2013 fall newsletter rev final

Family Transition Place News Family Transition Place 905.584.4357 519.942.4122 familytransitionplace.ca 24 Hour Info/Crisis Line 519.941.4357 905.584.4357 1.800.265.9178 TTY: 519.942.1651

November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month.

Make a statement without saying a word. Get your purple scarf today and help all women to live free from violence.

$15 ea or two for $25.

Available at Orangeville Town Hall & both Orangeville Public Library locations. (Mill St. & Alder St.) or call

519.942.4122 x243

FALL 2013

November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month.

Our numbers tell the story.

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Our Emergency Shelter housed 121 women and 79 children in crisis. The length of a woman’s stay was anywhere from three to eight weeks.

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Last year, 20 women and 20 children relied on Second Stage Housing until they were able to find safe, affordable permanent housing.

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Our 24-hour Crisis Information line provided resources, information and support to 2,010 callers.

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321 women were supported by Transitional Counsellors and Legal Support Workers to help women transition from abuse to independence.

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Sexual Assault Counselling is available to both women and men, over the age of 16. Last year, counsellors helped 116 women and 5 men process and work through the effects of recent or historical sexual abuse.

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Our compassionate counselling team offered 10 support groups.

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Clinical Counsellors worked with 360 women providing a skilled, confidential and non-judgemental approach to counselling helping these women develop the skills and strategies they needed to deal with the impact of their trauma.

Together, let’s celebrate women all year long.

Support FTP by purchasing a 2014 Calendar.

We are inspired by the courage and strength of the women we are privileged to meet and help.

Be a part of something good, and purchase our fundraiser calendar – where we celebrate women everywhere – at home and around the world.

FTP is a proud member of the Imagine Canada Ethical Code Program requiring compliance to high standards of ethical fundraising, and financial accountability demonstrating that we are worthy of the public trust.

Filled with stunning images and worldly truths, this is a work of art and an insight of how different a woman’s life can be depending on where she resides in this world.

Your purchase of this $20 calendar supports us in delivering our critical services and programs.

Give the gift that gives twice. Order your $20, 2014 Celebrating Women Calendar today – 519.942.4122.

New Board of Directors Elected Family Transition Place is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of individuals who have a broad range of experience and a commitment to ending violence in our community. At FTP’s Annual General Meeting in June, a new board of directors was elected. Stacey Coupland is taking over from Past President, Pete Renshaw as FTP’s new board President. Stacey has been on the board for the past four years and is passionate about the work FTP does in the community. Stacey comments, “Those of us who serve on the board are gratified to see the positive results of the programs and counselling offered, working towards a community without violence against women.”

Left to right: Cynthia Rayburn, Dave Quinton, Norah Kennedy (E.D. of FTP), Stacey Coupland, Blair Russell, Elaine Capes, Michael Walmsley, and Kemi Palmer. (Missing out of photo: Deborah Brook & Pete Renshaw)

Family Transition Place Charity Golf Classic raises $60,000 for critical programs and services.

Despite a cold, damp day on Friday, September 13, this year’s Family Transition Place (FTP) Charity Golf Classic golf tournament held at the Hockley Valley Resort was a huge success raising just over $60,000 for FTP’s programs and services.

Along with the support of close to 130 guests, the event received contributions in the form of sponsorships from community businesses – including title sponsors Royal LePage RCR Realty and Scotiabank – donations of first-class silent auction items, and volunteers that helped to make the event a success. This incredible generosity sends a very clear message that these businesses and individuals are invested in our work and are doing what they can to help us raise awareness, educate youth on healthy relationships, and ultimately eliminate violence against women.

FTP wishes to thank everyone that was a part of it.

Photos courtesy of Brendan J. Purdy Photography

You can help! Donate to Family Transition Place online at www.canadahelps.org

A message from Norah Kennedy, E.D. I am very proud to be part of an agency that has deep roots in our community.

Last winter marked the third time I had the honour to sit down with the managers, the board and the staff of FTP to develop a strategic plan.

Because we always want FTP to be relevant and addressing the needs of our community as they evolve, part of the process was reviewing our vision and mission statements.

Although the existing Vision was definitely still reflective of the work we do and the values we hold, the general consensus was that we wanted it to be a bit more aspirational. Therefore, this is what we came up with:

A community free of abuse where all women, children and men are treated with respect and equality, and live in healthy relationships within their families.

