The St. Paul Crisis Centre & Columbus House of Hope staff, board members, and other supporters gathered on Thursday night to take a few moments to remember and acknowledge families that have been affected by violence.
Immediately following the organizations annual general meeting, those in attendance made their way to the yard near the women’s shelter, forming a large circle. Candles burned in the dark, cool air, while MLA David Hanson spoke about the importance of being aware of family violence, and working toward a solution on the issue.
“By failing to speak out against domestic violence, we condone it,” said Executive Director Noreen Cotton, prior to a moment of silence. “By participating in our vigil and holding a lit candle, you can take a silent pledge to do whatever you can to help reduce barriers, to help change community attitude, and to bring the issue of family violence out of the dark.”
After the minute of silence, Hinano Rosa sang his rendition of the well-known song “In the Arms of an Angel.”
Last year, from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, the Columbus House of hope admitted 151 women and 160 children into the shelter. The facility had to turn away 323 women, and 227 children, due to a lack of capacity.
“It is important to note that women and children turned away are given referrals and resources, and are encouraged to keep calling to check for capacity,” explained Cottonn. “Occupancy can change in the shelter daily, so sometimes we will have room the next day.”
During the organization’s AGM on Thursday evening, Cotton also offered her annual report, going over some statistics, and new initiatives taking place in the community.
This year marked the shelter’s 32nd annual AGM. Over the years, the need for the group has been shown, over and over again.
“Our association has grown in leaps and bounds over the years,” said Cotton. “Less than 10 years ago, we had a total of 12 staff members, and now including part time and casuals, we have 26 employees. Our programming has grown from offering five different programs to more than 12 programs today. And we are continuing to grow and address gaps in services for families experiencing domestic violence.”
According to Statistics Canada, only 10 to 12 per cent of women experiencing domestic violence access residential services of a domestic shelter. To help support those who don’t need to stay at the shelter, the outreach programming at the shelter has expanded from one worker to four, working out of four different locations.
A family violence liaison works at the RCMP detachment, a community support worker works at the outreach building, a shelter outreach/follow up worker works out of the shelter and the outreach building, and the family support worker has an office at the Mannawanis Native Friendship Centre.
“Throughout the past school year, 76 children attended our shelter school, providing 398 instructional days of school for children who otherwise would have been missing those school days,” said Cotton.
The position of teacher in this area is a unique and challenging one, she noted. The teacher never knows day-to-day how many children he will have, or what grade level they will be at.
“What we do know is that he is doing an amazing job. The kids love going and the moms are extremely grateful that this program exists.”
Another statistic brought up during the AGM was the fact that 59 per cent of abused women report that they have delayed leaving a violent partner out of concern for a family pet.
Through a partnership with the SPCA, the Columbus House of Hope now offers the Pet Safekeeping Program for women accessing the residential outreach programs. The program allows pets to be kept at a safe location.
The program has been in place for about seven months, and so far four family pets have kept safe.
While work is being done on the issue of family violence, Alberta remains one of the top provinces in the country reporting the most domestic violence incidents.
“For victims of domestic violence, the most dangerous time for them and their children is after they leave the relationship,” said Cotton. “It is imperative that we continue to do the work that we do, and that we continue to find ways to increase resources for victims of domestic violence.
Cotton is confident that the organization will continue to grow, and a capital campaign will be launched in the future to help increase infrastructure and programs.
“We will continue to increase our awareness activities in the community and we will increase our fundraising initiatives.”
