Meet the Board of Directors
Sophia Grochmal, Board Chair
Sophia has been a part of Safetynet Charities since 2016 when the charity was in its original location on Randall Street. She has dedicated herself to helping the charity grow from serving 800 families to where it is today with over 5,700 families. Five years ago she was asked to join the Board of Directors as Secretary and in the past year, she has taken on the role of Board Chair.
Sophia’s vast leadership experience includes working in various roles at her family’s former company, AtlasCare Heating and Cooling from 2003 to 2021 and as previous Chair of the MacLachlan College Parents Association for 3 years.
Sophia and her husband, Michael, live in Oakville and have three children. Sophia enjoys being active outdoors and spending time paddleboarding and baking. She is currently taking time at home with her children.
Candice Gunoven, Vice Chair
Candice brings a wealth of legal expertise as she has been employed in the legal field for over 14 years.
She has held many volunteer roles at Safetynet and now serves as Vice Chair on the Board.
Omar Abdel-Qader, Board Member
Omar is an IT professional with a passion for teamwork and community service. As a volunteer, he assisted and provided translation services for Arabic-speaking families seeking support from Safetynet.
He joined the Safetynet Board in December 2020, bringing his desire to give back and his technical experience to help bridge the digital divide, and navigate the challenges of an increasingly remote and tech-dependent world. He is an avid Toronto Raptors fan.
Karen Skitt, Board Treasurer
Karen has been a part of Safetynet Children & Youth Charities since 2022. She brings her experience as a CPA to support Safetynet in helping as many clients as possible. She is honoured to work with such a dedicated board and a wonderful team of staff and volunteers who make a difference in the lives of so many.
Karen is a proud wife and mom of boys. She is a dedicated yogi and teacher and spends her leisure time with her family outdoors- camping, hiking and paddleboarding. Her volunteer experience includes various parent council roles (vice chair, treasurer, secretary), chair of a women’s inclusion network for a big 4 accounting firm, youth hockey team manager, CPA Financial Literacy volunteer, as well as numerous charity events (CIBC Run for the Cure, MS Bike, etc.)
Bree-Anne Wilson, Board Secretary
Bree-Anne started out with Safetynet volunteering in the clothing bank over three years ago. She joined the board to provide guidance in the area of Human Resources where she has had over ten years’ experience, most of which was in the non-profit sector.
Bree-Anne is a mother of two and enjoys contributing weekly at Safetynet’s clothing bank as well as for Scouts Canada as a leader.
Nadia Chandra
Nadia has been working as a lawyer for over 20 years. She is passionate about social justice and helping those in need.
She recently joined the Safetynet Board to bring her legal knowledge and desire to give back to the community.
Janice Gill, Board Member
Janice is a registered social worker, psychotherapist, and part-time college professor at Sheridan College. She owns and operates a private counselling and therapy practice in the community, which has been growing since 2016. She has over a decade of experience in mental health, including extensive experience in children’s mental health and the non-profit sector.
Janice has a long-standing passion for and commitment to social justice and supporting marginalized communities, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, which she proudly belongs to.
Janice began her work with the charity as a volunteer in 2008, and recently became a board member to further her involvement with the charity.