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South Surrey self advocate Lauren Simpson named YWCA Woman of Distinction

Peace Arch News - 5/18/2023

An outspoken advocate for people with disabilities was among three women from the Surrey area to be recognized last week with a 2023 YWCA Women of Distinction Award.

Presented May 9 in a sold-out ballroom of Vancouver'sWestin Bayshore hotel, the gala is an annual fundraiser for the organization, honouring "extraordinary women leaders and businesses" in 14 categories.

Lauren Simpson – a member of Self Advocates of Semiahmoo – was the recipient the Community Champion category.

Her story was highlighted in the documentary Lauren's Story, created about the Harmony inclusive-housing project in South Surrey. A longtime member of SAS, Simpson is also part of the Disability Community and Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and worked on Surrey's Housing Needs Report, supporting other people with disabilities in contributing to it.

Simpson's mother, Gail, said her family is "incredibly proud" of Simpson's accomplishment.

"The YWCA Community Champion nominees are an amazing group of women demonstrating outstanding passion and commitment to their communities. Congratulations to all of them," she said.

"We thank UNITI for their wrap-around support which allows Lauren to pursue her dreams and fulfill her potential. We are so grateful to be part of this amazing community."

In a letter supporting Simpson's nomination, Karla Verschoor, executive director of Inclusion BC, said Simpson "brought the need for inclusion to the forefront of the conversation in Surrey."

"Lauren did not just advocate for herself, she opened the doors for a much-needed conversation within our community regarding the change needed for true inclusion to occur."

Surrey's Azra Hussain (chief operating officer of Surrey Hospitals Foundation) and Adebukola Adewuyi (vice-president at Prospera Credit Union) were recipients in the Non-Profit and Connecting the Community categories, respectively.

Fluent in five languages, Hussain "brings a holistic lens to her work with her unique skillset," a bio posted at ywcavan.org says. She spearheaded multiple projects to support families in their "healthcare journeys," including a new pediatric outdoor play space, an augmented-reality virtual app to orient families at Surrey Memorial Hospital, and Surrey's first 'Mini-Med School', a free event to engage local youth with Surrey's top healthcare professionals.

Adewuyi, vice-president of finance and business intelligence at Prospera, works to advance opportunities available to immigrants and minority groups. She helped lead Surrey's first Black Business Expo, a showcase of black entrepreneurs from various organizations including Surrey Board of Trade, and also organized a vocational-skills program last summer through her tribal society, focused mainly on hair-making sessions.

For the full list and biographies of the 14 award winners, visit ywcavan.org

– with a file from Tracy Holmes

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