Family Transition Place News FALL 2012

IN THIS ISSUE: Woman Abuse Prevention Month Headwaters White Ribbon Poster Campaign Partnership with the Orangeville Public Library Message from the Executive Director Family Transition Place Golf Classic Update Save the Date for International Women’s Day Services in Bolton Transitions Training Holiday Wish List Please send us your email address and you’ll receive important news OR join us on Facebook! Be assured that this information will not be shared with any other organization and only used for the purpose of keeping you informed. To sign up, email kelly@familytransitionplace. ca and don’t forget to let us know if your email address changes. 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 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.

Headwaters White Ribbon Campaign Garnering Attention You may have seen these posters at various organizations throughout the Dufferin Area featuring prominent members of our community. These men have taken the pledge that they will never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls. So far, Terry and Josh Sanderson, Mayor Adams and Sam Young have all been featured with their daughters, as part of this six month poster campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage men to take the pledge and to raise awareness of eliminating violence against women. In partnership with the Headwaters White Ribbon chapter, Family Transition Place is pleased to see the results of the campaign thus far with many men logging online to take the pledge! FTP and Headwaters White Ribbon (HWR) look forward to releasing the next set of posters over the coming months. If you are interested in being involved in the HWR chapter, please visit www. headwaterswhiteribbon.ca/

I’m helping to make sure

Megan

lives in a world free of violence.

Megan’s father, Sam Young (owner, Shelburne Golf Club) – has signed the White Ribbon Pledge: to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls. Join Sam. Sign today. Go to HeadwatersWhiteribbon.ca, and stop violence now.

Headwaters

Safety. Support. Hope. Let’s build healthier communities, one relationship at a time. You can help! Donate to Family Transition Place online at www.canadahelps.org

F.T.P. Service Information Update Our transitional support counsellors provide practical assistance, support and referrals to help with a housing search, legal issues, safety planning, educational upgrading, employment search, budgeting and goal setting. The journey from an abusive relationship to independence is a challenging one – which can feel impossible at times. Transitional support can help make that journey a little easier. Kelly Bohonos is the Transitional Support Counsellor working out of the Bolton office on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If someone doesn’t feel safe, is overwhelmed with the bills piling up, is being evicted or losing their housing or if the tasks at hand are just too much to deal with, Kelly can help. You can reach her directly at 905-584-4357.

Transitions Training Domestic Violence & the Impact on the Workplace • Harrassment in the Workplace • Positive Relationships in the Workplace

As an employer, what would you do if.. . We design and deliver customized training that actively engages participants in the learning process.

...Sue came to work with bruising on her face, and her boyfriend was unexpectedly waiting in the parking lot to take her home. .... Bryan was being harrassed by a colleague who picked on a different person every week. No one speaks up for fear of being the next target.

Safety. Support. Hope. Let’s build healthier communities, one workplace at a time.

www.familytransitionplace.ca

Family Transition Place Golf Classic presented by RBC Dominon Securities The 11th annual Family Transition Place Golf Classic tournament on September 13th was a huge success. With generous support from our title sponsor, RBC Dominion Securities, and substantial sponsorship support from local businesses and individuals in the Dufferin and Caledon communities, the event raised just over $70,000 for Family Transition Place! Thank so much to all our sponsors - we couldn’t have done it without you. All proceeds support FTP’s Youth Education programs. photos courtesy of Brendan J. Purdy Photography

A message from Norah Kennedy,

Executive Director of Family Transition Place September hits like a cyclone! After the more languid work style of the hot summer months I have to grudgingly admit that I am somewhat exhilarated by it! I don’t think I am alone. In fact, the community itself seems to get an infusion of energy each September. The community calendar fills up with numerous events, many created and held specifically to support worthy causes. FTP is extremely fortunate to be the designated recipient of many of these. All of these third party events, large or small, are very much appreciated. They do a lot to help us be able to deliver critical services. But even in a crowd of exceptional events, there are a few special ones that stand out from the rest. Last Sunday I was humbled to be standing in front of a crowd at the Island Lake Conservation Area, talking, as I do, about why we at FTP feel it is so important to educate our youth and our community so that they understand the dynamics of violence and why we all play a part in its elimination. What was different at this event was that this was not just some abstract concept to the people gathered here. These people had come to participate in the Ferguson Memorial Walk. Heidi Ferguson lost her life due to a tragic domestic dispute with her estranged husband on September 12, 2009. Heidi’s family decided to take what was a monumental personal tragedy and make some good

