May 2013 – Issue #101

May 2013 – Issue #101
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Volunteer Thank you
* Quote of the Month: Double Your Money
* THouse Stats – April 2013
* Board News
* Annual General Meeting – June 26, 2013
* Donations
* Poem: The Little Things
* The Home Depot – VWTHS Fundraiser
* Program Highlight: STV – Women’s Counselling
* ARTICLE: Improving Emotional Health
* Ride-Don’t-Hide - Event
* From the Desk of the Executive Director
*Just For The Fun Of It.
* Funders – Thank You
We would like to thank all of our wonderful
Volunteers
for doing such a great job on behalf of our clients
and our Society.
If you wish to volunteer please contact
Lorraine Langley
Phone: 250-542-1122
Email – Lorraine.L@vwts.ca
Quote of the Month
The quickest way to double your money
Is to fold it over and put it back into
your pocket.
Will Rogers
Funded by
Ministry of Housing and Social Development
Gaming Policy & Enforcement Branch
TRANSITION HOUSE SOCIETY STATS:
*The graph above only shows the number of women & children who have sought refuge at our Transition House.*
In the month of APRIL 2013, ALL our Society’s programs (this includes our Community Based
Programs) assisted a total of 162 Clients;145 Adults and 17 Children.
The total clients who sought refuge at our Transition House over the past 12 months was 275; 177
Women, 93 Children and 5 Teens. The number of night stays at the Transition House for this period of
time for these clients was 5,603 nights.
BOARD NEWS:
Our Regular Board Meeting
took place on Monday, May
27, 2013.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Board approved a number of Society
Membership renewals as well as a few
new Society Memberships.
It is hoped that there will be a good
turnout for this year’s Annual General
Meeting, as Anne Davis, Co-founder of
the Vernon Women’s Transition House
Society will be giving a presentation.
Also, it would be a great opportunity for
our Society members and/or members of
other community Agencies to come and
meet our new Executive Director, Ninke
Beeksma.
There is one Society Member that has
expressed an interest in becoming a
Director on our Board. Carolyn Hladik will
be standing for election at the AGM.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
6:00 p.m. Arrival and Social
6:15 p.m. Meeting Begins
The People Place 3402-27th Ave.
(Room 006 – Basement)
Vernon, BC
Guest Speaker
Anne Davis, Co-Founder of VWTHS
Snacks and coffee will be provided.
Come meet the Board of Directors and our
new Executive Director.
Society Membership is free of charge, subject
to approval by Board of Directors.
Society Membership helps to maintain funding
for our valuable programs.
We are always accepting new Society
Members.
ALL OUR DREAMS CAN COME
TRUE…
For more information contact our
Administration Office
IF WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO
PURSUE THEM.
250-558-3850
Walt Disney
THE LITTLE THINGS…
By Mary D. Hughes
It really is the little things
that mean the most of all…
The “let me help you with that” things
that may seem very small.
The “I’ll be glad to do it” things
That make your cares much lighter,
The “laugh with me, it’s funny” things
That make your outlook brighter…
The “never mind the trouble” things,
the “yes, I understand”
The interest and encouragement
In everything you’ve planned.
It really is the little things,
The friendly word or smile,
That add such happiness to life
And make it more worthwhile.
LOCAL FUNDRAISER FOR VWTHS
“BUY A HAMMER, BUILD OUR COMMUNITY”
BUY A “PAPER HAMMER” AND HELP OUR LOCAL
COMMUNITY
The Home Depot Canada Foundation is
dedicated to supporting affordable housing
and building strong communities for
Canadians in need.
Please support the Foundation’s 2013 Buy A
Hammer, Build Our Community campaign from
May 30 – July 3, 2013 by purchasing a $2
‘PAPER HAMMER’ at the check-out of Vernon’s
The Home Depot store or online. This store has
selected Vernon Women’s Transition House
Society to be the charitable recipient of all
proceeds they raise throughout the campaign.
To learn more about The Home Depot Canada
Foundation and donate, you can also go to
their website
http://www.homedepot.ca/foundation .
The best predictor of
future behaviour is
past behaviour
You have got to
create a
New Future.
We appreciate the thoughtfulness of the
Vernon’s Home Depot store for choosing our
Society as the recipient of all of the proceeds
raised locally by this campaign.
STOPPING THE VIOLENCE
WOMEN’S COUNSELLING SERVICES
For Women Leaving or Living with Abuse
Funded by: Ministry of Housing and Social Development
Women’s Counselling Services offers free, accessible and confidential counselling
services to women who have experienced violence or abuse. We work to assist
women in their healing with support, awareness and education.
The counselling services available focus on the needs of the woman. We regard her
safety and that of her children as paramount.
SERVICES WE OFFER:
• Confidential individual and/or group counselling services to women based on
the needs of women.
• A safe environment to look at personal safety, feelings and the effects of abuse.
• Support, information and encouragement to help women discover their
strengths.
• Referral services to other support agencies that will help women in their recovery
process.
FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ABUSE
You are not responsible for your partner’s violence
You may experience feelings of guilt, shame, helplessness, anger and
confusion as a result of the abuse.
Your children are witnesses to the abuse and, without intervention,
they will be more likely to grow up as abusers or victims of abuse.
You can reclaim yourself from the physical and emotional impact of abuse.
