Who We Are

We believe that mothers are the catalyst for change within their families and communities.

1. We are a national organization housed in Vancouver, BC

Mothers Matter Canada — previously known as the Mothers Matter Centre and the Home Instruction Program for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Canada — is a not-for-profit, registered charity incorporated in October 2001. We are a virtual, national consortium of organizations dedicated to serving socially isolated and low economic status mothers and their families.

2. Our mother-to-mother approach is unique

We work with isolated mothers where they live – at home – connecting them with other mothers in their communities who share an intimate awareness of the issues and challenges they face. Since our inception, Mothers Matter Canada has transformed over 60,000 lives. We helped more than 22,600 mothers gain new skills and abilities essential to strengthening mother-child relationships. This means their children and families were better prepared to get the most from their early school experiences.

3. Our programs are designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, low literacy, and social isolation

Our foundational program, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), was piloted in 2000 at the Britannia Community Service Centre in Vancouver, BC, HIPPY. Since then, it has grown to 25 sites across Canada each of which helps 35 – 100 families each year.

Bond to Literacy is a 12-week early literacy program adapted from the HIPPY program for low-income, disadvantaged families who struggle with issues that may prevent them from making a long-term commitment.

The Adopt-a-Reader campaign provides an opportunity for HIPPY families to “adopt” other parents in their community for a three-week campaign that focuses on parent-child bonding through reading.

Our Newcomer Innovations are designed to help immigrant families settle into Canadian society. Mothers Matter Canada and its partners research, design, test and evaluate the feasibility of social innovations to ensure the well-being, dignity, and social connections of high-risk vulnerable mothers.

4. We are committed to continuous program monitoring and refinement

We are committed to a comprehensive performance management process (PMP) that holds itself accountable to its stakeholders, funders and, most importantly, to the families it serves. This process gives us real-time data needed to adjust programming strategies to better serve clients. The performance management approach helps us and our partners measure and understand the process of change.

Our Staff

Languages spoken at Mothers Matter Canada: Arabic, English, French, German, Gujrathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, and Urdu.

Amy Robichaud

CEO

Amy is the daughter to Lore, granddaughter to Rae, and great granddaughter to Rita.

Prior to accepting the role of CEO at Mothers Matter Centre, Amy served as Executive Director of Dress for Success Vancouver, Director of Engagement at the Minerva Foundation for BC Women, and as a development and governance consultant to organizations such as the RBC Foundation, the Global Centre for Pluralism, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Amy’s passion for practical ways to generate equity, create economic inclusion, opportunity and prosperity for all informs everything she does, including her volunteerism. She is serving her second term as Chair of the Women's Advisory Committee for the City of Vancouver where she advises Council and staff on enhancing access and inclusion for women and girls to fully participate in City services and civic life. She has previously served as Chair of the Dress for Success Canada Foundation, and was nominated for the YWCA Vancouver's Women of Distinction Awards in 2023.

Amy and her husband have lived all over Canada and now happily and humbly call the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Sel̓íl̓witulh Nations home, along with their pets and overgrown library

Amy Zhou

Project Manager / Innovation Projects

Amy is a Project Coordinator of Program Innovations at Mothers Matter Canada. She holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Gender Studies from Simon Fraser University. Committed to reducing inequities, Amy is passionate about developing innovative, culturally appropriate programming methods that address the evolving needs of diverse communities and drive meaningful community change.

In her current role, Amy leads the Men Like Me (MLM) program, a bilingual (French and English) initiative designed to prevent gender-based violence (GBV). Focused on engaging newcomer and refugee men, MLM promotes positive masculinities and healthy mindsets, strengthening family relationships and empowering participants to become allies in the fight against GBV.

Danielle Rees

Professional Development Manager

Danielle works as a remote member of the Mothers Matter team. She holds a Master's degree in Education. Growing up as a first-generation Canadian, she experienced first-hand the power of education to positively impact peoples’ lives. She is honoured to work with mothers across the country committed to achieving their education goals. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, reading, and volunteering.

Jason Chabot

Chief Financial Officer

Jason Chabot is a graduate of the University of British Columbia where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours degree in 1997. He went on to receive his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2000 after articling with KPMG in the Fraser Valley. Upon moving to Vancouver in 2001, he left public practice to become a Director of Finance, working for a non-profit organization in the Gastown area for over twelve years.

When not crunching numbers, Jason fills his free time with creative writing, and his efforts have culminated with three-book publishing deals through HarperCollins Canada and Turner Publishing Company in the United States. Away from his computer, Jason also enjoys playing classical piano, ballroom and Latin American dancing, and caring for the fish in his saltwater aquarium.

