How Sandra built a home base for women veterans to heal and belong

Six years ago, I began hosting retreats for women veterans. What started as a small initiative quickly grew into something much larger. Today, The Pepper Pod has supported nearly 600 women through 59 structured retreats, focused on connection, healing and community, with roughly 500 women on our wait list.

When women come to The Pepper Pod, they feel like it's theirs. They always say, “Oh my goodness, this is home. It feels like home.”

For many participants, it’s the first time they’ve experienced a community designed specifically for women veterans. This is what we give them — we gift them with friendships.

As demand grew, I realized we had outgrown our original space, and, with the help of CIBC Business Banking, we purchased a new property. It was a significant purchase, and there was risk involved, so I approached CIBC, and, as usual, they were all in.

I’ve been a CIBC client since I was 18. When it came time to secure financing, I explored other options — but to me, relationships matter most and I wanted my loyalty to continue with CIBC. My personal financial advisor, Allison Macgregor, has always been a part of every major financial decision in my life. This time, she connected me to Anca.

Anca, Director at CIBC Business Banking, went above and beyond by personally visiting the property we were purchasing, demonstrating genuine commitment and care. She was not just all about business, but about heart, and that for me tipped the scales when I made the decision to go with CIBC.

Throughout the process, Anca believed in our project and its potential impact for women veterans. She worked closely with me to update my financial documents, provided guidance during an unexpected appraisal challenge, and consistently offered support at every stage. What resonated most was Anca’s authentic belief in our mission; her encouragement gave me the confidence to move forward and reinforced my decision to partner with CIBC. Her dedication and support made all the difference, allowing me to feel assured that together, “We can do this.”

Looking ahead, my vision isn’t about rapid expansion — it’s about thoughtful growth that preserves the organization’s impact. We plan on training additional facilitators, expanding programs and creating accessible spaces for veterans with disabilities.

We are also scaling our “Connectors” program, which supports women veterans experiencing homelessness by connecting them to housing and wraparound services.

What we do is amazing. Countries from around the world have come to look at our model because it’s working and it’s saving lives.

I’d say do it — jump, take that leap. But also, find a mentor that you trust and admire, and then find your allies. My motto in life is: do what you do best and network the rest.