On Saturday February 15th, 2020, we will be joining the
Stolen Sisters Memorial March
to remember and honour Indigenous women, girls, and 2spirit people who have gone missing and been murdered.
Proceedings of the March:
Gathering:
11:30am in front of
Our Place
, 919 Pandora Ave
The March will begin at 12pm
with a prayer, territory acknowledgements and information for marchers (safety, respectful conduct etc).
Lead by Indigenous women, youth and 2spirit drummers, the march will proceed down Pandora Ave to Government Street and then on to the Legislature lawn where participants will gather to hear speakers, songs and share food. For more information about this event, click
HERE
.
We would like to acknowledge that this march takes place on unceded and traditional territories of the Lekwungen communities, Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.
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Boys Group Counselling Program Update
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VWTH recently launched a
boys group counselling program
for boys ages 12-14 who have witnessed abuse in the home, and the first group of sessions was met with enthusiasm from participants. The program was initiated and co-created by VWTH's Education Coordinator, Carol, and is facilitated by one male and one female VWTH counsellor.
One of the counsellors explains how important it is to do preventative work with the people who are at the highest risk of causing harm later in life--males with a trauma background. "We teach them relationship skills that they otherwise might not be exposed to, including education surrounding consent, skills to manage rejection, and accountability." The boys begin each group meeting with a meal and time for socializing that leads to deeper conversations about masculinity. Comics are used as a teaching tool and at the end of the group, boys construct their own "masculinity superhero". The counsellors were impressed by how deeply the boys bonded, and the friendships that continued even after the group ended.
A mother of one of the participants remarked,
"I noticed that he was not so quick to jump to defensiveness, and he is self soothing much better, he's finding other ways to get centered before just turning to anger. I think he thought there was only one way to be a boy, and this showed him there were opportunities to learn another way."
Our next boys group is currently underway!
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Happy Lunar New Year!
On January 25th, millions of people around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival. The start of a new year is a time for feasting and spending time with loved ones, celebrating new beginnings, reflecting on the past year, and looking forward to what lies ahead.
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Valentine's Day
can bring up different feelings for everyone. Some enjoy the flowers and candlelit dinners, while others feel left out or indifferent. For those recovering from an abusive relationship, this time of year can be particularly difficult.
At our Emergency Shelter, the month of February is an opportunity for our counselors to focus on helping clients develop self-compassion. Valentine's Day is called
"Self-Care Day"
, and staff prepare a scrumptious dinner and gift residents with self-care products. The day is all about the women and showing them that love and compassion can come in many forms.
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FASHION SPLASH
The Breakwater District ( 211 Dallas Road) is hosting a
glamorous fashion show
in February, showcasing local designers and supporting Victoria's up-and-coming fashion scene, and celebrating our local designers and makers. Showcasing over 10 local designers, 16 local models and several partner businesses, this event is filled with talent.
Enjoy a silent auction with proceeds from the auction and ticket sales going to the
Victoria Women's Transition House
.
Date
: February 29th
Time
: VIP access at 5pm, official opening at 6pm, show starts at 7pm and runs until 9:30pm.
Location
: Ogden Point Pier A
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CITY DREAMERS: Film Screening
A group of women in the construction industry are putting together a screening of
City Dreamers
, a film about our changing urban environment and four trailblazing women architects who have been working, observing and thinking about the transformations shaping the cities of today and tomorrow for over 70 years. Net proceeds will be donated to the Victoria Women's Transition House.
Date
: March 11th
Time
: Doors at 5:30pm, Film at 6:30pm
Location
: the Roxy Theatre
Tickets:
Tickets will be sold through the Roxy Theatre. Keep an eye on our website for upcoming details.
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Our Emergency Shelter is in need of
NEW
towels
and
baby monitors
.
Weighted blankets
are also a wonderful gift for our Shelter, and have demonstrated therapeutic benefits for children and adults who have experienced trauma.
Items can be delivered at our Community Office, #100 - 3060 Cedar Hill Rd, between 9am and 4:30pm Monday through Friday.
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Wellburn's Market Free Shopping Invite
A big thank you to Victor Lum, the co-owner of Wellburn's Market, and VWTH supporter David Davies of
HarbourWerks Strategies,
for inviting Victoria Women's Transition House to gather boxes of groceries for our Emergency Shelter and Third Stage Housing clients. Thank you Wellburn's Market for your generosity!
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Appliance Replacement Project
With funding from the
Compassion in Action Transferable Fund
through the
Vancouver Foundation
, we were able to purchase and install a new stove at our Emergency Shelter, as well as a new commercial washer and dryer, replacing these aging appliances and providing more efficiency in support of our shelter clients.
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Smart Dolphins New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim
2020 began with a chilly yet refreshing plunge for over one hundred people who participated in the New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim in Esquimalt Lagoon, sponsored by
Smart Dolphins IT Solutions
and
Athletics Illustrated
. Thankfully the sun was out in full force, as were cups of steaming hot chocolate. Donations from swimmers and supporters benefited Victoria Women's Transition House. Our thanks to the organizers and participants.
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First West Foundation
Susan Byrom, Executive Director with the First West Foundation, reflects on her organization’s support of the VWTH Drop In Support program and the year ahead.
Our members and communities are at the centre of everything we do at the First West Foundation and we’re thankful for the care and compassion the Victoria Women’s Transition House Society provides to women and children across the region. The First West Foundation is the charitable partner with Island Savings, a division of First West Credit Union. We provide grants through the Island Savings Community Endowment to organizations like VWTHS for programs and services which help our communities thrive. The Women’s Drop-in Support Group is one such program we were proud to support in 2019 with a $10,000 grant.
The Island Savings Community Endowment provides annual grants to local charities each year and since its first grant in 2016, has invested $312,767 with 61 charities across Vancouver Island. The Foundation focuses its grants to projects and programs making a positive and lasting impact on individuals and in our community.
A new decade is upon us and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. We’re building deeper connections with our donors and our community partners, enhancing our capabilities to share the successes of our charitable partners, and growing our internal capacity to meet the increasing needs of our community. Working in partnership with charities, we’ll bring more of our business and expertise to the table, because we know that together, we can make a difference.
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The following quote is from a Drop-In Support Group Participant:
I have found great friendship and strength amongst the women who attend the Drop-in Group. The Coordinators have always been very compassionate people, and they encourage us to talk about our day-to-day lives as well as providing support and comfort to all of us who are going through hard times.
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Gems for Gems
Thank you Kate Hutchinson for dropping off gift bags of jewelry on behalf of the Alberta-based charity,
Gems for Gems
. The lovely jewelry was delivered to VWTH clients staying at our Emergency Shelter. What a lovely reminder that each woman is valued and cared for and deserving of something beautiful.
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Here are some interesting articles that we shared recently via social media:
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Victoria Women’s Transition House Society collaborates, advocates and educates to address and prevent intimate partner violence and abuse of women and children through supportive shelter, housing, counselling and other community-based services.
Victoria Women's Transition House Society is a registered charity.
Our charitable registration number is: 10817 3501 RR0001.
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Stay connected with us on social media:
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It is with much respect to the Lkwungen and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples of the
W
SÁNEĆ, Esquimalt, and Songhees Nations, on whose traditional territories the Victoria Women’s Transition House Society is located, that we make this acknowledgment with the expressed shared hope to live in communities free of intimate partner violence.
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