Kiran Bhullar

Director of Multicultural HIPPY (East)

Before joining Mothers Matter Centre in September 2023, Kiran served as the LINC and Strategic Initiatives Manager at the Regina Immigrant Women Centre (RIWC). Over her dedicated 8+ years with RIWC, she oversaw various newcomer settlement and integration programs, including the successful establishment and coordination of the
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program from 2019 to 2023. Kiran's profound dedication lies in fostering social change and supporting
immigrants, particularly vulnerable mothers and families, on their settlement journey in Canada.

Kiran also devoted her time and expertise as a volunteer on the SAISIA (Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies) Board of Directors for
over four years, culminating in her service as the SAISIA Board President during the 2022-2023 term.

Her academic journey began with a Master of Arts in English degree from India, followed by her immigration to Canada. Here, she furthered her education by completing a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree at the Ontario Institute of Studies for Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Prior to entering the settlement support sector, Kiran taught high school students in Ontario for several years. To enhance her skills and knowledge in addressing the unique challenges of the non-profit sector, she successfully earned a Nonprofit Management Extension Certificate from Mount Royal University.

Outside her professional commitments, Kiran finds joy in cooking, reading, and cherishing quality moments with her family.

Monique Best

Director of Francophone Programs

After three years as the HIPPY Ottawa program Coordinator, Monique joined the Mothers Matter Centre Summer 2020. Result driven and with a solid work ethic, she promotes and oversees the growth of programs offered in French (HIPPY, SMART & Bond to Literacy), supports new Francophone program sites’ coordinators and promotes Francophone HIPPY delivery to existing sites. She also develops and delivers pre-service and in-service training to Francophone HIPPY Coordinators and Home Visitors.

Monique has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a PhD in Intercultural Relations; she studied in Moncton, New Brunswick and then in Sherbrooke, Québec. Life and work experiences shaped her career path to pursue working with and for refugee and immigrant families’ growth and well being. She loves to take on new challenges and projects, such as the Collaborative Learning Communities for the French Eastern Ontario Public School Board, CEPEO, and the first Pop Up Book Distribution event in Ottawa with First Books Canada. During her free time, she enjoys baking, yoga and discovering new paths during her nature walks.

Natasha Irvine

Chief Communications Officer

Natasha Irvine is a non-profit communications professional with a passion for making a positive impact in communities by sharing their stories. Natasha is especially dedicated to amplifying the voices of women and newcomers to Canada.

Prior to joining Mothers Matter Centre, Natasha was Communications Director at Dress for Success Vancouver where she developed their ambassador program which has been replicated across many Dress for Success affiliates. She believes that by reducing barriers and creating equity for women, we create an inclusive and supportive society for all.

Beyond work, the place where Natasha thrives is in the water. She is a Master's Swimmer continually seeking to improve her strokes and a wild swimming enthusiast who never passes up a chance to dive into new waters. Natasha lives with her husband and two daughters in East Vancouver on the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Reem Abdulkader

Director of Multicultural HIPPY (West)

Reem coordinated the HIPPY program in Winnipeg, Manitoba for 5 years. During this time she trained and mentored 11 home visitors. Her background as a settlement worker allowed her to have a wide range of experience navigating the needs of vulnerable communities and supporting them to thrive and succeed in their new home in Canada.

Reem has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and pharmaceutical science and she is currently a country trainer in Positive Discipline in Everyday parenting with multiple trainings in child development. She is fluent in Arabic and English and loves to be outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Reem believes the HIPPY program has the power to create great bonds, celebrate diversity, and build healthy communities. She believes that supporting a mother in supporting her child is what creates uplifting communities.

Sardonna Ng

Accounting Assistant

Sardonna holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management with an accounting background.

Working at the Mothers Matter Centre, a workplace that is committed to diversity, she has a strong sense of belonging within the team. "It's great to feel like my contributions are valued and that we are all
working together towards common goals."

Outside of work, she is enthusiastic about playing board games, indulging in reading pursuits, and baking.

Susanne Nahm

Chief Operating Officer

Susanne has a background in business and international trade. Having tired of working in the business world, Susanne began at HIPPY in 2003 and has not looked back. Susanne began as the Office Manager and has since found rewarding and challenging work in re-building the Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database for Performance Management. Susanne supports HIPPY Sites and conducts Site training for ETO. Susanne speaks native German, English and some French and Spanish. She is gold-certified in ETO Administration and ETO Results.

Susanne has a fun side, enjoying belly dancing, and has sat on the board of the non-profit organization, Middle Eastern Dance Association (MEDA), for seven years.