PHYSICAL ABUSE INCLUDES:
• Pushing, shaking, shoving
• Stalking, harassment
• Hitting, kicking, restraining
• Throwing objects, using weapons
• Forced/unwanted sex or touching
• Deprivation of basic needs: food, sleep, shelter
• Threats to harm you, your children, family, pets or possessions
OTHER FORMS OF ABUSE THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANY PHYSICAL ABUSE:
• Name calling, obscenities
• Excessive sarcasm
• Jealousy
• Dangerous driving
• Controlling money / finances
• Manipulation
• Mind games/crazy-making
IMPROVING EMOTIONAL HEALTH
•
People who are emotionally healthy are in
control of their emotions and their behavior.
They are able to handle life’s challenges,
build strong relationships, and recover from
setbacks. But just as it requires effort to build
or maintain physical health, so it is with
mental and emotional health. Improving
your emotional health can be a rewarding
experience, benefiting all aspects of your life,
including boosting your mood, building
resilience, and adding to your overall
enjoyment of life.
•
WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH OR EMOTIONAL
HEALTH?
Mental or emotional health refers to your
overall psychological well-being. It includes
the way you feel about yourself, the quality
of your relationships, and your ability to
manage your feelings and deal with
difficulties.
Good mental health isn’t just the absence of
mental health problems. Being mentally or
emotionally healthy is much more than being
free of depression, anxiety, or other
psychological issues. Rather than the
absence of mental illness, mental and
emotional health refers to the presence of
positive characteristics. Similarly, not feeling
bad is not the same as feeling good. While
some people may not have negative
feelings, they still need to do things that
make them feel positive in order to achieve
mental and emotional health.
People who are mentally and emotionally
healthy have:
• A sense of contentment
• A zest for living and the ability to laugh
and have fun
• The ability to deal with stress and
bounce back from adversity
• A sense of meaning and purpose, in
both their activities and their
relationships
•
•
The flexibility to learn new things and
adapt to change
A balance between work and play,
rest and activity, etc.
The ability to build and maintain
fulfilling relationships
Self-confidence and high self-esteem
These positive characteristics of mental and
emotional health allow you to participate in
life to the fullest extent possible through
productive, meaningful activities and strong
relationships. These positive characteristics
also help you cope when faced with life’s
challenges and stresses.
THE ROLE OF RESILIENCE IN MENTAL AND
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Being emotionally and mentally healthy
doesn’t mean never going through bad
times or experiencing emotional problems.
We all go through disappointments, loss, and
change. While these are normal parts of life,
they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and
stress.
The difference is that people with good
emotional health have an ability to bounce
back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This
ability is called resilience. People who are
emotionally and mentally healthy have the
tools for coping with difficult situations and
maintaining a positive outlook. They remain
focused, flexible, and creative in bad times
as well as good.
One of the key factors in resilience is the
ability to balance stress and your emotions.
The capacity to recognize your emotions
and express them appropriately helps you
avoid getting stuck in depression, anxiety, or
other negative mood states. Another key
factor is having a strong support network.
Having trusted people you can turn to for
encouragement and support will boost your
resilience in tough times.
A community bike ride for women and their
families, supporting Women’s Mental Health.
This ride is on June 23rd beginning at Coldstream
School. Riders can register through the Vernon
Canadian Mental Health Association website
http://www.vernon.cmha.bc.ca . Registration
fee is $35 (includes BBQ) – family ride, avid
cyclist ride & a mountain bike ride! Lots of
choices and more to come.
To read an inspiring personal story from Randene Neill, go to the following website
http://www.ridedonthide.com/rainy-days-and-dog-walks/ .
FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
This past month has been very busy, as I have been connecting with staff, funders and
community members.
Our second Annual Fundraiser “This One’s for the Girls…” was held on May 3, 2013.
We raised approx. $5,000 at this event. These funds will be used towards the renovation
of the rooms in the Transition House. I would like to thank all those who contributed to
the event: staff members generously donated their time to organize the event, those
who donated items for the silent auction, those who provided donations of labour and
materials, and those who attended.
An Agency Wide Staff Meeting was held in May. This was a great opportunity to connect with staff. As
our programs are spread out throughout the community, this is an important way to connect with each
other and discuss concerns or share successes.
The utilization of the Transition House is increasing steadily, after some slower months. Our Community
Programs are being utilized extremely well, even creating waitlists in some of the programs.
I am looking forward to our Annual General Meeting on June 26th, where I hope to have an opportunity to
meet some of our Society Members and others from our community who wish to find out more about
VWTHS.
A great thanks to all the staff! You do a wonderful job for our Society and the community!
Life shrinks or expands
In proportion to one’s courage.
Anais Nin
Give me those…. Lazy, Hazy, Crazy
days of summer….
… and Max always liked to dress
the part when reading
Puss’n’Boots.
Three animals were having a drink in a cafe, when the
owner asked for the money.
"I'm not paying," said the duck. "I've only got one bill
and I'm not breaking it."
"I've spent my last buck," said the deer.
"Then the duck'll have to pay," said the skunk.
"Getting here cost me my last scent."
Thank You to Our Funders
BC Housing
Ministry of Housing & Social Development –
(Gaming Policy & Enforcement Branch)
Ministry for Children & Family Development
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
BC Law Foundation
On Vacations we hit the sunny beaches
where we occupy ourselves by keeping
the sun off our skin, the salt water off our
bodies, and the sand out of our
belongings.
Erma Bombeck
Our Society Members
And
To the members of our community who have
donated so generously to our Society.