The David and Patricia Morton Family Foundation continues its tradition with another donation of $50,000 to support YWCA services for women and children experiencing gender-based violence in Haliburton County.
The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton (PH) has a women’s centre in the county that offers resources for women to help escape gender-based violence and find safer means to move forward with their lives. Resources include transportation, counselling, a family law lawyer and court support.
“We are incredibly grateful for the continued leadership shown by the Morton Family Foundation in the Haliburton County community,” said Kim Dolan, YWCA PH executive director. “Patricia and David’s ongoing generosity is a testament to their commitment to supporting the YWCA’s efforts to serve the rural women and children in Haliburton County, providing them with the resources and support they need to feel safe again.”
The donation comes as neighbouring Peterborough County last week declared intimate partner violence an epidemic, following suit from the City of Peterborough in late November.
Dolan says access to safe and reliable resources in rural communities is an ongoing problem.
The YWCA’s Haliburton Emergency Rural SafeSpace (HERS) provides safe and supportive temporary accommodations for women — with and without children — fleeing abuse in Haliburton County. The service is on an as-needed basis and offers space for two families at a time to enable women to move away from an abusive domestic situation without leaving their support systems, jobs and schools, families, and friends behind.
“Rural women in Haliburton County have reported far more serious and complex abuse since 2020,” the YWCA stated. “Like women’s organizations across the province, the YWCA faces heightened demand and increasing costs.”
Patricia Morton says she and her husband feel “very fortunate” to be able to continue to support the YWCA PH’s “wonderful work.”
“Because this work continues to be so essential to so many area women and children,” she said. “And it is important to remember that both under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and under the United Nations Charter, violence against women and children is a major and criminal violation of human rights.
“However, shockingly this violence is actually on the increase throughout Canada especially against rural women, just as it is here and now against isolated rural women in Haliburton County, and likely in neighbouring rural counties as well.
“Thank goodness the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is here to provide these women and their children with safe shelter at HERS and with vital services, to help these victims of violence move forward past the trauma and suffering, to strive to rebuild their lives and become brave survivors.”
David Morton says he finds femicide and all forms of violence against women and children “appalling.”
“I will never understand why some — too many — men take out their anger, frustration, or whatever by inflicting physical and/or psychological violence on women and children,” he stated. “However we are grateful at least to be able to support the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton to provide essential help to the rural women of Haliburton County who are suffering from such appalling male violence, hopefully to be able to empower themselves.”
Community members who wish to donate or find ways of supporting YWCA services in Haliburton County are encouraged to visit ywcapeterborough.org or contact the YWCA directly at 705-743-3526.