About Communities 4 Families
Learn more: Who We Are, Our History, Coalition Partners, Meeting Minutes, Coalition Membership
C4F Staff
Corrie Monk – Social Enterprise and Team Administration Coordinator
What continues to get Corrie out of bed in the morning (besides the feline house alarm clock) is her passion for supporting individuals and communities in reaching their self identified goals. With a background in education and over 40 years in the non-profit sector, she’s had the unique privilege of working with and for diverse folks of all ages and stages and life experience.
Whether working with early years, families, youth, adults, or seniors, Corrie values relationships and strives to support people wherever they are at on their journey. She cares deeply about social justice issues and human rights and believes in the power of honest conversation and collaboration to effect change.
Some career highlights include creating family violence peer support programming, assisting communities in determining risk factors and designing preventative social programs, being a social work practicum field placement supervisor, and serving as a regional representative for the Walking with Our Sisters MMIWG art installation.
Pre-pandemic, Corrie provided consulting and facilitated conversations for community capacity building and engagement, staff retreats & team building, Board retreats and training, and personal growth workshops through her business, Gathering for Connection.
Corrie is a spouse, mom of many, grandmother, and caregiver who is happiest outdoors on a warm summer evening, preferably near water with her dogs close by.
Cheri Kaguah – Outdoor Play Specialist
Cheri is the Outdoor Play Specialist for Communities 4 Families. She facilitates learning and program development that promotes the importance of outdoor play, storytelling as an educational tool, and building resiliency. Though she was born in Canada, Cheri’s earliest memories are of living in rural Zaire (now the DRC) and she has since lived and worked in 4 other countries. She met and married her husband while working in Ghana. Her background is in anthropology (BA), adult education (CACE) and international social work (MSW), and her passion is community building. She loves her diverse West End community and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else… she just needs regular trips to the forest – her happy place! – to thrive.
Barby Sewrjugin – Mentor/Trainer
Barby Sewrjugin was born in Argentina where she became a registered psychologist.
She speaks Spanish and has more than 10 years’ experience as a facilitator in her country, where she used to teach at the University of Buenos Aires (U.B.A).
Barby immigrated with her family (son and husband) nine years ago and since then, started her journey as a family/children program facilitator and as coordinator of the HUB project at Prairie Sunrise School which focuses on integrating and supporting Yazidi newcomers.
Barby has more than 5 years of experience enjoying and engaging with children and adults in parenting and literacy programs across the different neighbourhoods and schools of our lovely Winnipeg. She was trained in and delivered many programs such as Wiggle, Giggle and Munch; Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting; Play to Learn, Learn to Play; Nobody’s Perfect; My Tween and Me; Parent-Child Mother Goose; Bonding with Family Bookmaking; and others.
Through her life and previous work experience, Barby has gained a deep knowledge of neurodiversity, and became an advocate for this group. She works very hard and intentionally on adapting programs, games, materials, and presentations for them and to share this important information with families and newcomers so the world can be more inclusive.
Ingrid Peters Derry – Special Projects and Communications Coordinator
Born in Saskatchewan, Ingrid has also lived in Kansas, Ontario, and Manitoba. While always a Prairie Girl, annual vacations to the Canadian Rockies provide a lovely distraction. She enjoys three adult children, one living with her, and the others currently also in Winnipeg. Ingrid lives in Winnipeg with her partner, son, dog and two cats – mostly peacefully.
Ingrid has worked with Communities 4 Families, as one of its first coordinators, since 2003. After nearly 20 years, she began to work part-time as co-coordinator, focusing particularly on Special Projects, such as our Gentle Heroes and Raising the Village workshops, and Communications for the Coalition. Updates to the website, workshop posters and registration, and a weekly e-digest are pieces of Ingrid’s work.
Ingrid has come to love the work represented by the family resource programs in downtown Winnipeg and has found it a privilege to be able to bring various agencies together to share expertise and to support each other. We truly are stronger together.
Ingrid’s training was in theology, and she has many years of experience in prison chaplaincy and supporting small faith communities. Later, nearly 20 years experience in administration and networking followed. Ingrid has a passion for disadvantaged communities and a desire to help families be as strong and resilient as possible.
Free time activities include walking the dog and keeping kittens out of trouble, biking in spring, summer and fall (fair-weather biking only!), creating things (sewing, painting, writing, baking) and much, much reading (especially mysteries and fantasy to escape thinking about real-life).