November is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and we are excited to announce we will be kicking off the month long campaign with an in-person panel event at  Grizzly Winery, our wonderful event sponsor!

We are pleased to present the following people that will make up our panel....

1. Meet Melissa Hunt-Anderson (Moderator):

Melissa is the former executive director of Childhood Connections – Okanagan Family & Childcare Society. During her time with the organization, she worked closely with various organizations including the Kelowna Women’s Shelter to build stronger outcomes for children and their families. Her passion to support family, children and community began with her undergrad co-op placement with the Bridge Youth & Family Services, and it continued with her work in northern Alberta as an executive director building family and adult literacy programs, which included working with vulnerable teen moms in the Pregnant and Parenting Teen program and developing family and children’s literacy programs for clients of the Grande Prairie Women’s Shelter. 

Melissa sees boundless potential in community working together to solve complex problems such as domestic and intimate partner violence. In her current role with the City of West Kelowna, as their Community and Social Development Coordinator, Melissa brings together a diverse range of social service providers, community members, and businesses to create positive change. The work Melissa supports at the City aligns closely with principles and practices of Asset-Based Community Development, strength-based approaches to community change. Melissa truly feels that communities that collaborate are more successful at address complex issues like poverty, equity, community safety and well-being.

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2. Meet Tori Stranges: (Panelist):

Tori is a PhD Candidate and Sessional Instructor in the faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia. Tori’s research interests include health research funding trends, healthcare access, brain injury, and intimate partner violence in the 2S/LGBTQ+ community. Tori has a particular interest in how survivors access health and community care.

Tori is an Institute of Community Engaged Research Scholar. She sits on the Scientific Advisory Panel for The GenWell Project and the Community-University Engagement Fund, is an affiliated researcher with the Institute for Social Connection, and a researcher with The Roundtable- BC’s LGBTQ2S Mental Health and Substance Use Networking Space. Tori is a Brock University alumni graduating from the inaugural year of the Masters of Professional Kinesiology program. Tori recently moved to the unceded, traditional territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation where she continues to play an active role in her community advocating for social justice, and change.

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3. Meet Shannon Wilson (Panelist):

Shannon is a domestic abuse survivor. Born and raised in Vancouver, she married at the young age of 20 and soon found herself in a paralyzing position of living in an abusive relationship. During her marriage, she obtained a studio arts diploma from Capilano University in 2002. After two and a half years of being the victim of mental, emotional, and physical abuse, she was able to free herself from the marriage. She then went on to move to the Okanagan the following year in 2003. 

Over the last 22 years Shannon has been able to use her experience to advocate and help others that have had similar experiences. For years she has worked as an art therapist helping people with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She has participated in the Kelowna Women’s Shelter event, Art & Stories: No longer Hidden as well as volunteered with KWS to provide art therapy classes. 

Shannon resides in Kelowna with her teenage daughter and when she is not creating art, she is working as a marriage officiant.

4. Meet Darryl-Jean Peeman (Panelist): 

Darryl-Jean Peeman is a Syilx Nation member from the Penticton Indian Band.  She is currently working as Okanagan Nation Alliance’s You Empowered Strong (YES) Team Lead. The YES Program aims to address violence through response, cultural education and prevention, specialized training and collaborations and partnership using a Syilx-based practices. Darryl-Jean has been an advocate and support towards Indigenous people experiencing violence, just as her matriarchs before her. She promotes unity and inclusion, the power of using voice, and the importance of Syilx cultural safety when supporting nation members experiencing violence.

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5. Meet Keyara Brody(Panelist):

Keyara Broday is from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, with relations on her mother’s side from the Xwmelch’stn village. She grew up on the traditional territories of thexʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations, where she now calls home. Much of her life has been spent on her own traditional territory. Over seven years ago, Keyara moved to Syilx territory to pursue her education, which has led her to where she is today. She is currently completing a Master of Science focused on integrating Traditional practices and land-based wellness into urban spaces to support Indigenous youth’s overall wellbeing through cultural connectedness.

For the past four years, Keyara has also worked with the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office at UBCO. In this role, she has critically examined and advocated for systemic changes to better address and support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. As both an Indigenous woman and advocate for culturally relevant and trauma-informed practices, she is committed to ensuring that community-based wellness and culturally safe spaces remain at the heart of approaches to healing and wellness.

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Stay tuned to our social channels to learn more about this event as well as our month long DVAM campaign!

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