Winnifred Tew.
Memorial gift honours Winnifred Tew’s legacy of community care
When Katherine Tew Darras, BA(Hons)’91 (King’s), thinks back on her late mother Winnifred Tew’s career as a nurse turned child protection social worker, she is struck by her dedication to supporting others through the most challenging times in their lives.
“I think she enjoyed dealing with people when they were sometimes at their lowest and helping them grow and get back to a better place,” said Tew Darras.
Inspired by her mother’s commitment to supporting children and families, Tew Darras has made a generous donation to the Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic (MJW-CYDC) as a memorial gift. It’s a cause she believes her mother would have been proud to support.
“My mother believed in the importance of having professional care, be it psychology or social work. She was a believer in therapy,” said Tew Darras.
“She was always a big Western supporter as a graduate herself, and she was really interested in ensuring families are in a position to get the help they need.”
Tew, BA’76, began her career as a nurse at various hospitals across southern Ontario and then for the Victorian Order of Nurses. She parlayed her love of patient care into a challenging but fulfilling second career in social work spending many years dedicated to front-line child protection at the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex.
“She liked the challenge of the work and that it was dynamic. She really enjoyed the adoption-related aspects and facilitating parenting classes for new moms,” reflected Tew Darras.
“The more stressful parts of the job were related to child protection – sometimes removing children from their homes and hoping that reunification could be possible. Sometimes it was very hard, but I think she found it rewarding to feel that she was doing good for people,” reflected Tew Darras.
Having grown up in London, ON hearing about her mother’s experiences as a social worker and the challenges facing families in the city, Tew Darras feels that the MJW-CYDC is critically important for both Western and the city at large.
“I think that the MJW-CYDC is the best of what a university has to offer, the ability to educate students, and to make use of psychology professionals affiliated with the university, and to make their services available to the community,” said Tew Darras.
“I was aware of the difficulties that families have in getting mental health care for their children, and that the clinic has a unique focus on supporting children and families to help fill some of those gaps.”
Tew Darras hopes that her mother’s memorial gift may inspire others to learn more about how the clinic supports children and families through affordable psychological consultation, assessment and treatment services, and to consider how they may give back.
“There is always an endless list of people that could benefit from the clinic, so it would be great if more people were aware of it and were inspired to donate,” said Tew Darras.
“Putting together even a modest donation can be helpful. It is a great way to invest in Western and in people who need support in the London community.”
