VWTH Spring 2012 Newsletter - Victoria Women`s Transition House

Community Support in Action
www.transitionhouse.net
S PR I N G 2012
Silent No More
I WAS EXPECTED to be silent and not
say anything bad against my abusive
partner as it could hurt my child’s
relationship with him. So I kept
quiet hoping that my silence could
shield my daughter from the abuse.
I hoped somehow she wouldn’t ever
know. I know now that children
don’t need to be told, they already
know the truth of a situation
and that’s a step to breaking
the cycle. I initially resisted
counselling for her, as it
would reveal the truths
that I just couldn’t. I
remember how she
came home from
The Children Who
Witness Abuse
program. She seemed
a different — older,
wiser — version of herself.
She said that she no longer
felt alone or different from
other girls. She had been
keeping that secret — and no longer
had to. I felt relieved that “it” had
a name; we could talk about it free
from shame. She differs from the
child who hid behind my skirts
staring at the floor with a wary gaze
full of mistrust. Her confidence
astounds me; just the other day she
came home and declared, “I don’t
Vision :
A community
free of
relationship violence
and abuse
like the mean boys in class; I only
like the nice ones.” Past generations
of women in my family suffered in
silence, whereas, I feel blessed that
my daughter and I found a place
where we can dare to speak about
the unspeakable. n
E M P OW E R I N G
Youth Girls
OUR SECOND youth girls’ group
has been another great success!
These groups offer safe space
for girls to come together to
share their stories, reflect, learn,
and grow. Through discussion,
journaling, art, theatre activities,
and education, girls gain a sense
of empowerment and agency,
comfort in their shared experiences,
and invaluable knowledge about
healthy relationships. The value of
all of this is clear with statements
like this from 12-year old Kayla,
“I deserve freedom, equality,
trust, and to have a voice in all of
my relationships.” n
I N SI D E
Call to Action
Extreme Makeover: Playroom
Vo lu n t eers H e l p t he
CWWA Program
R A I S E AWA R E N E S S A B OUT
Dating Violence
prevention of
intimate partner violence in our
communities is a vital goal for the
Children Who Witness Abuse
Program (CWWA). To help us
provide more education and
presentations on dating violence
in high schools, some enthusiastic
and dedicated VWTH volunteers
are stepping up! n
STRIVING FOR
S.A.F.E. Program Success
A New Program… News and Events 2
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CRISIS LINE
250-385-6611
COMMUNITY OFFICE
Suite 100 – 3060 Cedar Hill Road
Victoria BC V8T 3J5
P 250-592-2927 Ext 210
F 250-592-9279
E elissab@vwth.bc.ca
Charitable No. 10817 3501 RR0001
www.transitionhouse.net
Call to
Action
NEXT
ENTS:
V
E
APRIL
18
Love to Sew?
Scrappy Endings
Join in for an afternoon
of constructing and
sewing beautiful handbags for a great cause.
The 3rd Wednesday of
every month, 1–5pm.
MAY
This FREE event
includes early catered
dinner at 4:30.
16
JUNE
13
… a fundraising venture dedicated
to supporting Victoria Women’s
Transition House by selling handmade
products and donating 100% of the
proceeds. Fabric scraps, swatches and
remnants are used to create beautiful
handbags. Demand is high and sewing
participants are needed!
To register, contact Elissa Bergman
250-592-2927 ext 210 or
ElissaB@vwth.bc.ca
Held at:
Sawyer Sewing Centre,
201 – 3400 Douglas St.
All materials supplied.
