Please read the following updates from Family Transition Place (FTP), located in Treaty 19 territory. Find out more about Treaty 19.

International Women's Day Celebration Event a HUGE success!

Thank you to everyone who supported our 2024 International Women’s Day Celebration Luncheon featuring Serena Ryder, proudly presented by GoYoga Orangeville. This event was held on Friday, March 8th at the Hockley Valley Resort and hosted almost 400 guests.


Thanks to incredible support from our sponsors, donors and guests, we’re proud to share that this event raised just over $105,000—critical funds that will support the delivery of our shelter, counselling and education programs. This is an incredible accomplishment that will help us continue providing safety, support and hope to those who need us in Dufferin and Caledon.


Photos from this year’s event can now be found on the event webpage. Thank you to True Nature Media for capturing special moments from the day.


Photo courtesy of True Nature Media.

Art Show Opening TONIGHT!

"Homeless" by artist MP


Maggiolly Art Supplies is hosting an Art Show Opening in their studio tonight for local artist, MP.


MP’s recent collection of work is called “Homeless”—the mixed media artworks examine the idea of a “home” and are inspired by global humanitarian crises.


All are welcome to attend the event to see the show, meet the artist, and enjoy some light refreshments and live music.


A portion of art sales will be donated to FTP.


When: Thursday, April 4th, 5 p.m.–8 p.m.

Where: Maggiolly Art Studio 158 Broadway, Orangeville


We hope to see you there!


Volunteer Appreciation Week

National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 14-20, 2024. We’d like to recognize the following volunteers for their milestone commitments to our work:


5 YEARS: Denyse Horner

Tabitha Wells

10 YEARS:

Debbie VanWyck

20 YEARS: Gillian Vanderburgh

May is Sexual Violence Prevention Month

Sexual Violence Prevention Month (SVPM) takes place annually throughout the month of May. As an Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) member, FTP will be participating in different activities throughout the month to recognize this important initiative, such as sharing awareness events in the community and posting important facts, information and resources on our social media pages and website. Please help us raise awareness about this important initiative by following our pages and sharing our posts with your networks.


Image: OCRCC 2022 flag initiative design

Congratulations to our raffle winners!

Photo L-R: Norah Kennedy and Kelly Lee

The winners of our recent raffle were drawn on Wednesday, March 20th at 11 a.m.


Congratulations to the winner of the From Tradition to Non Tradition quilt—Karon H!


2nd Prize: Rachael H

$200 gift cards for use at Winners | HomeSense | Marshalls


3rd Prize: Susie A

$100 gift certificate for dinner at Bluebird Café and Grill


This raffle raised $3,060 to support the personal-care needs of the women and children accessing FTP’s shelter, counselling and outreach services. With these funds, we were able to purchase all of the amazing items pictured below!

Thank you to: Sandy Proudfoot for generously donating this beautiful quilt to raise funds and awareness on behalf of FTP; Bluebird Café and Grill and TJX Canada for donating the other amazing raffle prizes; Harmony Whole Foods Market and BookLore Orangeville for selling tickets at their store locations; and GoYoga Orangeville for the use of their raffle drum.

A letter from Sandra Small Proudfoot

Changes are needed to better support victims of domestic violence


I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the selling and purchasing of tickets to my quilt raffle for Family Transition Place, our local women’s shelter. A winner was chosen on Thursday, March 20th. The funds from the raffle will go directly to supporting the victims coming into the shelter, who range in age from needing diapers to Depends, a rather shocking fact. Family Transition Place (FTP) also allows pets to come with victims, for they, too, are victims of situational abuse. While I volunteered at FTP many years ago, it has been my unfortunate experience with Intimate Partner Violence (also referred to as Domestic Violence) later in life which has brought me to use my textile work in advocating for Violence Against Women. 


Intimate Partner Violence, which all women’s shelters deal with, is not a subject people in general are comfortable discussing. Yet when we learn of the women and children killed by a partner, husband, or father, we are horrified. But if it doesn’t touch our lives personally, it’s not our experience and our lives go on.


