West Island Women’s Shelter gala helps survivors get back on their feet

Eve found her way to the West Island Women’s Shelter (WIWS) at a point in her life when she needed it most.

The non-profit aims to eliminate conjugal violence and its impact on women and children.

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“If I divorced him, he used to tell me that he would leave me in the streets. He would take away my child because I was depressed,” Eve, whose last name is being withheld for safety reasons, told Global News.

“He used to say he will give me no money. I wasn’t working so I was so afraid. Where are you going to go? I cannot go live in the streets because I have a kid.”

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Her daughter brought home a pamphlet for the shelter one day, and Eve saw it as a sign.

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“They give you strength to continue and make you realize how strong you are.”

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Eve is one of hundreds of women who seek help for themselves and their children from the shelter each year.

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“It can be a few days for a break, it can be a few weeks, it can be a few months,” explained Julie, a WIWS counsellor.

“We go with the needs of the family. In our second-stage house, it can go up to 21 months. I can follow a woman for two years if it need be.”

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Demand for help is so high that there is sometimes a wait list.

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“Sadly, there is a lot of demand. At one point, there was a nine-month waiting list,” said Beverly, a WIWS board member.

“We need to be able to help these women now.”

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To raise money, the shelter is hosting a “Pumps and Pearls” gala at the Château-Vaudreuil Hotel hosted by Global senior anchor Jamie Orchard.

—With files from Global’s Gloria Henriquez