October is Women’s History Month in Canada. 2021's theme is Women Making History Now. It recognizes the amazing women who are making a lasting impact in our country, especially in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to advance reconciliation through their work and commitment to make our country a better place.
As an organization, Victoria Women’s Transition House envisions living in a world where all communities can be free of intimate partner violence and abuse. We are proud to stand alongside countless strong and inspiring women, youth and feminist supporters who make a stand for positive change and the safety and respect of all.
Click the Women in Canadian History: A Timeline photo banner above to learn more. From early trailblazers to today’s powerful agents of change, women have and continue to blaze a trail to create a better, more equal world for everyone.
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A Message From Our Food Security Project Assistant! |
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Hello all! My name is Katie and I recently joined Victoria Women’s Transition House as the food security project assistant. In addition to shopping, organizing, and delivering food to our facilities, I will be working with the house managers to administrate multiple food security initiatives focused on increasing access to healthy food for clients and building partnerships in the community to reduce food waste within our community.
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This past month, we had several donors work with us to provide access to healthy, local food for the women and children who use our services. Ben Cram at Fernwood Coffee has generously offered to donate pounds of fresh-roasted coffee to VWTH for Shelter residents, staff and volunteers on an ongoing basis. Fernwood Coffee has been a fixture in Victoria since 2007 and we are excited to partner with such a community-minded business! Gatton House Farm, whom you'll read about in this month’s Community Spotlight, continues to donate tons of produce every year to organizations in need. This past month, the farm donated apples, peaches, plums, SO MANY GREENS, zucchinis, potatoes and squash to VWTH for Shelter and Transitional Housing residents.
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Photo: Angus Todd, barista at Fernwood Coffee |
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Photo: Kids Klub staff Diane Appleton, Fiona Clement and Trisha Tonkin |
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Kids Klub’s Brown Bag Lunch Program provides free lunches to school-aged children in the Saanich, Victoria, and Sooke school districts. They are now providing the children at our Shelters with 50 lunches a week. Everyone at Kids Klub is so welcoming and kind and we are really thankful for the resources they provide us.
We are so excited to have these wonderful people, in addition to the many other community organizations such as Saanich Baptist Church and Soup Sisters supporting Transition House and look forward to making more community connections!
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Public Education Workshops |
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Did you know VWTH offers free public education presentations and workshops on intimate partner violence and abuse to university and college students, community groups and service clubs? Education and training for businesses, professionals and police groups on violence against women are also provided. In-person presentations are available for small groups in a COVID-safe environment and online via Zoom. Click on the poster for more information. Contact our community education coordinator at carolb@vwth.bc.ca or 250.592.2927 to book a session today.
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Community Support Spotlight |
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Jason Austin is a retired Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and owner of Gatton House Farm. For years, Gatton House Farm has been donating fresh farm produce and supporting food banks and local charities like VWTH, where donated produce is placed in communal fridges at our housing and Shelter locations for residents to access as they need. We connected with Jason to ask a few questions.
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Tell us about yourself and Gatton House Farm
Gatton House Farm is in beautiful Central Saanich near Island View Beach. I am a retired CPA and have been here 30 years now, and we have always donated all our farm produce to the food banks. We currently donate over 20 tons of food a year. I say "we" because many amazing and wonderful people volunteer here and make this possible, so much so that I now describe us not as a farm but as a community who farm.
What inspired you to support VWTH?
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Photo: Jason Austin at the farm with freshly picked green beans |
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I was introduced to Victoria Women's Transition House many years ago by Kim Cummins, the program director at Shelbourne Community Kitchen. I was raised by a single parent and understand some of the hardships women endure—and can only imagine the rest.
Why does this cause matter to you?
I donate our produce because I believe in society, and I believe in people helping people. The women at VWTH are especially vulnerable and I am pleased that Gatton House Farm can help alleviate this not only in the material sense of providing fresh produce but also by showing that we care.
Thank you to the Gatton House Farm community for their ongoing support. The availability of fresh produce helps women at VWTH with their budgets, meal plans and stretching their food dollars.
