TEAM & PARTNERS

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Basel jalab // program manager, furniture bank

After earning a bachelor's degree in architecture and master's degree in real estate development, I was given the opportunity to participate in major projects in many places around the world. This lead me to working with people from different backgrounds. I always enjoyed the being close to people and had a passion for helping and working for the community. I often volunteered with non-profit organizations, and asked my employer to give me tasks to support people – these were the ways I fulfilled my desire to help others.

After immigrating to Canada, my career objective was to direct all the knowledge and experience I have towards humanitarian services. Working with the Canadian Red Cross played a significant role in building my emergency management skills. When I heard about Matthew House Ottawa, I was so impressed with the work they are doing for the community. And now, I can proudly say I am a part of it.

I feel that my career objectives and desire to support the community are well achieved by working at MHO. The volunteers and staff truly care about helping society and supporting those in significant need of our services. I am witnessing the positive impact we are doing for the community every day and looking forward to supporting more people in the future.

Mahnoor Chandio  //   Operations manager

I was born and raised in the beautiful province of Sindh in Pakistan. I received a Bachelor of Business Administration from SZABIST University in Hyderabad, Pakistan and an MBA in Leadership and Change Management from North American University in Houston, Texas. In 2019, I relocated to Canada and began volunteering at Matthew House Ottawa Furniture Bank. I instantly fell in love with how this organization was making a huge difference in the community by serving newcomers and low-income families, and I wanted to be associated with an organization dedicated to providing support and resources for refugees and other vulnerable individuals. My experience at Matthew House has been truly rewarding.

Currently, I serve as the Operations Manager and am responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and ensuring the organization runs efficiently and effectively. In addition to my role as Operations Manager, I also serve as the Human Resources and Finance Officer, responsible for managing and optimizing human capital and financial resources.

I am passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of those we serve, and I am proud to be part of a team that shares the same commitment to our mission. Working with Matthew House has given me the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ian Mclaren  //  CHAIR

Ian McLaren is a recently retired senior executive who spent over 35 years in the global hi-tech industry. He brings a significant amount of experience in the operational management of technology companies having led both well-established publicly traded companies as well as VC funded start up companies that went through the cycle of fund raising, growth, IPO, mergers and acquisitions. Throughout his career, he served as an advisor and director on several boards, predominantly to corporations in the technology sector. Ian holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queens University. He currently resides in Ottawa, Canada with his wife Andrea and daughter Emma.

Steve Kuhn  //  Treasurer

Steve is an executive in the Government of Canada, where he has held various positions at the Privy Council Office, Department of Finance and Infrastructure Canada focused on international finance, foreign policy and infrastructure investment.  Before moving to Ottawa, Steve worked on infrastructure investment and public-private partnerships transactions for the Government of Ontario.

He is a co-founder of Matthew House Ottawa and also serves on the Board of Directors for Action Canada.  Steve holds a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, York University, and is married with two children.

Dan Monafu  //  Director

Dan works at the intersection of public policy innovation, civic technology, and critical thinking platforms. He has founded or co-founded a number of initiatives that work to better the community, from the local to the national level, including: Soup Ottawa, Ottawa (de)tours, Ottawa Civic Tech – and some groups that don’t have Ottawa in their title: the Trawler, Privi, and LiveHere, most recently. Dan started his career in international affairs but as time went on he discovered he was more drawn to local- and micro-level initiatives: he feels they are excellent demonstration projects for a world that is kinder, generous and more forgiving, one initiative at a time. Dan is married and lately spends much of his free time chasing after two wonderful children.

Aaron WEbber //  SECretary

Aaron is a Project Manager at Public Outreach Group, a private consultancy that provides fundraising services to charities in North America. Inspired by the call to give in 2nd Corinthians 9:7, Aaron views fundraising as a form of ministry and combines this passion with a background in data science and business management in his role at Matthew House Ottawa. Originally from Nova Scotia, Aaron moved to Ottawa in 2017 with his wife Ellen. They serve together on the Board of Directors of A Cup for Africa Mission and fellowship at The Meeting House Ottawa.

Carolyn Elliott-Magwood  //  Director

Carolyn studied English literature and theatre at Wilfrid Laurier University before completing her law degree at the University of Ottawa. Since becoming a lawyer, she has worked for the federal Department of Justice, focusing on international justice sector development and international and comparative law. Recently, she and her husband spent a sabbatical year in Prague, Czech Republic, where she was Senior Rule of Law Fellow for the CEELI Institute, a rule of law training institute with global reach. She has previous board experience with the University of Ottawa chapter of Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights, Ecclesiax Church, and One World Arts.

Angela success  //  Director

Angela is a trained media professional who has worked with the Print and Electronic media in Nigeria. She worked with Travelex Global and Financial Services Limited in Nigeria as a customer care personnel attending to people of different social-cultural backgrounds. Angela, a journalist, has over ten years of experience in Public relations and journalism. She has a degree in Sociology/Anthropology from the University of Nigeria and a Post Graduate Diploma in Communications Studies from Lagos State University. She arrived in Canada in 2018, as a refugee and passed through the housing challenges faced by some newcomers. Angela currently volunteers for three organizations in addition to her job with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. She brings her people skills and experiences to the board. She is passionate about giving back to society having received a lot from others, especially from Matthew House Ottawa. Angela is committed to making positive impacts at work and in any community that she is involved with.

deirdre freiheit  //  Director

Deirdre has had a 30+ year career in the not-for-profit sector, 22 as CEO. She led three organizations, two at the national level and a third at a large community-based organization where she held a dual role as CEO of two corporations, the first being the operational side of the business and secondly, its fundraising Foundation. She has since moved into coaching, is an Erickson Certified Professional Coach (ECPC) and recently completed her training at the ACC (Associate Certified Coach) and PCC (Professional Certified Coach) levels.  She is a member of the International Coaching Federation.

Kaite Burkholder harris // Director

Kaite Burkholder Harris is the Executive Director at the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa. Previously, she worked at the national level as a Policy Analyst with Reaching Home, the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy. In 2018, Kaite worked as a System Planner with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and spent a number of years working as the Project Manager for A Way Home Ottawa in preventing and ending youth homelessness. Having worked as a frontline mental health worker, Kaite has a strong understanding of some of the systemic challenges that people living on the streets face. Motivated by a desire to see larger systems change, Kaite is energized by engaging and mobilizing new stakeholders towards the goal of safe and affordable housing for everyone in our community.

VOLUNTEERS

We rely on the thousands of hours our committed volunteers give each year to serve our community. There are many opportunities to volunteer at Matthew House Ottawa from cooking meals for our residents at Refugee Services to welcoming clients at the Furniture Bank (and everything in between). Apply to volunteer today!

PARTNERS