Emily Hime

CEO

Award winning humanitarian, Emily Hime, strives to inspire citizens, and to motivate them to take action through volunteering, and social activism. Emily believes that many global issues could be eradicated if we all came together, cared enough, and put our thoughts into action.

At 18, Emily Hime embarked on her first adventure overseas as a humanitarian, volunteering in Ghana, Africa. She witnessed the harsh realities of extreme poverty and corruption first hand. Following a trip to the earthquake ravished country of Haiti, Emily felt as if her passion and purpose was to serve those less fortunate, and to be a voice that can bring awareness to people around the globe about poverty and social injustice.

In 2012 Emily founded the of the non-profit organization, Hime For Help, as well as became the founder and director of Maison Ke Kontan Children’s Home in Port Au Prince, Haiti.  After 7 years of running Hime For Help, Emily was conflicted morally as she saw a much greater need than what Hime For Help was currently addressing.  This created a shift in perspective. We realized that a band-aid was being put on a much bigger issue and that the organization’s mission should be focusing on how we can empower individuals and families to rise above the poverty to ensure they can provide a sustainable future for themselves and their children.  

Rise House International was founded in 2019 with the goal to work towards eradicating poverty and empowering those we serve.

Brock McGregor

President

Brock brings significant board experience to Rise House as a current two term municipal councillor, municipal budget chair, and Chatham-Kent Public Health Board member. A Naturopathic doctor, Brock maintains a general practice in Chatham-Kent. His experience in healthcare has contributed to a passion for addressing the social determinants of health. With experience as a local fundraiser, as well as international volunteer experience in South America, Brock joined Hime for Help in 2017 to assist through the transition and re-imagining of Rise House.

Brock has young family that enjoys supporting Rise House and sharing in community and volunteer involvement.

Thomas Slager

Vice President

Tom is an immigrant to Canada, having moved here from the United States twelve years ago, and received his Canadian citizenship in 2014. Since moving to Ontario, he has the experience of rebuilding a career from the ground up. Formerly a High School teacher, he had to climb the corporate ladder by starting over with  part time work and has now been with United Way as the Director of Donor Engagement and Communications since 2014. Tom brings the perspective of the Not for Profit world to the board and is excited about the prospect of being involved in a project that will have a positive impact in a very challenging area of the world.

Angela Awrey

Ange joined the team in 2019, with 15 years of experience in finance and relationship management. Starting her career young and travelling to developing countries as part of her work requirements allowed her to develop a strong appreciation and deep love for doing what she can to be a part of change. Her career has allowed her to continue to support underprivileged populations through developing and leading fundraising initiatives, child sponsorship programs and volunteering time in various orphanages and teenage support programs in the Philippines.

Working in developing countries as part of her career, Ange has witnessed a number of social inequalities and extreme poverty that have continued to motivate and inspire her passion for supporting the wellness of children and youth across the globe. Ange is a single mom of two children and two dogs. She loves music, fitness and food and she hopes to eventually make a full transition from a corporate career into the non-profit space.

Tamar van Eyk

Tamar is currently a grade 11 student at Chatham Christian School. She has lived in Chatham all of her life and has been active in her church and in volunteering for a number of years. She really enjoys participating in Backyard Missions, which is a partnership between her church and another designed to help people in need fix up their properties. While not sure where her future will lead, she has a real heart for helping people, particularly children. She believes that people should help others not because they have to, but simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Brian Knowler

Brian is a veteran police officer, licenced lawyer, speaker, and author who has been involved in criminal justice and law enforcement since 1994. In 2004 he was the lead investigator in a motor vehicle crash involving the death of a friend, causing his life to spiral downwards around him. He was finally diagnosed and began therapy for PTSD in 2012 and slowly rebuilt his marriage, family, and career.

Brian has published two books about his experiences with mental health, trauma, and leadership: ‘On the Other Side of Broken – One Cop’s Battle With the Demons of PTSD’ in 2016, and ‘Career Suicide is Overrated’ in 2018.

Brian speaks and trains extensively on issues surrounding trauma, leadership, and public safety culture and has been consulted by media outlets and public safety organizations across North America. He is the creator of the CAPITAL L Leadership training program and host of a weekly Facebook Live show, ‘The Capital L Leadership Show – Deep Dives Into Mental Health.’

Brian is certified as a leadership coach, mindfulness coach, critical incident stress responder, and trainer in the MANERS Psychological First Aid system. Brian and the CAPITAL L Leadership program are the recipient of the 2019 Corporate Livewire Award for Excellence in Mental Health Support.