Meet Teshyla Bailey
Welcome to the community! It's been an incredible journey of personal and professional growth for myself and the awesome young women I connect with.
Recognizing the Power of Community
Growing up in the west-end of Toronto, I always felt a strong sense of community and belonging. In grade school, my girlfriends and I would use our recesses to talk about everything that went on in our young lives, with the bulk of the conversations centred around our families and social lives.
It wasn't until university when I learned the language to describe the shared experiences of me and my childhood friends, many of which involved magnitudes of complex trauma. On a journey of unlearning and healing, I knew I wanted to support others who experienced similar challenges. After graduating, I began volunteering with organizations that aimed to empower women and girls. However, I quickly realized that the organizers did not include many women who looked like me or shared similar experiences to my own.
This realization is what sparked my vision around community building. I knew I wanted to be part of spaces with women I could relate to and feel comfortable around. I started meeting up with my friends, and then friends of friends, to talk about our shared experiences. We realized that a lot of women our age were in need of a community to access support and feel safe. As word spread across social media about our informal gatherings, we recieved a huge response! Within months, Sis to Sis Toronto emerged with a community passionate about building solidarity and supporting with personal growth.
If you’re interested in supporting us, I’d love to connect
We always strive to expand our services. As a youth-led grassroots organization, we rely on different sources of funding to sustain our projects. We’re open to public support, both commercial and noncommercial.
To contact me directly, please email Teshyla@sistosistoronto.com