Yusra Qadir

Chief Programs & Advocacy Officer

Yusra Qadir is the Chief Programs and Advocacy Officer at the Mothers Matter Canada (MMC). She holds a Masters in Sociology and is an Erasmus Mundus Fellow for her Masters in Human Rights Practice. She has over 15 years of senior level experience of designing and implementing programs for gender equality, human rights, and socio-economic inclusion. She has worked at the frontlines supporting forcibly displaced communities especially women, young people and children in conflict affected and fragile contexts in the global south. She has mainstreamed gender equity across emergency, early relief and resettlement programming in Asia, Africa, and North America.

In her current role as the Chief Programs and Advocacy Officer at the MMC, Yusra leads a social innovation lab to advance the Sustainable Development Goals for vulnerable, isolated, and often low-income newcomer mothers in Canada. She champions evidence based approaches to support service delivery partners implement client centric and culturally appropriate programs.

As a mother herself, she truly believes that when mothers thrive, children flourish, and communities prosper.

Zouhoura Hadji

Project Coordinator /
Training

Holding a bachelor's degree in art and a master's in heritage project management, Zouhoura is a versatile professional with solid experience in training and digital technology.

Currently a coordinator of training and projects, she is responsible for reviewing and improving the translations of educational materials in French, as well as for administrative tracking and support of Francophone learners.

Meg Sauvé

Communications & Projects Coordinator

Originally from Quebec, Meg has lived in British Columbia for over 7 years now. Previously, she has worked for the Ministry of Education of British Columbia and within francophone nonprofit organizations.

A self-defined jack of all trades, Meg holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Multidisciplinary Studies and a diploma in Professional Copywriting and Proofreading, shaping her into a versatile communications professional.

In her spare time, she likes to explore the great outdoors, read, practice aerial yoga, and is the editor in chief and founder of a small press dedicated to uplifting disabled, neurodivergent and chronically ill voices.

Kassidy Mamboue

Executive Assistant

Kassidy Mamboue is an Executive Assistant & Office Manager at Mothers Matter Canada, supporting the CEO and the organization’s operations.

She is motivated by contributing to the organization’s mission to help mothers and their children thrive in their communities. Kassidy holds a Bachelor of Media Arts from Emily Carr University of Arts & Design and brings experience in client services and administrative support.

In her role, she manages professional scheduling and communications for the CEO, supports office operations through administrative coordination and process management, and assists Board operations with meeting coordination, agenda preparation, and minute-taking, all while maintaining strict confidentiality and organized digital systems.

Outside of work, Kassidy enjoys listening to and dancing along with K-pop, as well as exploring creative crafts such as diamond painting and crocheting.

Elena Popova

Program Coordinator

Elena is a bilingual settlement and program development professional with over 10 years of experience supporting newcomer and francophone communities across Canada.

She has led and implemented provincially and federally funded programs in Alberta and Saskatchewan, including HIPPY, SMART, and SWIS initiatives.

Elena brings strong expertise in program coordination, stakeholder engagement, team leadership, reporting, and evaluation. She holds a Master’s degree in French Language and Literature and has a background in education and community inclusion, with a passion for fostering equitable access to services and meaningful integration for newcomers.

In her free time, Elena enjoys spending time with her family in the beautiful Canadian Rockies, skiing and hiking. She also loves reading, attending concerts, and travelling – especially when travel and concerts can be combined.

Who We Are

We believe that mothers are the catalyst for change within their families and communities.

1. We are a national organization housed in Vancouver, BC

2. Our mother-to-mother approach is unique

3. Our programs are designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, low literacy, and social isolation

4. We are committed to continuous program monitoring and refinement

Our Staff

Languages spoken at Mothers Matter Canada: Arabic, English, French, German, Gujrathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, and Urdu.

705-1112 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC, V6E 2S1

info@mothersmatter.ca
(604) 676-8250

© 2023 All rights reserved
Charitable Tax Number: 863188538 RR0001

Stay Connected

Who We Are

We believe that mothers are the catalyst for change within their families and communities.

1. We are a national organization housed in Vancouver, BC

2. Our mother-to-mother approach is unique

3. Our programs are designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, low literacy, and social isolation

4. We are committed to continuous program monitoring and refinement

Our Staff

Languages spoken at Mothers Matter Canada: Arabic, English, French, German, Gujrathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, and Urdu.

705-1112 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC, V6E 2S1 info@mothersmatter.ca (604) 676-8250 © 2023 All rights reserved Charitable Tax Number: 863188538 RR0001

Stay Connected

705-1112 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC, V6E 2S1

info@mothersmatter.ca
(604) 676-8250

© 2023 All rights reserved
Charitable Tax Number: 863188538 RR0001