Mother's Day 2021
As Mother’s Day approaches, many of us will start to think about how we will honour the mothers and mother-like figures who have supported us in our lives. While some may reflect on healthy family relationships and memories of safe and enriching upbringings, for others, this may be a reminder of painful experiences.
As a young teenager, Annie* once witnessed her uncle slap her aunt. She remembers feeling powerless and scared. No one told Annie that abuse was unacceptable. Violence and abuse was something all of her aunts and mother were surviving. As a female, Annie often wondered if she would have to accept abuse too.

Read our full Mother's Day tribute article "What My Mother Didn't Tell Me: Helping to Break the Intergenerational Cycle of Abuse" here.
This Mother's Day, it is important to be aware and respectful of the challenges associated with this day. We honor and recognize all the women who, without judgement, listened to our stories with compassion and supported us through difficult times in our lives—helping us move forward in our personal journeys.
This Mother’s Day, consider making a tribute donation to Victoria Women’s Transition House as a Tribute to a mother or mother-like figure. When you make this Tribute Gift, Transition House will send a digital greeting card to the Honouree on your behalf. You will receive a tax receipt for the full amount of the gift with our sincere thanks.
Program Updates
Emergency Shelter and Extended Shelter Program
Due to client need, VWTH continues to operate two Emergency Shelter locations where women and their children can stay for up to 30-days and receive counselling and supports. Our main Shelter location is well equipped, with new couches, bedroom bureaus and bedside tables arriving shortly to replace well-worn furniture in the shelter living room and client bedrooms–all made possible thanks to grants from the Compassion in Action Transferable Fund held at Vancouver Foundation. The second Shelter location is a work-in-progress. Right now we are organizing an on-site children’s playroom, filled with toys, games and books for children, their mothers and our Children’s Activity Worker. 

This year, both Shelters will be celebrating Mother's Day on May 9th. A celebratory meal will be cooked by Shelter staff and all residents will receive flowers donated by a generous donor. Complementing the flowers, a staff member will create unique, hand-painted vases for each woman and individual self-care packages including items donated by The Body Shop will be distributed to all residents. Thank you to all who help make this day special for mothers and mother-like figures at our Shelter locations.
Older Women's Outreach
The Older Women's Outreach Program provides support for residents at our third stage transitional housing and to other women in the community aged 45-65, who have left an abusive relationship. In addition to weekly Friday morning coffee groups, there are a number of virtual and safe, in-person, cohort-based groups in progress.

STRIDE/Sole Sisters ZOOM Group
Though Tuesday morning walks are currently on hold, residents are can still connect virtually. Our thanks to Mena from Sole Sisters who is currently leading a fun-filled, multi-level stretch, strength, and yoga class until the group can go back to walking together outdoors.

YOGA ZOOM Group
The Yoga Zoom group gives participants time to unwind, stretch and meditate each week. A certified yoga instructor leads the group through an hour-long session of virtual, trauma-informed yoga.

STRENGTH Group
Our new, older women's STRENGTH group focuses on health and wellness over eight weeks and covers topics including self-care, goal setting, legal literacy, healthy aging, healthy boundaries and communication.
Healing Through the Arts
Healing Through the Arts: Multidisciplinary Arts & Ceramics for Older Women was an eight-week project that focused on self-expression and inner reflection through ceramics.

We asked what participants enjoyed and valued about the program. This program means so much to me. It has been the highlight of my year since COVID struck. Being able to spend time with women I can relate to, feel relaxed with and feel supported by is a lifeline to me. I have made connections with many of the women in this group and this has been a really important source of friendship and sisterhood for me, shared one participant.

For more information and to learn about upcoming projects, programs and groups, visit our website or follow us on Facebook.

We acknowledge the generous support of the CRD Arts Commission and individual donors for support of this program. Thank you.

Pictured art pieces created by Healing Through the Arts program participants and have been shared with their permission.
Leave a Legacy Month
Leave a Legacy Month is a national, community-based public awareness campaign to encourage folks to leave a gift through their will to a favourite charity or cause. Some people leave a legacy gift as an important way of ensuring that their memory lives on, or because they want to contribute significantly to a deeply meaningful cause.  
 
