If you’re in a room with 10 women this holiday season, statistics suggest at least four of them have experienced some form of intimate partner violence.
That’s why YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is aiming to raise $150,000 before the end of the year, by encouraging the community to “give the gift of safety” during the holiday season and support women, children, and gender-diverse individuals who are fleeing gender-based violence.
“We’re very fortunate, very privileged, and very grateful to have many long-term supporters who are committed to our work and committed to our cause,” says Tina Thornton, director of philanthropy for YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.
“When I see the gifts coming in early for the holidays, I see people who are recognizing that this is going to be a tough year for many of our clients. If there’s going to be an influx of women that are coming to us for support — and we are hopeful they come to us — that means we’re going to have a greater need.”
While government funding covers around 70 per cent of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s total expenses for the year, focusing on shelter beds, the organization also offers many other programs that depend on community support, including through donations. Every year, the YWCA strives to raise $1 million to fund these important programs.
“We’ve been doing domestic violence work since the 1980s and we know that it takes so much more than a shelter bed for a woman to start the healing journey and to stay on her own and stay safe,” says Thornton.
“Providing them with shelter only takes them out of that unsafe situation. We’re committed to helping her find the pathway to her future. To do that, we have to have these additional programs and we have to fund them through support from the community.”
These programs include the START (Support Team for Abuse Response Today) drop-in support hub, counselling, life skills support, transitional housing, family court support programming, and more.
In this year’s annual holiday appeal, Shari — a real woman who has benefited from YWCA’s services — shares her experience accessing these life-changing supports.
After eight years of experiencing physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and financial abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, she found safety through the YWCA and began the journey to build a better life for her and her children.
“Without YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, I would not have been able to branch out into my new life,” Shari says. “The organization provided resources tailored to my individual experience and needs, and it is because of these resources that I was able to begin my healing journey.”
Thornton explains that, like Shari, every woman who reaches out to the YWCA for help has her own experiences and needs.
“Some women are going to call once and we’re going to get her on a path and that’s all she needs — that one phone call,” says Thornton, pointing out that it takes a woman seven times on average before leaving an abusive relationship for good.
“Other women are going to make the call, they’re going to come to Crossroads, they’re going to go to transitional housing, and they’re going to get the full slate of programming. We are there to support her on her journey and what she needs, no matter what her journey looks like.”
This holiday season, YWCA is asking community members to support these vital resources by donating to HER Journey of Care, the wrap-around model of services that provides women with individualized support and guidance as they make the journey from fear to safety and an independent life of their choosing.
“It’s a well-known fact that there are times of the year when the rates of domestic violence simply soar and one of them is around the holidays,” says Thornton. “You’ve got families that are off work, on vacation, at home, and the rates of violence will increase just simply by the fact they’re together more.”
“You also don’t have to be in a violent situation to realize that the holidays are really stressful and, as stress rises in the community and in the world as a whole, the rates of domestic violence increase exponentially as well.”
To further support YWCA Peterborough Haliburton this holiday season, you can purchase needed items for women and children from a wish list that will be delivered to the YWCA’s Peterborough location, Haliburton location, or Centennial Crescent transitional housing community.
Throughout the season, local businesses will also be showing up in support of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.
On Friday, November 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Heart 2 Hand Tattoos in Peterborough will be donating the proceeds from walk-in flash tattoos, including both existing designs and those inspired by the work of the YWCA. Then, on Monday, November 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Vine in Peterborough will be holding a bake sale with proceeds supporting the YWCA.
Keep an eye out for updates from YWCA Peterborough Haliburton on where they will be for Giving Tuesday, which takes place on December 1 this year.
To donate to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, call 705-743-3526 or donate online at ywcapeterborough.org, where you can also learn more about how YWCA Peterborough Haliburton supports women and children recovering from gender-based violence.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
