MESSAGE FROM INTERVAL HOUSE: Our Gratitude We are truly honoured for the continued partnership and support from FRPO and its membership. To date, you have raised $700,000.00 for our innovative, specialized services that help women survivors of intimate partner violence and their children transform their lives and break the cycle of abuse. For many of you, your investment extends beyond financial aid including providing rental units at rent-geared-to-income options, employment opportunities, and collecting new toys over the holidays. We are so grateful for all you do for Interval House. Remaining COVID-19 Free Interval House remains committed to the health and safety of women experiencing intimate partner violence. With the rates of domestic violence increasing by 30% since on the onset of the global pandemic, our life-transforming programming is needed now more than ever. Through the support of community, including FRPO and its membership, we have been able to develop five isolations suites for families who may need to quarantine. Many other shelters use hotel rooms when their clients need to isolate however for women escaping abuse, a hotel can be a frightening place without support and security. While in an isolation suite, which are equipped with an ensuite bathroom, mini-fridge, microwave, TV, books and much more, women and their children can still benefit from check-ins, counselling, and programming. Through our resiliency and preparedness, Interval House has not had a single case of COVID-19. BRUISED FRUIT In hopes of providing more awareness to women who may be in danger and isolated during the pandemic. Interval House created the “Bruised Fruit” campaign, to reach women at the one place they can go to get away from their abuse: the grocery store. The campaign, which took place during July and August at Toronto’s ‘The Big Carrot Community Market and Unboxed Market’ featured a free stand of bruised, over-ripened apples. What made these apples unique, is each had a produce sticker with a fact around domestic violence- such as, “During the pandemic, some abusive relationships have become more physically violent.” Most importantly, the produce sticker allowed us to provide crucial information, such as our 24/7 crisis line, in a discreet way that could be easily concealed from an abuser or passed along to friend or family member. This is one of the innovative ways Interval House, with FRPO member’s support, is protecting women who are fleeing intimate partner violence.
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