Taking part in the WBN Hollywood Christmas Gala was such a pleasure! A wonderful celebration of Peterborough’s amazing business women -- AND, by supporting the YWCA as the beneficiary of the Gala, every volunteer organizer, every donor of every auction item, every purchaser and every member helps provide the basic human right of safety for women and children in our community.
You see, the statistics around domestic violence are shocking. Nationally some 3,300 women and their 3,000 children sleep in shelters to escape domestic violence each night. And every six days a woman is killed by her intimate partner. The statistics in our community are equally troubling.
WBN members have supported the YWCA Crossroads shelter for almost 20 years. At Crossroads we serve more than 300 women and children every year. As well as safe haven, women and children receive everything from safety planning and mental health services to counselling and parental support. And the difference you make as a supporter, volunteer or donor to the YWCA doesn’t end at Crossroads.
By supporting the YWCA, you help us:
• Answer our crisis line 24/7/365 so that every woman in our region can get help when she needs it
• Run our innovative START program – a one-stop shop of coordinated services for women who have experienced domestic violence or abuse
• Support women as they go through family court – often with their abuser fighting for custody of their children
• Provide rent-geared-to-income housing for over 100 women and children who have experienced abuse
You also help us:
• Build the confidence of 12-13 year old girls in our GirlSpace program to form healthy life-long relationships
• Provide grants to women who have fled abuse and are pursuing their dreams through education
• Deliver over 3,000 food boxes to families who are struggling to provide healthy food to their families
• Advocate on behalf of women and girls in our community and around the world
Abuse and violence against women and children are not a personal issue, but a community one. By supporting the YWCA, you help to save lives, relieve deep suffering, unleash the human potential of women and children, and strengthen our whole community.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
To find out more, or if you would like to work with us to expand the leadership of women and girls in our community, we would love to hear from you.
Jen Cureton
Director of Philanthropy & Communications
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
216 Simcoe Street, Peterborough, ON K9H2H7