Our new vision statement is big and bold. But it is, in fact, a vision of the community in which we would like to live. We are an organization that works daily with people who struggle to be

treated with respect and equality – in many places, sadly often including their own home. We know that most victims of abuse are women, and abuse – especially in domestic situations, is not about hate or anger; it is about power and control. Our Vision Statement could have read “where all women are treated with respect” – and indeed should that happen it would be great cause for celebration!

– but we take it one step further. Our vision of the world we would like to live in is one in which everyone is treated with respect. A society that values one specific group over another is not a society that is equitable. But a society where no one segment of the population is de-valued because of their gender, or for that matter, their race, colour, ability or religion, is a society in which we can live, work and play together with mutual respect. Because where respect lives, violence cannot.

The shelter continues to overflow with women who need the safety and support offered within its walls, and because our counsellors continue to have wait lists, we know we cannot stop the work of prevention.

With our Vision firmly in mind, we continue to educate the youth of our community so they can form healthy, respectful relationships throughout their lives. It is the only approach that gives us hope for the future argued for in the Agency’s Vision Statement.

This doesn’t daunt us. FTP has a long history of excellence and innovation.

We are only daunted by the thought that we are not able to help all who need us. And so we will strive to gain allies in our work to end violence by sharing the dream of what our community could be – when our Vision is realized.

November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month.

November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month. It is every woman’s fundamental right to live in safety and security in her home and community – free from the threat of violence. We can all help prevent woman abuse. If you need information or want to find out how you can help someone, please visit our website at www.familytransitionplace.ca or contact us directly at 1.800.265.9178.

We are here to help.

Our Mission: To be a leader in the work to eliminate woman abuse by supporting women, children, men, their families and the community.

(Visit familytransitionplace.ca to view all of our mission statement, vision and values.)

The Voices Initiative Documentary is almost complete!

Annual Raffle raises $9,000 for FTP!

For the past year, an advisory group made up of various community members from the Dufferin and Caledon area have united in brave discussions about violence against women and girls.

With financial support of Status of Women Canada – a federal government organization that promotes equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada – and in collaboration with the Social Innovation Research Group, the Voices Initiative has explored issues related to violence against women and girls in a rural setting.

The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a plan to make our community safer for women and girls. A documentary being produced throughout the project will share perspectives and personal stories from a variety of individuals in our community.

Approximately 100 people have been interviewed to help provide input into this project and many of them are featured in the documentary.

Hopefully, the film will provide some insight into this issue for both our own community and potentially others as we deliver a message of hope and positive community change.

Featured here is the lucky winner of the dream flight for two anywhere WestJet flies! Joan Yeates, along with her husband Bob were the grand prize winners in FTP’s annual raffle. Second prize winner of $500 in Winners gift cards was Sanjeet Kaur, and Diane Vandenberg was the third prize winner of $250 in Home Depot gift cards. Thank you to these generous businesses for their exceptional prize donations.

Show your support.

Join our Wrapped in Courage Purple Scarf Campaign.

This November, in support of Woman Abuse Prevention Month, we want to collectively raise awareness about this issue and have a specific call to action.

We invite you to join our efforts by supporting the “Wrapped in Courage” Purple Scarf campaign.

For the month of November – and leading up to our community vigil on December 6 commemorating the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – we want you, the community, our On December 6 last year, approximately 70 people gathered from stand in unity to pledge their commitment to community leaders and role models the community to ending violence against women. to wear the purple scarf and make a statement to demonstrate your support and belief – that every woman has the fundamental right to live in safety and security.

Purchase your $15 purple scarf (or two for $25) at Orangeville Town Hall & both Orangeville Public Library locations. (Mill St. & Alder St.) or call 519.942.4122 x243.

Proceeds from the Wrapped in Courage campaign will support our efforts to continue to educate our youth – to teach the future generation that violence has no place in any of their relationships.

Together, we are building healthier communities – one relationship at a time.

Motivate your workplace to participate and send in your workplace pictures wearing the scarves to kelly@familytransitionplace.ca. We would love to see your support!

Over 200 participate in Ferguson Memorial Walk On September 12, 2009, Heidi Lee Ferguson lost her life due to a tragic domestic dispute with her estranged husband. In remembrance of her life, her family and friends created the Ferguson Memorial Walk to raise awareness and funds to prevent future violence against women.

Held at Island Lake, over 200 family, friends and community members joined to remember Heidi and others that have been the victims of domestic violence. We are inspired by the courage and strength of Heidi’s family to host this event and are truly grateful that all proceeds from this walk will support FTP and the Headwaters White Ribbon Campaign.

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