelong contributions to their communities. June Callwood has given freely of her time to human rights causes, civil liberties concerns, and particularly to the battle against child poverty. She has been involved in over 70 service organizations and has founded a number of social action organizations including Digger House for Toronto's street kids; Nellie's Hostel for abused women; the world's first AIDS hospice, Casey House; and Jessie's Centre for Teenagers, a centre for pregnant teens. Ms. Callwood has also been a founding member of several human rights organizations including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Justice for Children and Youth, and Canadians for Choice.

Ashraf Ghanem was born in Egypt and immigrated to Canada in his 20s. Through the years he has volunteered to provide services to new immigrants in Canada. His involvement with local and provincial multicultural associations has led to new policy and programming. He has developed leadership programming to help newcomers develop the skills to enable them to take on community service and volunteer roles outside their own ethno-cultural communities. He serves as Chair of the New Brunswick Ministerial Advisory Committee on Multiculturalism and is a member of the National Anti-Racism Council Steering Committee. Over the years, he has become a close friend and mentor to many newcomer families.

Each year, Social Development Canada presents the Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award to one man and one woman who have contributed significantly to the advancement of a social cause and to the well-being of their fellow citizens.

The award commemorates the work of Thérèse Casgrain, the force behind various social reforms promoting justice and equality. Ms Casgrain was involved in provincial, national and international organizations. As founder and President of the Quebec League of Women's Rights, Thérèse Casgrain helped Quebec women gain the right to vote in 1940 and was instrumental in making women the beneficiaries of family allowance cheques.

To find out more about the Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award, visit www.sdc.gc.ca.

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For information, please contact:

Sarah Bain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Social Development
(613) 941-0766

Media Relations
Social Development Canada
(613) 941-1110

BACKGROUNDER

2005 Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award

About the Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award

Thérèse Casgrain, a native of Montréal, was the force behind various social reforms promoting justice and equality. She was involved in provincial, national and international organizations and was one of the pioneers of the women's rights movement in Canada. She was an eminent Canadian whose actions continue to serve as an example to all.

The Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award is presented annually to two Canadians, one man and one woman. It recognizes the voluntary contributions of individuals from communities across Canada whose pioneering spirit, social commitment and persistent endeavours have contributed significantly to the advancement of a social cause and the well-being of their fellow citizens.

The award consists of:

• a bronze medallion bearing the likeness of Thérèse Casgrain;
• a lapel pin and a certificate of recognition; and
• $5,000 to be awarded to a Canadian voluntary organization designated by the recipient.

The Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award is open to all Canadian citizens, with the exception of members of the Thérèse F. Casgrain Foundation, elected officials of government while serving in office, past recipients of the award and employees of Social Development Canada.

To find out more about the Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award, please visit www.sdc.gc.ca

The 2005 Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award Recipients

June Callwood

June Callwood was born on June 2, 1924, in Chatham, Ontario. She is a journalist, author, broadcaster and humanitarian. She has authored 29 books and over 800 magazine articles, and worked as a reporter and columnist with the Toronto Globe and Mail for 22 years.

Ms. Callwood has been honoured with 40 awards for her contributions to society. She has received the Order of Canada, Order of Ontario, B'nai Brith Woman of the Year, Toronto Arts Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, Advocacy Resource Centre for the Handicapped Human Rights Award, City of Toronto Award of Merit, and has been inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame.

In addition, 19 educational institutions have granted her honorary degrees or diplomas, three organizations have named their humanitarian awards after her, and there are two Callwood Houses—a teen mothers' residence in Toronto, and safe, affordable housing in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Ms. Callwood has been involved in over 70 service organizations and has founded a number of social action-oriented organizations. She founded Digger House, a hostel for street kids in Toronto, in the late 1960s. She later became co-founder of Nellie's Hostel for abused women in 1974, and in 1988 founded Casey House, the world's first AIDS Hospice. In 1982, she founded Jessie's Centre for Teenagers, a centre for pregnant teens. When she realized teenage parents were trying to raise children without the proper support, she decided to spearhead a task force on teenage pregnancy. She established Jessie's by bringing together a group of key community members and service providers and by identifying the services required by these young families.

Ms. Callwood is a founding member of Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Casey House Foundation, Justice for Children and Youth, Maggie's Toronto Prostitutes' Community Service Project, Kumbaya Festival, and Connecting Seniors of Canada.

Ms. Callwood has worked tirelessly to defend the rights of women across Canada. In 1972, she was a founding member of Canadian Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (CARAL), and she became a founding member of Canadians for Choice in 1989.

Ms. Callwood has given freely of her own time to human rights causes, civil liberties concerns, and particularly to the battle against child poverty.

Ashraf Ghanem

Ashraf Ghanem was born in Egypt in 1961. In 1987, he immigrated to Canada to continue his studies and is currently a financial analyst with the Department of Transportation. Since his arrival in Canada, he has been a tireless volunteer in protecting and promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees in his adopted land.

On a local level, Mr. Ghanem has been a volunteer with the Multicultural Association of Fredericton (MCAF) for 14 years and has been a board member for 11 years. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a small office with one part-time employee to a thriving organization with a staff of over 20 and more than 100 volunteers. The Multicultural Association of Fredericton was recognized for its contributions to society by being awarded the New Brunswick Human Rights Award in 2002.

Mr. Ghanem conceived and helped implement the Multicultural Association of Fredericton's Immigration Leadership Program, which is designed to recognize leaders in the multicultural community and help them develop skills to help them take on community service and volunteer roles outside their own ethno-cultural communities.

Mr. Ghanem also guided into being the MCAF Youth Group, which allows youth in the Fredericton area to come together in a safe and empowering social environment and encourages community participation.

In partnership with Connect NB, Mr. Ghanem has made it possible for the Multicultural Association of Fredericton to offer a Newcomer Community Access Centre, providing free access to Internet, email, and document preparation services.

Mr. Ghanem's interests have expanded beyond municipal diversity issues to provincial and national issues. He is deeply involved with the New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC) and serves as its President, is currently Chair of the provincial Ministerial Advisory Committee on Multiculturalism and is a member of the National Anti-Racism Council Steering Committee.

Mr. Ghanem has also worked closely with the Enterprise Network (Community Economic Development Associations) on issues such as the development of a New Brunswick Immigration Strategy and on the enhanced-language training project.

His work with newcomers does not always take a policy-oriented path; over the years he has become a close friend and mentor to a number of newcomer families.