For more information about including Transition House in your will, contact Susan Howard, Development and Communications Director, at susanh@vwth.bc.ca
National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)
May 5th will commemorate the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). The MMIWG movement, which in recent years has increasingly included two-spirit individuals (MMIWG2S), is a social justice movement in North America formed to reflect the injustice and overrepresentation of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people as victims of violence.
On the National Day of Awareness for MMIWG, individuals and communities across the country come together to organize and join in REDress projects. The REDress Project officially began in 2009 as a public art installation by Artist Jaime Black to remember and bring awareness to the hundreds of MMIWG2S with no justice in Canada.

For loved ones and communities across Canada, the project has become a powerful symbol of recognition, remembrance and advocacy.
On May 5th, Victoria Women's Transition House will join thousands of people across Canada to display red dresses symbolizing missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. To learn more about events and see how you can support MMIWG2S initiatives, visit the 100 Red Dress Project MMIWG and Lil' Red Dress Project.

Pictured, REDress Project at Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB. Photo Credit: Ted McGrath
Events
Heirloom Linens

Heirloom Linens has chosen VWTH as their Charity of the Month! For each bamboo nightie sold during the month of May, 50% of the net profits will be donated to VWTH to help support women and children impacted by intimate partner violence and abuse. Thank you Heirloom Linens and Heirloom Linen customers for this generosity.
June 5–27: 10th Annual Victoria Goddess Run

Victoria Women’s Transition House has been selected as the Victoria Goddess Run 2021 charity of choice! Click here to register as an individual or as part of a team for the 5K, 10K or Half Marathon runs taking place in June, October and December.

Register now for the June run and receive a 15% discount off your registration with code VWTH15.

The Victoria Goddess Run is a community of women and girls who come together to celebrate their stories, goals, and challenges. It is more than just a run; it is an opportunity to connect and inspire each other throughout the year.
VWTH's Victoria Goddess Run Charity Champion
Charity Champion, Carolyn, will participate in all three 2021 virtual Victoria Goddess Runs. Carolyn will be raising funds for the VWTH Emergency Shelters, programs and services to support women and children impacted by intimate partner violence and abuse.

In the last two weeks, Carolyn has completed two runs: the fourth and final run for the 2020 Goddess Run race series (picture below) as well as the TC 10K. Way to go, Carolyn! With less than six weeks until the 10th Annual Victoria Goddess Run, we asked Carolyn what keeps her going.
I have to say, what inspires me the most is to run for my own well-being and mental health. The feeling of running is freeing to me. I feel the work we do at Transition House is so important in helping support women to get back on their feet after dealing with trauma. To run on behalf of VWTH and raise funds that will benefit the organization and the women and children we serve, is an honor.

Read more about Carolyn and her running journey, here. Want to support Carolyn’s runs for VWTH? Visit her fundraising page, here. Thank you, Carolyn!
Thank You
Support from youth at Oak Bay High!

Thank you to Oak Bay High School and the Victoria Foundation for selecting VWTH to receive a grant from the Vital Youth Oak Bay High School Endowment Fund. This gift will help support Violence is Preventable, interactive workshops offered to local schools and help break the cycle of violence and abuse, as well as our Children's PEACE Camp.
Watch our appreciation video featuring our grateful PEACE Program counsellors!
Tupperware Fundraiser

At the beginning of April, Dana Heller, a sales representative from Tupperware, hosted a week-long virtual Tupperware fundraiser in support of VWTH, Victoria Goddess Run's charity of choice.

The fundraiser included prize draws, games and useful tips on storing and organizing. 20% of the sales, in addition to a coupon to use towards Tupperware spring/summer catalogue items, were donated to Transition House. Thank you, Dana, Tupperware and to everyone who participated in the fundraiser!
Upcoming
  • May 5 – National Day of Awareness for MMIWG
  • May 9 – Mother’s Day
  • May 13 – Eid-Ul-Fitr (End of Ramadhan)
  • May 24 – Victoria Day
  • May 26 – Vesak (Buddha Day)
  • June 5-27 – 10th Annual Victoria Goddess Run
In Case You Missed It...
Victoria Women’s Transition House Society collaborates, advocates and educates to address and prevent intimate partner violence and abuse of women and children through supportive shelter, housing, counselling and other community-based services.

Victoria Women's Transition House Society is a registered charity. 
Our charitable registration number is: 10817 3501 RR0001.
Territory Acknowledgment
It is with much respect to the Lkwungen and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples of the WSÁNEĆ, Esquimalt, and Songhees Nations, on whose traditional territories the Victoria Women’s Transition House Society is located, that we make this acknowledgment with the expressed shared hope to live in communities free of intimate partner violence.