Thank you to the committee for the opportunity to contribute to this important work.
True Patriot Love is Canada's foundation for the military and veteran community. We work closely as a trusted partner with the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs and federal and provincial governments.
As the national foundation, True Patriot Love works across the spectrum of issues facing our military members and veterans. We support our military families and children, especially as they navigate the issues of multiple deployments or locations away from their home supports.
We fund a range of programs to assist in the health and well-being of both serving members and veterans, including mental health, homelessness, employment and transition.
For those who may be injured or become ill, we contribute to their recovery and rehabilitation through sport, adventure and the arts, and we help with their reintroduction back into local communities post-uniform, especially with programs focused on volunteering and service opportunities, to maintain a sense of purpose, which we believe is key to a good transition.
Since 2018, True Patriot Love has been proud to steward and grow the Captain Nichola Goddard fund. The fund provides national funding to directly benefit community programs that support servicewomen, women veterans and their families. I knew Nichola and remain inspired by her legacy.
I served proudly in the Canadian Armed Forces as an infantry officer for 27 years, and left uniform in 2021. I remain proud of my service but note fundamental challenges facing women veterans, which can be addressed in two broad categories—one, a culture of invisibility, and two, unique needs. At True Patriot Love, we hope to play a role in addressing both of these challenges.
First, on the culture of invisibility, there is a pervasive sense among many women veterans that they do not belong in the veteran community. Many feel unseen, unwelcome and unsafe.
The veteran community is a reflection of the CAF culture but spans a significantly larger number of generations. For many women, by the time they leave the CAF, they have no tolerance for environments that do not embrace them for who they are. Many women are physically and mentally exhausted upon leaving the CAF, because they have spent years wearing clothes that didn't quite fit, both physically and metaphorically.
For women who have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault and moral injury, separation from that environment is not just a preference but a health imperative. However, this leaves many women unable to access the benefits they have earned and puts them at greater risk during their transition and beyond.
We can help address this sense of invisibility by offering platforms for women to tell their stories, use their voices and take their place in the veteran landscape.
In 2018, True Patriot Love hosted the inaugural Captain Nichola Goddard reception. Guests gathered to pay tribute to women in the military and heard from a panel of CAF leaders. I was invited to speak at that event as a volunteer and a serving member of the CAF. I found it eye-opening and encouraging to see how interested and engaged business leaders were to learn of the unique experiences and leadership skills displayed by the women of the Canadian Armed Forces. The annual Captain Nichola Goddard Leadership Series is now hosted in multiple cities across Canada.
Second, on unique needs, what is also clear is that offering specifically tailored programming is a way to assist in removing barriers for women to thrive in their transition and beyond. True Patriot Love's all-women Baffin expedition is an example of such an initiative, which supported the creation of a well-being enhancing community of military, veteran and business leaders.
The Captain Nichola Goddard fund provides funding to directly benefit community programs that support servicewomen, women veterans and their families, helping to address the unique challenges related to military life.
Since 2018, the foundation has invested over $600,000 in community-based programs, including Women Warriors' Healing Garden in Ontario, Landing Strong in Nova Scotia, The Pepper Pod in Quebec and Team Rubicon Canada nationally, all offering programming focused on the specific needs of women veterans.
In conclusion, while there are exceptional programs being delivered in support of women veterans across Canada, we do not have a clear understanding of either the services available or the scale of the need.
We suggest that a collaborative gap analysis to drive and inform prioritization of resources is essential to ensure that we have the right services to meet the needs of our women veterans. Over the years we have come to recognize the unique circumstances faced by women veterans, and True Patriot Love remains dedicated to working with them to increase access, to support research and community-based programming, and to influence policy.
Thank you.