My experience in dealing with the reality of Intimate Partner Violence and the judicial system and the law has been a challenge for me in many ways in understanding the process and the fact that victims of Intimate Partner Violence are not given the support or consideration they deserve. Victims are so traumatized, sometimes physically injured and financially compromised and dependent on the accuser, that just going through the process of the judicial system following the 

call they’ve made to the police, is traumatizing in itself. While each victim’s experience is unique onto itself, the law, the police, and the judicial system can be overwhelming. And it can be unkind.


Not all domestic abuse calls to police are responded to by a trained team of police officers, a man and a woman. My call to 911 two and a half years ago brought a young rookie of a police constable to my home accompanied by an older male officer who stayed in the background while the young constable took my statement down, not on paper as I’d expected but on his cell phone. I watched as my words disappeared into the constable’s iPhone wondering if this was a safe way to take a complainant’s statement. At eighty-three, I was not of the digital age, paper and pen seemed safer to me. Following calling the police I was assigned a Crown Attorney in Orangeville whose name I won’t divulge. I was also assigned to a counsellor at Victim’s Witness, the purpose of which was to help me through the Crown Attorney process. I was not allowed direct or personal contact with the Crown Attorney, which I found odd as I thought, wrongly so, that this person was assigned to represent me as a lawyer would do. Now, I know that the Crown Attorney is more or less like a clearing house for criminal charges which they will decide is either worth going further into the court system or not. 


Domestic abuse charges often don't make it to court. They are considered issues between women and men and thus mediation is recommended rather than court. It doesn't matter about the injuries suffered by the victim or the assaults. In my ignorance, I provided documentation to the Crown Attorney which accounted for nothing. What I did not know was that the young police constable had lost my audio statement, a fact that was only disclosed to me ten months later just prior to the court appearance of the accused and not by the Primrose Detachment of the OPP but through a police connection at the C-Line detachment. I was shocked that I had not been notified of this loss immediately so that my statement could be replaced. What stood out for me also was the fact that when the Crown learned of this loss, that person did not notify me either. It was like I was an invisible pawn in this game of gender-based violence. As a result, the Crown dismissed the assault charge of the accused, which the accused now claims never happened. The Crown based the decision on several things, one because of “evidence lost” (when the police offered to take a replacement statement from me why did the Crown say “no”?). 


Another factor was that the accused was eighty-five years old (why did the Crown not feel that the victim at eighty-four years old, a woman, who had been abused for a number of years, and had permanent injuries as a result of a last assault, was not deserving of consideration?). 


Patriarchy in the legal and court system is still very present today. Luke’s Place, a Toronto-based organization that supports women victims of violence notes that the court system is still that of a ‘he said/she said’ nature. Disappointing in this day and age where equalization of the sexes is still not on a level playing field. The Crown is tied into a system created by the government of Canada and must follow this system. Yet the Government of Canada puts out concerning and supportive information on Gender Based Violence yet it doesn’t back up its words in supporting the actual victims of Intimate Partner Violence. 


What the government might consider doing is to have a less patriarchal focus in its functioning, respect women victims more and support them from the moment they call 911 to report abuse/assaults, also consider monetarily contributing to their care for a period of years as a trauma disability until victims can get re-established again as many victims are financially reliant on the abuser. Perhaps that is too much to ask of our government who talk a good story but don't back it up with the care victims of Domestic Violence deserve. Just my experience and observations.


Sandra Small Proudfoot

Orangeville, Ont.


This letter is from the March 28, 2024 issue of the Orangeville Citizen.


Image by fwstudio on Freepik

Morningview Foundation support

We are tremendously grateful to the Morningview Foundation for recently donating $60,000 in support of our Housing Allowance Program (HAP). The HAP temporarily assists the women we serve in meeting their monthly rental obligations for a set period or until they find housing in a permanent geared-to-income unit (whichever comes first).


