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In her own words...
"Coming to Camp felt like coming home. Everyone listened to me
and I felt important. I liked it a lot."
~ former participant in the Children Who Witness Abuse Camp Program
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Children Who Witness Abuse (CWWA) Camp Program
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It's that time of year again. Victoria Women's Transition House (VWTH) is busy getting ready to welcome campers to fun-filled days in the sun at Summer Camp!
The CWWA Camp Program is led by specialized children's counsellors and is offered free of charge to our children and youth clients. The camp runs for two,
2-week sessions in the Summer and one 1-week session in the Spring, and will see anywhere from 8-10 participants per session. Camp provides a unique way for children and youth to connect with their peers, learn new skills, try new activities, and reduce the isolation associated with being exposed to violence in their homes.
Camp mornings are dedicated to workshops on healing and personal development, while the afternoons are spent engaging in recreational and cultural activities in our community such as kayaking, hiking, beach day, mini-golf, museum visits and more.
Our staff report that one of the most rewarding parts of the camp is watching the youth connect with and support one another while sharing their stories and encouraging each other to try new things. The growth and connections built while at camp are always inspiring and make our CWWA Camp Program an invaluable part of the services we offer our clients.
"Thank you so much for making this group happen. Not only has it had an impact on my daughter, but it has had a huge impact on our family in the way she interacts with us. She has learned how to have healthy relationships that she did not see modeled at home."
~Parent of a previous Camp participant
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This initiative is generously funded by
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VWTH is thrilled to announce our participation in a new yoga initiative for women and children who have experienced violence in the home and are accessing our Transition House services.
The Reaching Out with Yoga (ROWY) Project is a collaborative five-year research project led by the BC Society of Transition Houses in partnership with the Yoga Outreach Society (YO). Yoga Outreach brings volunteer yoga teachers together with community and social services organizations to provide mindfulness-based, trauma-informed yoga programming to adults and youth.
The ultimate purpose of the project will be to gather research on how this style of yoga impacts the health and well-being of women and children who have experienced violence, as well as front-line staff who work in the anti-violence sector.
ROWY is currently seeking yoga teachers for this program. If you are interested, please get in contact with Yoga Outreach. VWTH is very excited to be a part of this!
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Shirley Runs for Transition - A Thank You From Shirley
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VWTH Board Member, Shirley Elm, was our 2017
Victoria Goddess Run Charity Champion. On Sunday, June 4th, Shirley ran 10km in support of the VWTH shelter, counselling programs and services for women and their children fleeing domestic abuse - and she raised over $3000 in donations!
Thank you to all the generous donors and supporters who made a contribution to Shirley's fundraising campaign. We truly appreciate your support!
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June was a busy month for our third party fundraising events in the community. We are so grateful to the generosity of those who included VWTH as a beneficiary from projects and events.
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Congratulations to our Car Free YYJ Raffle Winner: Annie Cox!
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We hope you enjoy the LUSH Cosmetics gift basket!
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Emily and Susan of the VWTH Development Team
at Car Free Day YYJ on Father's Day |
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Canada 150 - Free Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, July 1st @ 8am - 11am
Huntingdon Manor, 330 Quebec St
Entertainment and activities include all-Canadian music, face painting for kids, and an on-site caricaturist. Manor staff members will be dressed in period costumes with a vintage photo booth available for some fun and unique pictures.
The Free Pancake Breakfast will take place between 8am and 11am.
Please join us!
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Victoria Pride Festival
Sunday, July 9th @ 12pm
MacDonald Park, 212 Niagara St.
On July 9th, Victoria Women's Transition House will be participating in the festivities at the 2017
Pride Festival.
This free, family-friendly event will host a variety of entertainment, beer garden, food court, many local vendors, and a kids camp.
Victoria Pride Society
"strives to create a better public understanding of our community's history, courage, diversity and future."
VWTH is excited to see you at Pride to play a game or two, win some prizes, and learn more about the work Transition House does within the community.
We hope to see you there!
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Volunteer Highlight: Lorraine
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Lorraine has been a stalwart volunteer with VWTH for the past 13 years. Her dedication as a volunteer, organizer of spices, planting herbs and a myriad of other duties has been a great blessing at the Shelter.
We wish Lorraine a very happy retirement from volunteering with us and look forward to her promised "pop-in's" to help us ensure supplies in the baking cupboard are well stocked and organized.
Thank you for everything Lorraine. We will miss you!
If you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at
[email protected].
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As we are nearing the end of our Spring Fundraising Drive, we realize that we still need $8,723 to meet our Spring goal of $31,000. Can you help?
If you haven't had a chance to donate to Transition House this Spring or this year, please consider a gift today. Your donation helps support our clients, women of all ages, with and without children who are fleeing domestic abuse. Your gift helps provide services to women and children at our 18-bed Emergency Shelter as well as counselling programs for women, specialized programs for older women and for children who witness abuse - like Summer Camp for children and youth (see story at the top of this email).
Tax receipts are provided for all donations of $10 or more. Please contact us if you would like details regarding the donation of financial securities or stock. Thank you very much for your consideration and support. And if you have already made a donation to Victoria Women's Transition House, THANK YOU! Your donation really does make a difference.
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Victoria Women's Transition House Society, working collaboratively, provides shelter, support, counselling and education to women of all ages, with or without children, so that they can live free from the effects of abuse in intimate relationships. The Society strives to prevent and eliminate abuse through education, advocacy and partnerships.
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Victoria Women's Transition House Society is a registered charity.
Our charitable registration
number is: 10817 3501 RR0001.
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