The interview piece has been edited with permission.
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Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual AGM on September 21. A big thank you to special guest speaker, Victoria Pruden and guests from the VWTH Indigenous Advisory Circle and our current and retiring Board Members. Welcome to all of our new and returning members, including VWTH Board Members—we are grateful for your commitment and look forward to working together to address intimate partner violence and abuse.
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This new statuary holiday encourages reflection and commemorates the true history and ongoing trauma caused by residential schools. VWTH honours those lost and the survivors, families and communities who continue to grieve.
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October Harvest Moon - Victoria Goddess Run
Join us on Saturday, October 30 at Paws on Cook (200 Cook St) between 11:15 am–1:30 pm to show your support and cheer our October Harvest Moon Victoria Goddess Run Charity Champions Lily and Dandelion, who will be walking 5k in support of VWTH!
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Photo: Charity Champions Lily and Dandelion.
Photo credit: Chris Tiane
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Victims and Survivors of Crime Week
Victims and Survivors of Crime Week will take place November 14–20. This year's theme is The Power of Collaboration. With support from the Department of Justice Canada, VWTH will be organizing an awareness initiative, the Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse Project. Watch for daily articles throughout the week in the Victoria Times Colonist, including local resources available for victims and their children and inspirational stories from courageous survivors. If you are in the neighbourhood, come by our VWTH information booth on November 14 between 10:00 am–4:00 pm at Canadian Tire-Hilldside Centre.
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Christmas Hampers: Gift Card Project
I just wanted to say thank you to our donor and Victoria Women’s Transition House for the gift card hamper this year. Thank you so much for making a year so difficult feel more comfortable for my children and me.
-2020 Hamper Recipient
2021 has continued to be challenging and unpredictable for everybody, particularly for VWTH clients, women and children who have been impacted by violence and abuse. Last year, VWTH changed its Christmas Hamper Program format from gifts to gift cards. This new format empowers the women to select gifts and food of their choice for their families and provides much joy and happiness. By client request, we will continue with this convenient gift card format for the 2021 Hamper season.
Get Involved!
Can you help? We are looking for gift card donors for our Hamper Project—a family, individual, company, club or association. For more information, please contact the program coordinator at christmas@vwth.bc.ca or 250.380.7527 ext. 110. A big, heartfelt thank you to all donors for their contributions.
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A Bright Red Table for our Shelter!
A big thank you to VWTH volunteer Ken for rejuvenating our Emergency Shelter picnic table. It was a long task that involved cleaning, sanding and two coats of paint. In the picture, you can see how vibrant and new it looks!
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Painted Pear Fundraiser: A Pear Affair
A tremendous thank you to Marion Evamy and Bobb Hamilton of the Red Art Gallery, who organized the month-long Painted Pear fundraiser in support of Victoria Women's Transition House. Thirty Canadian artists, including Marion Evamy, contributed their talents to decorating unique, life-sized concrete pears to enable the gift of giving through the fundraiser and auction.
All 30 pears were purchased and funds were raised in support of women of all ages escaping intimate partner violence and abuse. Two additional donors generously matched every donation up to $6000, and the fundraiser raised over $21000!
The art pieces are available for viewing here. Thank you again to Red Art Gallery and to all the artists and everyone who participated in the fundraiser—we are so grateful.
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Coffee Donation
Thank you to Gillian at Ley Art & Interiors for donating Sacred Acre Heirloom coffee to VWTH. We are grateful to all of our recent coffee donors who have ensured a steady supply of delicious, much-appreciated coffee for the coming fall and winter months!
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October 4–10 – Mental Illness Awareness Week
- October 6–14 – Navaratri
- October 10 – World Mental Health Day
- October 11 – Thanksgiving
- October 15 – Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
- October 18 – Persons’ Day
- October 19 – Milad-Un-Nabi
- October 18–24 – Invisible Disabilities Week
- October 31 – Halloween
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Read our most recent Annual Report, Meeting Crisis with Courage, here.
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Here are some articles that we recently shared 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 WSÁNEĆ, 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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