IWIN (I'm Worth It Now) is an initiative started in 2019 by the St. Michaels CWL Council in Calgary, with the support of the Calgary Diocesan CWL Council. IWIN assists survivors of human sexual trafficking in Canada, the majority of whom are women and Canadian born. Human trafficking is an issue that is prevalent across Canada and happens to people from all walks of life.

IWIN has a two-fold purpose:

• to raise awareness about human sexual trafficking in Canada. Human sexual trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes due to the exceptionally high profits from one trafficked person, which ranges from $200,000 - $600,000 per person, per year. Compare this to the Canadian Income Survey which found that in 2018 the average Alberta family earned $72,700 per year.
• to support survivors who are escaping this lifestyle by providing them with a backpack of basic necessities, along with a card of encouragement and a bracelet that matches a prayer partner’s bracelet. The cost of one complete IWIN backpack is approximately $100 (including the cost of the backpack). The backpack contents are carefully vetted by IWIN Executive to ensure items are appropriate and do not trigger undue emotions from the past experiences of the survivors.

IWIN backpacks are distributed by agencies which provide wrap-around services to the survivors. In Calgary, IWIN distributed backpacks through RESET Society of Calgary and has since expanded to Hope Restored Canada (Saskatoon) and recently to CEASE (Edmonton). Since its inception in 2019, IWIN has provided over 100 backpacks to survivors of human trafficking and anticipates providing 100 more in 2022.

IWIN has received lots of feedback about the backpacks, with recipients stating things such as:

• “The card is in my room and the words of encouragement and love in there keep me going some days when I feel like giving up.”
• “Thank-you for the backpack! It was so nice to get at a time that I did not have much.” 
• “If one individual or organization believes in us, perhaps we can then begin to contemplate having faith in ourselves.”
• “This backpack meant more to me than just a bag of clothes. It gave me hope there is still good in this world”.

Father John Nemanic (IWIN Spiritual Advisor) blesses the backpacks before they are distributed.

The Canadian Catholic Women’s League of Canada was formed 100 years ago for the purpose of helping exploited and immigrant women and children.  IWIN is continuing this legacy.  IWIN fits into all three core values of the CWL – Faith, Service and Justice: Faithful prayer warriors for every backpack recipient; the Service of providing backpacks of basic necessities to survivors of human trafficking and awareness raising to bring Justice to this atrocity.  Furthermore, with CWL’s presence across Canada, IWIN can expand to all locations in our country where help is most needed.

Pope Francis has called all of us to respond, stating:

“The Catholic Church intends to intervene in every phase of the trafficking of human beings: she wants to protect them from deception and solicitation; she wants to find them and free them when they are transported and reduced to slavery; she wants to assist them once they are freed.  Often the people who are trapped and mistreated lose the ability to trust others, and the Church often proves to be the last lifeline.  It is absolutely essential to respond in a concrete way to the vulnerability of those who are at risk, so as to then guide the process of liberation beginning with saving their lives…”. 

The support of CWL Councils and members through prayer, awareness raising and financial assistance is immeasurable to the survivors. For this reason, IWIN has been selected as the featured charity for the 2022 Calgary Diocesan Convention. Councils are also asked to consider a monetary donation. Donations of any amount are helpful and greatly appreciated. Make cheques payable to IWIN and bring them with you to the Registration desk at the convention. For more information, see IWIN's website, join their email list at and follow on social media (Instagram: @iwin_calgary_; Facebook: facebook.com/iwincalgary or Twitter: @iwin_Calgary)