come from it. And so the Ferguson Memorial Walk was created to raise awareness and prevent future violence against women. What could have been a grim and desperately sad day in fact became a celebration of community, life and hope. The group walked out along the beautiful Island Lake trail, past a newly erected memorial bench named “Heidi’s Retreat”. While we were there, we took a moment to read the plaque beside the bench memorializing not only Heidi, but all the women in our community who have died as a result of a domestic homicide. This lovely spot was created with the proceeds of another recent event – the Fall Fair Classic 5 K Run, held earlier this month. There were tears as we read the inscriptions there, but as we continued the walk back to the pavilion there was also love and laughter and an increasingly strong sense of community. This sense of community is what makes all the difference. In fact, the slogan of the Ferguson Memorial Walk proclaims: “Together We Can Make a Difference”. I couldn’t do the work I do if I didn’t believe that. But in order for that “difference” to actually happen, we must each commit to doing something. It can be something as small as signing the White Ribbon Pledge for men, to “never commit, condone or remain silent” about violence against women. It can be as intimate as reaching out to someone you suspect may be in need of support or as public as participating in events like this one or making a donation to an organization that works to support our community’s most vulnerable. What matters is that some small step is taken. We all can play an important role in making our community a healthier, safer place. No one of us can do it alone, but together we definitely can make a difference.

FTP partners with the Orangeville Public Library Using interactive techniques, media clips, quizzes and games, our Youth Education Programs are designed to engage youth. Orangeville Public Library embraces the goals of FTP’s youth education programs because they encourage young people to adopt positive attitudes and behaviour change, help youth understand choices and consequences that follow suit, and learn positive alternatives to challenging behaviour. Family Transition Place is delighted with the ongoing partnership with the Orangeville Public Library to bring these after school programs to the library. If you are interested in having your child attend a workshop, please contact the library today to register!

register for a free

WORKSHOP

Grades 6-8

All workshops are FREE and are offered after school, approximately 1 hour in length with 8-10 students per group. To register, call the Orangeville Public Library today at (519) 941-0610. Hurry, limited spots available.

Come Play Games & LOL • Make New BFFs • Stand Up & Speak Out! • <3 Who U R • It’s About YOU! • Have fun • Hang out with friends • Learn cool stuff

To learn more about the Youth Education Programs, please visit www.familytransitionplace.ca

Our Mission: To promote equality, safety and mutual respect in our community by providing: Safe shelter for abused women and their children • Support and counselling so that abused individuals may build lives free from violence and abuse • Information and education toward the prevention of violence against women.

Professional, urban office space for rent in Bolton! This 700 square foot space is perfect for an independent health care professional, counseling professional, accountant or business person seeking a convenient office location in the beautiful Royal Courtyards. Several rental options available including: one day/week, evenings and/or weekends. $125/day but can be negotiated depending on your commitment. For more information, please contact Lynette Pole-Langdon at 519-942-4122 or 905-584-4357.

Save the Date!

Join us to celebrate

We are thrilled to announce professional speaker and author, Susan Stewart will be joining us for our International Women’s Day fundraiser luncheon event on Friday March 8, 2013 at the Best Western PLUS Orangeville Inn & Suites.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN`S DAY.

More details will be released late November, but if you want to stay in the “know”, be sure to join our mailing list by visiting our website at www.familytransitionplace.ca or follow this event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/familytransitionplace

Susan Stewart Professional Speaker, Author Live Well, Laugh Lots!

If you are interested in participating as a sponsor, purchasing an advertisement in our Celebrating Women magazine (that is offered at the event and circulated throughout the communities of Dufferin and Caledon), or want to be a vendor in the women’s marketplace, please contact us at 519-942-4122 x 240. You can view last year’s digital copy of Celebrating Women by clicking the events menu on our FTP website. We hope you’ll join us! It’s going to be a great day!

all proceeds to support

Live well, laugh lots with this Susan Stewart, our speaker at this year’s celebration luncheon on International Women’s Day. Her message will help people decrease their stress and increase their success by seeing the ‘lighter side of work and life!” Join us by purchasing your tickets today! Don’t delay, last year’s event sold out in two weeks!

Friday March 8, 2013 | 11:00 am - 1:00pm | Best Western PLUS Orangeville Inn & Suites

Want to give a gift to Family Transition Place? With your financial assistance, we will help educate youth in our community schools to teach them the importance of healthy, respectful relationships that are free of violence. By strengthening the supports for developing healthy relationships among adolescents, we believe we can reduce the cycle of violence and incidence of intimate partner violence later in life. Your support is truly appreciated. Donate online now at

http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?charityID=s4593 As always, we know we can depend on our community to help us give our clients (both women and children) in our care a little happiness during the holiday season. We are very grateful to our donors and appreciate the tremendous support you have given throughout the years. This holiday season, we are requesting your support with gift cards for both women and children. (ie: grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, E.B. Games, Future Shop, Walmart and Zellers.) We are also in need of deodorant and razors. For a complete list of items, please visit our website.

2011-2012 Board of Directors Pete Renshaw, President • Stacey Coupland, Vice-President • Deborah Brook • Elaine Capes • Lynda Ferneyhough • Kemi Palmer • Dave Quinton • Cynthia Rayburn • Michael Walmsley

FTP is a proud member of