The Morningview Foundation has supported this program for several years, providing opportunities for the women we serve to find safe housing when they are most vulnerable. We're truly grateful!

Donor story

In honour of a little red bicycle


The following story was shared with us by a donor in reference to a recent donation in support of our work (names have been changed to protect privacy).


"I am a keen cyclist and was looking for a new touring bike, more specifically a Bike Friday touring bike. A friend was helping me in my search. Some months ago, my friend left a note on a bike seller's ("David") Facebook page because he had a used Bike Friday touring bike for sale in my size. Months went by without a response to the inquiry so we figured the bike was sold. Then 50 days later, we received an email from David indicating he’d missed the initial inquiry. He apologized but then, to my delight, said the bicycle was still available.

 

It was a quick negotiation to begin with. We agreed on a price and then David went silent again. A few days later, much to my relief, he sent another note. David wrote, “I'm sorry about the delay getting back to you. My wife is very ill and sometimes I drop out of contact for a day or two.”

 

I passed along my condolences, feeling a bit sheepish about buying the bike, but negotiations concluded amicably and shipping arrangements were made.

 

Then I received another note from David. It began, “This is going to sound strange, but bear with me. One of the last lucid things my wife said to me was ‘Don't you sell my bike.’” You can imagine how my heart sank. I’d come to know David a little bit as a result of our negotiations. I was saddened to learn that his wife was not going to be needing the bike any longer. I was also saddened that I wouldn’t be receiving the bike. I had been so close to having it I could almost feel the pedals turning.

 

But David hadn’t finished yet. He continued, “She really loved it,” adding, to my relief, “Relax, I am not backing out. Instead,” he wrote, “I will keep the cost the same, but I would like you to donate the funds to your local women's emergency shelter, a charity dear to my wife's heart. I think this would meet her approval.”

 

And that is why I donated these funds to Family Transition Place!"


Image by Freepik

Become a Monthly Donor
When you become a monthly donor, you give so much more than money. Monthly donations help FTP build a reliable and stable source of income during challenging times.

You can get started as a monthly donor by visiting familytransitionplace.ca/give. Or, contact Kelly at kelly@familytransitionplace.ca or 519-942-4122, ext. 243.

Celebrating local women

Photo: One of the featured women, Nancy Frater, owner of BookLore Orangeville

Have you read this year's Celebrating Women magazine?


A digital copy of the magazine is available online. Make sure to check out the Celebrating Local Women article featured in the centre spread to read more about some of this community’s incredible women. Their full responses are also available on our website.


There are still a few hardcopies left of this year's magazine. Please contact Kelly if you'd like one or two.

Subscribe to receive our monthly e-newsletter

If you're not already a subscriber to our monthly e-newsletter, you may not receive important information about upcoming events (like our annual International Women's Day Celebration Event) and program and service updates.


You can unsubscribe at any time.

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April Events

April 7 - World Health Day (International)

April 9 - Equal Pay Day (Ontario)

April 10 - International Day of Pink

April 14-20 - National Volunteer Week

April 22 - Earth Day

April 24 - Denim Day

April 24Administrative Professionals Day

May Events

Sexual Violence Prevention Month

Leave a Legacy Month

May 13-19: Mental Health Week (Canada)

May 5: Red Dress Day MMIWG2S

May 7: National Child and Youth Mental Health Day

May 15: International Day of Families

May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

Contact Us for Support
If you are experiencing abuse and/or homelessness, please do not hesitate to call us. Our counselling and outreach supports will be offered virtually, by phone or in person. Our support/info line operates 24/7; text options are also available. Our priority is to ensure those experiencing domestic violence and/or homelessness have somewhere safe to go, or have the option to speak with a caring and compassionate professional.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need assistance. We are always here to provide access to safety, support and hope for those in need.

24-Hour Support/Info Line:
519-941-HELP (4357) | 905-584-HELP (4357)
1-800-265-9178
Text: 519-278-5410
Text and email accounts are monitored Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Staff will respond to messages as soon as possible. 

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
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