transitionhouse.net
scrappyendings.ca
E x t reme M a k eover :
Playroom Edition
THE CWWA PLAYROOM ,
used for counselling children ages 3–18, has recently
undergone a huge transformation. Thanks to the hard work of the
Development Manager, Elissa Bergman, and some very generous donors
and volunteers, we were able to see our wildest wishes for this space come
to fruition! With new counters, cabinetry, and furniture, the renovated
room is now impeccably fresh and organized, which offers a great sense of
comfort to children whose lives are often fraught with chaos. The warm
paint, soft flooring, and cozy ‘safety corner’, invoke feelings of both calm
and fun within the room. Evidence for how invaluable these changes are
has already become clear when the CWWA counsellors observe their
small clients joyfully explore the new room, and like 5-year old Meadow,
exclaim “wow it looks so beautiful in here! I just love it!” Thank you to the
donors and volunteers: Cloverdale Paint Cedar Hill X Road, Harbour City
Kitchens, Island Floor Centre, Ruffell & Brown, and Power to Be. n
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COMMUNIT Y SUPPORT IN ACTION
S.A.F.E. PROG R A M
Success
(Self-sufficiency and Assets through Financial Education)
“MARY” is excited about participating in the SAFE Program at Harrison
Place. Sixty years old, finally in safe housing, her abuse and bankruptcy
behind her, she is ready to face the future with hope. She receives $906 a
month from the Province because of her serious health issues. She is
feeling better but will never be the same. She knows she must put her
disappointments and feelings of regret aside. She never imagined she
would be starting her life over at this age. She is allowed to earn $500 a
month and hopes to use her talents to start a home business to increase
her income. The first financial workshop in the SAFE Program, Your
Relationship with Money, got her thinking about her attitudes about Money
and how her past influences her financial decisions. Her income barely covers
her Needs, and her Wants must be controlled because of necessity. Since her
bankruptcy she has no credit card and hopes to learn how to rebuild her
credit through the Program. She knows it will be a lot of work. The homework for this month is to get receipts for everything she spends. This is the
first step to learning how to budget. Kind of a hassle, and she will have to do
this for at least 18 months! But if she successfully completes the SAFE Program
she will have the personal and financial resources to change her life. She is
thrilled to hear the wonderful response from donors who will match what she
saves. With the support of staff and donors she knows she can make it. n
A N E W PROG R A M !
T he After-Program Group
an inspiring wo men ’ s circ l e
THANKS TO A GRANT from the United Way, Victoria Women’s Transition
House has a new group for women who have been at the Shelter or who have
used our services. The group meets for two hours Thursday mornings. We
have a check in, discussion on a topic, education or an activity,
and a checkout. We will also have guest speakers and field trips.
The purpose is to learn, share, and have some fun.
The focus for March is Self Awareness — It’s all about Me!
We learn so much from one another:
n Favourite books: The Secret Daughter (Shilpi Somaya Gowda), The Forgotten
Garden (Kate Morton)
n Favorite Ted Talks: Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability; Jill Bolte Taylor:
Stroke of Insight ; Nigel Marsh: How to make work-life balance work (Listen to
find out his version of a perfect day!)
n Resources that have made a difference: Native Friendship Centre;
Mustard Seed Food Bank
n Google NPR Radio and listen to Regina Spekter.
For more information about the group, call the Shelter: 250-385-6611. n
Your Support
Helps us raise nearly
$800,000 each year
for our programs
and services.
COMMUNIT Y SUPPORT IN ACTION
3
Keep
up to date via
Facebook/
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Transition
House
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blog:
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newsletter at
the bottom
www.
of our
transitionhouse. Home Page
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scan to
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www.transitionhouse.net
News and Events
Scrappy Endings
Join in for an afternoon of fabric
cutting, ironing, and/or sewing
beautiful handbags for a great cause.
This monthly gathering is from 1–5pm at Sawyer Sewing Centre,
201-3400 Douglas Street. Bags are
sold to profit Transition House.
Upcoming Dates: April 18,
May 16, June 13. Contact Elissa at
elissab@vwth.bc.ca.
Soup Sisters
200 bowls of nurturing and nourishing soups are prepared by Soup
Sisters Victoria in partnership with
The London Chef every month for
women and children in the shelter.
Space available on May 1, July 30
and September 24.
Details: www.soupsisters.org
www.transitionhouse.net
Garage Sale
Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty
offices are combining to hold
a huge garage sale to support
local women’s shelters. May 12,
9am–3pm at 4460 Chatterton Way.
Victoria Goddess Run
This Women’s Only 5km, 10km, and Half Marathon is being
held on Sunday, June 3, 2012 in
Langford. Five dollars of the entry
fee goes towards your choice of
charities so think of walking or
running and contributing to
Transition House.
Details: victoriagoddess.com
Victoria Gold Club
Charity Events
The Victoria Golf Club is holding
their 17th Annual Charity
Tournament. This year there will
be a men’s tournament on June 16
and a women’s tournament on
June 21. These tournaments
combined with a Monte Carlo
Gala Night aspire to surpass the
$100,000 raised last year.
To golf, sponsor or for more
information: www.vgccharity.com
Goodlife Fitness Victoria
Marathon
On October 7, 2012, we will have
a team walking, running and
cheering in the kids run, 8km,
half and full marathon.
To join or sponsor us contact
elissab@vwth.bc.ca. n